New Rules For Flying With Musical Instruments Should Make Touring Easier
Being on the road is hard enough, but having to figure out each airline's arcane and ever-changing rules for flying with musical instruments has made travel much more difficult for many musicians. That's changing thanks to The FAA Modernization and Safety Improvement Act of 2012, which was finalized by Congress earlier this month.
Musical instruments will now be treated the same as any luggage, according to the new regulations.
- If they fit the the standard carry-on guidelines and the musical instruments can be stored in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you, airlines are no longer allowed to charge an extra fee.
- Instruments can be checked as excess baggage at for the same fee as luggage if they meet the size and weight requirements (150 linear inches and 165 pounds)
- Musicians can purchase an extra seat for instruments that are either too large to carry on or too fragile to be sent as cargo.
Flick photo from MethodShop and special thanks to Joe Pug manager Don Bartlett for the tip.
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We purchased the smallest case we could find for a violin…and just barely met the maximum dimensions. The standard, larger/heavier case would have exceeded the airline’s maximums. You can take your chances, of course, but luck favors the prepared.
How does that make it any better?
It’s the same rules as before. Or maybe worse, because some airlines before had explicit exceptions to carry-on dimensions, mainly guitars.
I haven’t tried to carry a bass on board in many years (I would only get hassled flying out of Nashville “Guitar City” where I live). I use an SBK bass vault and a double lipstick case inside. The baboons can throw it around all they want. ‘Never had a problem (except that the case looks a little like a gun case).
Always welcome news! Ask the crew if any are members of the Flying Musicians Association (www.flyingmusicians.org), they will find room for your musical instrument.
Several musicians that I know transport their guitars inside a soft-sided golf bag that are padded with additional foam to protect the guitars. The airlines treat the golf bags with much more respect than road cases and the instruments arrive intact…
the trick is to fly a million miles on one airline and then they will let you even bring 2 guitars on board for carry ons …
but
lately my back has been hurting from all those endless miles in airport scurries … so the other trick is to buy a guitar you don’t mind checking in and being trashed
the end