Question Travel tips/hard-case

[cionian]

Hi Guys..

There's a chance I'll be moving back home (EU) from Australia for a few years.. Anyone have any experience with the standard ernie-ball case w airline checkin? I'm thinking of either insuring and carrying with me as checkin luggage or paying for a courier.. Any tips?

Tom.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Hello Tom, that REALLY depends on the air company you're taking. I've taken my guitars back and forth from Korea to the United States many times. A 12|hour flight with change. and have never had a problem. I had the standard EBMM SKB cases with my JP and 25th. Then again, Korean Air is famous for outstanding customer service and going the extra mile for the customer. They did their best to assure me that the guitar would be fine.

However, not all plane companies are created equal. Just ask Joe Bonamassa. No air company i know of insures their baggage. It's a risk either way. Only SURE way is to take it with a gig bag and hold it yourself on the plane.

Good luck, i know how nerve wracking it can be.

 

[Colin]

you won't be able to gig bag and take it on board these days. Steve Morse uses the standard MM cases and they all looked pretty good to me recently. Paying the extra will be much cheaper than using a courier.

 

[njhammer]

I agree. It's very unlikely that the airline will let you carry it on these days (although BA did let me carry on a BFR case once....). Check in the guitar in the SKB case and pay the surcharge (if applicable) and it should be fine. I've done so between the US/UK on occasion with no issues. Good luck!

 

[cionian]

Thanks for the feedback guys.. I'll insure, checkin..and hope for the best!

 

[Colin]

Thanks for the feedback guys.. I'll insure, checkin..and hope for the best!

I bring guitars back from the US all the time on the plane with no problems

 

[cionian]

I bring guitars back from the US all the time on the plane with no problems

Are you using the standard EBMM case that comes with the guitars? The hard-case with the indented musicman logo..

 

[nathanhny]

I brought my Luke Mk1 over to Australia from the UK as checked in luggage and it was fine. They placed fragile stickers on the case and had the case tranported to the plane by a trolley cart, rather than going trough the conveyor belt system. I downtuned the strings a little and bubble wrapped the guitar inside the case (I had the old style hard case).

 

[cionian]

I brought my Luke Mk1 over to Australia from the UK as checked in luggage and it was fine. They placed fragile stickers on the case and had the case tranported to the plane by a trolley cart, rather than going trough the conveyor belt system. I downtuned the strings a little and bubble wrapped the guitar inside the case (I had the old style hard case).

Sounds great.. I was going to wrap the thing up like a mummy as well as ask them to please please be extra careful with it etc.. Did you lock the case? I've heard that you should not lock the case as they want to have a look inside.

 

[nathanhny]

Sounds great.. I was going to wrap the thing up like a mummy as well as ask them to please please be extra careful with it etc.. Did you lock the case? I've heard that you should not lock the case as they want to have a look inside.

Yeah I left the case unlocked just in case. The clips managed to hold the case together just fine unlocked. You could even bubble wrap and tape around the case to be safe, I ran out of bubble wrap to do that though lol. You could even ask to have it gate checked. I think thats what happened with mine when it was placed on the trolley, but i've heard that some people have kept the guitar with them until literally they board the flight. Either way ask them if they can manually take the guitar to the plane (if they don't offer), rather than have it go through the whole conveyor belt system

 

[cionian]

Yeah I left the case unlocked just in case. The clips managed to hold the case together just fine unlocked. You could even bubble wrap and tape around the case to be safe, I ran out of bubble wrap to do that though lol. You could even ask to have it gate checked. I think thats what happened with mine when it was placed on the trolley, but i've heard that some people have kept the guitar with them until literally they board the flight. Either way ask them if they can manually take the guitar to the plane (if they don't offer), rather than have it go through the whole conveyor belt system

That's a great tip..thanks a bunch.. Thanks for all the info guys much appreciated!