Good news for bringing guitars on airplanes!

adrian

Wow, here is some great news for those of us who bring our guitars on airplanes!

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In what is being hailed as a victory by traveling musicians in the US, the latest reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration has codified provisions that create a uniform national standard for musical instruments being treated as carry-on luggage.

This legislation establishes that any instrument which can be safely stowed either in an overhead bin or under an airline seat may be carried aboard for domestic airline travel. The American Federation of Musicians has been actively lobbying for this language for several years.
"""

http://bluegrasstoday.com/37594/us-cong ... struments/

It's passed in both the House and Senate, and the article says the President is expected to sign it.

Adrian

Craig Bumgarner

Good news indeed!

Jeff Moore

Adrian, I've enjoyed your vids.
I've had several frowns from airline staff and close calls where it seemed they weren't going to let my guitar on. Also the last two sentences of the law lead me to believe that it may still not be in force.

‘‘(b) REGULATIONS.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue final regulations to carry out subsection (a).

‘‘(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The requirements of this section shall become effective on the date of issuance of the final regulations under subsection (b).’’.

Passacaglia

In time for DIJ, I hope....!

And Adrian, thanks as well for your vids and work. Jammed with one of your students at the Brink in Madison a couple of weeks ago (Patrick), impressive player. Love where we live, and the bands and players accomplished in the style here (just heard a great set yesterday from our very own Caravan Gypsy Swing Ensemble, lots of new stuff), but do miss the chance to study with Alfonso, yourself, and just hearing the sheer mass of GJ in Chi-town that takes place.

Paul

scot

This legislation has been in the works for years. It's mostly been the work of NC congressman Howard Coble who is a big bluegrass fan. There actually was an earlier version of the law but it was not as comprehensive. I've been a mechanic for one of the big airlines for 24 years and have traveled with guitars a lot. Here are the best strategies (from many conversations with gate agents over the years) for a trouble free trip:

1) When you buy your ticket, ask for a seat in the rear of the plane. Large planes usually load rear to front, and this ensures that the overhead bag bins are empty when you get on - important. And it's worth a little extra expense and making adjustments to get a nonstop to your destination if you can. The system is set up to be precise, and if your connecting flight is 10 minutes late, then when you get to the next flight, the plane could be full - see below.

2) Be there early, and when they announce boarding for families with small children, special needs, etc, go. If they ask why you want to board early, politely explain yourself. They may make you wait a few more minutes, but they will probably be sympathetic and you'll be at the head of the boarding line, which is where you want to be. The most important thing is that you get on early before the bag bins fill up. Most planes today don't have a coat closet and if they do they might not allow a guitar in it - my company will not allow anything but garments. If you arrive late, you are much more likely to have problems. If the bag bins are full, there is no help for you. Your guitar will not get on. As it gets closer to pushback, the agent's stress level goes way up and if you show up late with a guitar and the plane is crowded, they will have no sympathy for you. They won't have time to be sympathetic, because the plane needs to leave on time.

3) A good gig bag is a lot better than a hard case for travel.

4) If you are not late but still have problems, remember - be polite but firm and ask to speak to a supervisor at the first opportunity. At their discretion, they can and will keep you off the plane if you are excessively rude or aggressive. Gate agents suffer more verbal abuse from the public in a single day than most of us have to endure in a lifetime - I wouldn't last one day before I punched someone.

5) Remember - whatever the law says, there still has to be room on the plane to get that guitar on board - and they will NOT stash your prize in the galley for you. The tickets are so cheap today that planes are always crowded, and baggage fees mean that people carry as much junk on the plane as they can get away with. Airlines are under tremendous pressure by the government to be on time. And that's why you should always do everything you can to get on the plane as early as possible.

The plus side is that airlines are much more reasonable about guitars today. 20 years ago, it was about impossible to get a guitar on a plane.

So - get there early, get on board early, use a gig bag and be nice to everyone. Bon voyage!