If you’re flying Southwest, you can pay an extra $15 in advance or $30-60 at the gate to get a better boarding number. There are plenty of things you can do to ensure a better boarding position (and thus get on the plane when there’s more overhead space available), usually for an added fee. If that’s the case, your best bet is to politely plea with the flight attendants to keep your guitar in one of the on-board closets that are usually reserved for coats. If you’re last to board on a full flight and the airline is gate-checking every bag in your boarding group, the odds are lower that your guitar is going to fly in the main cabin with you. Point B is pretty key in terms of function. ‘‘(B) there is space for such stowage at the time the passenger boards the aircraft. ‘‘(A) the instrument can be stowed safely in a suitable baggage compartment in the aircraft cabin or under a passenger seat, in accordance with the requirements for carriage of carry-on baggage or cargo established by the Administrator and Per the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (thanks, Obama!), airlines have to let you bring your guitar on board as a carry on if it fits in a closet or in an overhead bin when you board.Īn air carrier providing air transportation shall permit a passenger to carry a violin, guitar, or other musical instrument in the aircraft cabin, without charging the passenger a fee in addition to any standard fee that carrier may require for comparable carry-on baggage, if. And yes, you do have real-deal legal rights when flying with a guitar in the United States (flying abroad is a different story). Your best bargaining chip when it comes to flying with a guitar is knowing your rights.

There are steps you can take to minimize the likelihood that you’re going to need to beeline to a repair shop when you land. The truth is, you have rights when flying with a guitar. After all, when you fly, you’re putting your guitar in the airlines’ hands. Chances are, you’ve seen a headline or watched a video which perfectly embodies one of your worst fears (see: “ United Breaks Guitar.”) Every musician who’s ever even thought about flying with a guitar has had anxiety about all the things you can’t control when traveling with your instrument.

American airline guitar policy