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Help! Guitars and flying...

I think it's the temp more than the pressurization that will hurt you anyways. I work for SWA and they have no heated baggage. If they allow pets in the cargo compartment then it has to be heated. No pets = no heat.

If your flight is less than 2 hours, it probably won't get very cold down there. However, much over that and it get's pretty cold up at 40,000ft
 
Agreed- I really don't think pressure is of any consequence.

Absolute temperature is also of no consequence, the speed to temperature change is important to avoid finish cracking. My A320-flying brother assures me it doesn't get cold quickly (3 hours plus, which is fine) and will never drop below about 8ºC. The hold is insulated, there are vents in cabin floor (to ensure equal pressure in cabin and hold) so some warm cabin air can get down there, and indirectly heated through the uninsulated cabin floor. Guitar case is extra insulation will lessen the impact of any temperature changes. Remember, UPS/Fedex won't heat their cargo holds either unless they need too, and we happily ship guitars with no issues.

Humidity is a possible issue. Many passenger jets can be very dry, so you could in theory have fret sprout (or a sunken top on acoustics) when you land. But that's easy to fix, and again your guitar case and adequate packing will help lessen the blow.
 
In my experience the commuter planes are the worst. The overhead space is very tight and there is a strong possibility they will ask you to check it in, even if you traver with a smaller guitar. On my last flight I was told the only way to get my guitar as a carry on is if I am able to fit it under the seat in from of me (good luck with that). Not sure if removing the neck will allow to store it under the seat.

On the positive side I never had problems on larger planes (i.e. non-CRJ, non-Embraer).
 
UPS/Fedex Cargo will usually be up top where passengers would be on a regular airplane. That area is pressurized and has normal airflow.

Without a heater, the luggage hold below gets cold enough to kill pets. That's why some of them have an option to be heated.
 
I fly regularly between Europe and the US with normally one electric guitar as hand luggage. If it is a longer flight (bigger plane) always try to talk to the staff before boarding if they can store the guitar in the front of the plane. This usually works, but not always. Key here is to address them ahead of boarding in a polite way. One perk is that you will usually get to board prior to everyone else.
If that fails, store it in a hard case in the overhead bin. Often I use the Music Man hardcase and it fits well on most planes. I would never accept checking in my guitars and this has never happened to me. I experienced fret sprout once after a long flight but in all honestly I blame the dry weather in Scandinavia for this, not the flight itself. I always store half an apple in the guitar case because of humidity - if this works or not, I dunno - but it gives a fresh smell to the guitar :)
 
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