Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel

Subject: RE: Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 17 May 00 - 07:20 AM

I also have never had a problem, whether on Transatlantic flights or internal USA flights. I do as Moonchild does, just take it for granted you will get your instrument on board, look confident and all will be well. A couple of points however:

If you try to smuggle your guitar on board in a hardshell case you are asking for trouble. The airlines standpoint is that a guitar in a hardshell falling out of the overhead compartment could cause serious damage to the unfortunate passenger underneath, and they do have a point. Use a good quality gig bag. Also, when they call out your row number, make sure you are first in the line, so that you get tp the overhead before anyone else.

Secondly, the FAA recently changed the regulations regarding the permitted size of carry-on luggage, and it will not be long before they all have a template through which all hand luggage must fit. I cannot recall offhand what the size is, but I do know that there is no way a full sized guitar in a case will pass through. I am not saying it will be impossible to talk your way through this, but it will make life more difficult.

The only solution eventually will be to invest in a Anvil or Mark Leaf case and check the guitar in. Remember, for every horror story of broken and lost guitars that you hear, there are thousands of instruments that travel safely in the hold with no problems.

Murray

Subject: RE: Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel
From: bbelle
Date: 16 May 00 - 10:58 PM

As I said in the other thread ... I travel all over with my Gibson B25. If you're familiar with its size ... it's larger than a baby anything but certainly smaller that an jumbo or dreadnought. I don't use a hard case ... just the old fashion kind that came with it. Rick Fielding told me to walk onboard the plane with it as if nothing was up and if they did say something, to beg the flight attendants to let you take it onboard. I, so far, haven't had any trouble. It fits in the overhead with a lot of room to spare and I encourage other people to put their carryons around it. I've never had a problem with someone trying to abuse it while loading their stuff in the bin. Maybe it's because I'm a short little woman and they kind of miss it. Of course, it they really gave me a hard time I would point out the size of the carryons that they did let on ... most of which are much larger and bulkier than my guitar case. I arrive, guitar in hand, with a big smile and a host of optimism written on my face ... moonchild

Subject: RE: Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel
From: Robo
Date: 16 May 00 - 10:48 PM

I've been meaning to intro this question myself, so thanks much, Barbara. Any info/experiences to be shared on carrying guitars and hard cases -- Taylors or otherwise -- aboard planes would be most appreciated.

Rob-o

Subject: RE: Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel
From:
Date: 16 May 00 - 04:49 PM

I gave up on trying to take guitars over seas, and now travel with an open backed banjo, which I ship with the baggage. It goes with me to Eastern Europe once a month or so, once all the way to Kyrgyzstan, with no problems. Case looks like it's been through the grinder, though.

Charles Temple

Subject: RE: Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel
From: GUEST,brigid in the mountains
Date: 16 May 00 - 12:22 PM

I have no idea how big this baby guitar is, but I never go anywhere without my mandolin,and it is in a hard case,The airline between Switzerland and ireland see me coming each time and there isno problem. They wouldn't even want to try taking it away from me!!!!!!!

Subject: Baby Taylor Guitar and Airline Travel
From: GUEST,barbara
Date: 15 May 00 - 01:22 PM

I am interested in hearing about anyone's actual experiences taking a Baby Taylor guitar (in a hard case) on an airplane as CARRY ON. Was it successful? Which airline? How about using a soft gig bag? Thanks.