anyone taken a guitar on holiday NOT as hand luggage ?

mgaw

off on me hols and obviously have to take a guitar so thinking of the Waterloo got an excellent case BUT will it survive the hold to Turkey and back?

johnl

I've only done it with bolt-ons but have done that many times both in the hold and as carry on without issues. I wouldn't assume a guitar case in the hold will survive the abuse they're put through though, no matter how sturdy it seems.

Jalapeno

Hiscox for acoustic dreadnought to Inverness and Dublin both times fine.

KKJale

Last time it was a dreadnought in a Hiscox, Gatwick to Malaga. Loosened strings, carefully packed around the headstock. Landing in Spain at a busy time, the guitar didn't show on the carousel, nor anywhere near it. Eventually the crowds cleared and I spotted my guitar, all alone in the middle of the concourse, hundreds of yards away... 

It was fine. Proper worried I was, though. 

prlgmnr

What, as like a +1?

Lodious

I took a telecaster in a suitcase by removing the neck and protecting it with clothes. travelled fine.

xscaramanga

I've flown with guitars in the hold many times, never had a problem.

My bandmate used to fly with his Les Paul in the original Gibson Lifton case. It was literally falling apart from years of touring but he never had a problem. Airline guitar disasters are a bit like plane crashes: we fixate on them when they happen because they're shocking, but they're actually very rare. 

steven70

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newi123

I've flown my strat in a reunion blues gig bag - the semi rigid ones - many times. No issues. 

Snags

Tele to the Scilly Isles - took the neck off and packed it into the middle of the suitcase. No problems at all.

ArchtopDave

The first time I travelled with one of my Les Pauls, it didn't get transferred on to the second flight in Amsterdam, so it arrived 2 days after me--- not brilliant when you're on a 5 day guitar course. Since the, I've always bought a seat for whichever guitar I take, then I know where it is. how it's being handled, and it arrives at my destination at the same time as me.

octatonic

Plenty of times.
Personally I wouldn't fly with a set neck Gibson.

I would recommend getting a 'beater case' if you have a nice guitar and want to preserve the newness of the case if you ever come to sell.
One of my Anderson cases is pretty beaten up after a dozen or so flights.

terada

Not me but a friend I was flying with took his 3 series Taylor which went in the hold in it’s hard case. 

Came out the the other end with a hole through the guitar and both sides of the case. Still no idea how. 

terada

Double post. I blame easyjet

PhilKing

I traveled from New York t London with a 1955 Les Paul Custom in the hold, in a Gibson case and it got there without issues.  However it was coming over for @WezV to restore, so I wasn't as worried as I would have been normally.  When I took it back, I was on American Airlines business and took it on the plane with me.  They put it into the wardrobe with no problem.

AntonHunter

I usually stick my Tele in the hold when we play abroad and take pedals in my carry-on. Hiscox case and the the guitar has so far always been fine. My first Hiscox case ended up getting some puncture wounds from a Scandinavian Airlines flight (No idea how) but the guitar was fine and I used the case for years before eventually buying a new one, I think the Pro one that's a mm thicker or something. 

So, in summary: Hiscox = great

bbill335

we went to Italy for a gig this recently. My strat went neck off in a checked bag, bandmates Dano went in the hold inside a hefty, solid, heavy-duty flightcase. I was very worried that it would end up in pieces but it was fine both ways. I was much more confident in my strat's chances of survival, however.

Philly_Q

terada said:

Not me but a friend I was flying with took his 3 series Taylor which went in the hold in it’s hard case. 

Came out the the other end with a hole through the guitar and both sides of the case. Still no idea how. 

Cannon?

fendermadlewis

A few times i've taken the neck off a fender and sandwiched the neck and body between clothes in a large suitcase. It's always came out the other side safely! (Dont forget to pack a screw driver to put the neck back on like I did the first time) Worst case scenario they loose your luggage, so probably best use a cheaper guitar...

Sassafras

I've put a !2 string acoustic in a Hiscox case in the hold a few times. Once, it was nearly taken apart by French customs, must've been a slow day for them.

imalrightjack

Philly_Q said:

terada said:

Not me but a friend I was flying with took his 3 series Taylor which went in the hold in it’s hard case. 

Came out the the other end with a hole through the guitar and both sides of the case. Still no idea how. 

Cannon?

No, the Homelander.