Saturday, October 26, 2013

Carrying Your Instrument on Aircraft - The Law

Apparently this is how the law reads verbatim:

"An 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

(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

(B) there is space for such stowage at the time the passenger boards the aircraft."

This information comes courtesy of Ari's Take, a blog:  CARRY YOUR INSTRUMENT ON THE PLANE - IT'S THE LAW


This law isn't so much important because it may save some money on submitting your guitar for checked baggage but rather because checking the instrument can destroy it.  If you forget to detune the instrument, particularly for a long flight when it will get the coldest, the strings will contract from the cold and are fully capable of pulling the neck back far enough to destroy it.

Interesting reading on Ari's Take and you might want to take a look.  Thanks to Cat for sending it to me and she said Voodoo Shilton sent it to her.

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