Oddly enough, for all the flying I've done on SWA lately, it hasn't been with a guitar. FWIW, lately I've pretty much surrendered to checking my guitar (in standard wood hard-shell case, with TSA lock). Not because airlines have been that unfriendly about check-ins mind you, mostly because I've gotten tired of schelpping a songbook bag AND a guitar around airports.
That being said, it's pretty much a crapshoot--if the flight isn't overstuffed and the attendants are feeling nice they'll let you bring a guitar on board. I have plenty of times. (Heck, both Sheryl and I have toted our guitars on the same flight.) But they pretty much don't have to. They will gate check it for you (I never had one refuse), although that doesn't necessarily mean they'll give it **back** to you at the destination gate; they may still send it through the baggage gorillas, especially on a connection.
The advice I got was not to detune; especially if you fly as often as I do there would be a risk of warping the neck by consistently taking the tension on and off. I stuff a sweatshirt or light jacket in around the neck as a cushion.
So far, I've managed to do more damage to my guitars through my own natural klutziness than an airline has yet to do in over a decade of flying. And that includes the case (with axe in it) that got hit by a snowplow!
If you do want to try and carry on, of course make sure you're near the front of the "A" group so you'll have your pick of overheads.
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rosecarmine
(no subject)
Date: 2007-04-08 02:18 am (UTC)That being said, it's pretty much a crapshoot--if the flight isn't overstuffed and the attendants are feeling nice they'll let you bring a guitar on board. I have plenty of times. (Heck, both Sheryl and I have toted our guitars on the same flight.) But they pretty much don't have to. They will gate check it for you (I never had one refuse), although that doesn't necessarily mean they'll give it **back** to you at the destination gate; they may still send it through the baggage gorillas, especially on a connection.
The advice I got was not to detune; especially if you fly as often as I do there would be a risk of warping the neck by consistently taking the tension on and off. I stuff a sweatshirt or light jacket in around the neck as a cushion.
So far, I've managed to do more damage to my guitars through my own natural klutziness than an airline has yet to do in over a decade of flying. And that includes the case (with axe in it) that got hit by a snowplow!
If you do want to try and carry on, of course make sure you're near the front of the "A" group so you'll have your pick of overheads.