How to Take Your Guitar on a Plane

Storing Your Guitar In-Flight

Book a seat at the back of the plane in order to board first. People at the back of the plane usually get to board first, so you’re less likely to have problems finding space in the overhead bins. Choose a seat as far back in the plane as is available when you’re purchasing your ticket to make the process of storing your guitar onboard easier. If you’re purchasing an extra seat for your guitar instead of storing it in an overhead luggage compartment, it doesn’t matter whether the seats are towards the back or not. If you're flying on an airline that assigns priority groups and lets you choose your seat when you board, try to check in as soon as possible to increase your odds of boarding first. In this case, it doesn't matter where your seat is, just choose one that has storage space available.

Bring your guitar as standard carry-on luggage if it fits in an overhead bin. Sec. 403 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 permits passengers to carry a guitar or another instrument in a plane’s cabin instead of a carry-on bag, as long as it will fit in normal luggage storage bins. Ensure your guitar is not longer or wider than the airline’s overhead bins before you travel with it if you want to carry it on at no extra cost. You can call an airline’s customer service line to verify the exact overhead bin size for your flight. Note that there must be space in the overhead bins at the time you board the plane or the airline can require that you check it at the gate. Flight attendants won’t remove other luggage to make space for your guitar. Try to carry your guitar as discreetly by holding it down at your side on the side furthest away from the agents when you’re boarding your flight to avoid getting hassled by the agents at the gate. If they do say something, politely explain that you're bringing it instead of a piece of carry-on luggage, as permitted by law. Keep in mind that if you get your guitar onboard, but there isn't any room for it, you might still have to give it to a flight attendant to send it below.

Ask a flight attendant if you can store your guitar in a coat closet. There are often coat closets at the front and back of a plane that flight attendants store things in. Politely explain to a flight attendant that you’re worried about your guitar getting damaged during the flight and ask if there is any extra room in a closet to store it upright. You can also try this option if there’s no overhead room when you’re boarding your flight and the gate attendants are telling you that you can’t take your guitar on. Keep in mind that flight attendants are not required to store your guitar in a closet, so if they do so, they’re doing you a kind favor. Don’t fight with the flight attendants if they won’t put it in a closet for you. You won’t achieve anything this way.

Place your guitar carefully into an overhead bin if you can’t put it in a closet. Head to your seat and put your guitar horizontally into the closest available overhead bin. Place it on top of other passengers’ overhead luggage if the bins are already filling up and keep an eye out to make sure nobody puts anything on top of it. If you’re having trouble fitting your guitar into partially-filled luggage bins, politely ask nearby passengers if you can accommodate their luggage differently in order to fit your guitar in.

Buy a ticket for your guitar if you can’t take it as carry-on luggage. Purchase an additional ticket for an adjacent seat and take your guitar on the plane as if it’s a person in the seat next to you. This is the only way you’re allowed to take a large guitar on a plane with you that is too big to fit in an overhead bin. If you aren’t sure whether your guitar will fit in an overhead bin, this is the safest way to avoid problems when you’re boarding the flight. Make sure that you are able to choose 2 seats next to each other if you're purchasing tickets online or to request 2 adjacent seats if you're buying your tickets in person. Naturally, this isn’t always going to be realistic, especially if your flight is expensive. Other options you can consider are getting a smaller, cheaper guitar just for travel or shipping your guitar to your destination.

Packing Your Guitar

Use a soft case to make your guitar fit into cabin storage more easily. Place your guitar in a soft gig-style case to minimize its footprint for travel. These types of cases don’t usually add a lot of bulk, so your guitar will still be able to fit into an overhead bin. These types of cases will also make your guitar look less bulky when you carry it on. You’re less likely to get hassled by a gate attendant or flight attendant while you’re bringing it onboard that way. If you want a little extra protection, you can get a fortified gig case. These are still soft, but have a little more form and structure to help pad your guitar during its journey. Keep in mind they are also a little bulkier than totally soft cases, but this will at least provide more protection than a standard soft case if you end up having to check your guitar. Your guitar legally must be covered in order for you to take it on a plane as carry-on luggage. This is required in order to prevent injury to other passengers. This applies regardless of whether you purchase an extra seat for it or plan on storing it in the luggage compartment.

Put your guitar in a hard travel case if you have to put it in the cargo hold. Choose the hardest, sturdiest case possible for your guitar if it’s too big to put in an overhead bin and you don’t want to pay for an extra seat. This will provide the most protection while it’s being tossed around by baggage handlers and stored in the hold with other luggage. For example, if you called your airline and found out that your guitar is too big for your flight’s overhead bins or if you’re flying on a small commuter plane, put it in a hard case. If you plan to fly with your guitar a lot, invest in a heavy-duty flight case. These cases are expensive, but they are made of very hard, reinforced materials and have a lot of foam padding for maximum protection.

Pack your guitar with paper to fill extra space and stop it from moving. Loosen the strings slightly and put crumpled up newspaper or packing paper in between the strings and the fretboard. Wrap newspaper or packing paper around the headstock, neck, and heel to protect them. Fill in any empty spaces in the case with paper as well. You could also use soft items of clothing like T-shirts instead of paper. Doing so can even save you a little room in your other luggage. Bubble wrap would also work well for this.

Avoid putting any prohibited objects inside your guitar case with the guitar. Remove anything from the case that is not allowed inside a plane’s cabin. Don’t put anything in the case that you wouldn’t put in a normal piece of carry-on luggage to avoid problems with airport security. For example, anything sharp, bottles of liquids over 3 oz (88.7 mL), and lighters are things that are prohibited from plane cabins.

Ensure the total weight of your guitar is within the airline’s limit. The standard cabin luggage weight limit is 165 lb (75 kg), so your guitar won’t be overweight for a standard commercial flight. Weigh your guitar in its case to make sure that it falls under the airline’s weight limit if your flight has a lower limit. You can call your airline’s customer service line ahead of time or look on their website to find the exact weight restrictions for your specific flight. You are probably only likely to have problems with weight if you are flying on an extremely small plane, since no guitars weigh anywhere near 165 lb (75 kg). Note that flights also have weight limits for checked luggage, but it is extremely unlikely a guitar will exceed such a limit.

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