Hi Herbert,
I would recommend trying to carry it on by any means. It is a documented
fact that the airlines employ angry rhinos to handle the baggage. You can check
at the gate if necessary, which is far better than handing it over. On board,
you could also ask the flight crew if they have room in a storage closet. I
always feel like I'm in the safe zone once I make it on board. I've never had
anyone tap me on the shoulder after I was on the plane. (However, a boarding
gate agent in Germany who had followed me on the plane did her best to tackle
me to prevent my guitar from getting in a overhead bin. I saw her wipe away a
tear when she realized it actually fit in there.)
Personally, I feel zero guilt in bringing an instrument on board. Have you
seen the immense size of the carry on bags some regular passengers have? With
airlines trying to nickel and dime passengers with checked baggage fees, I know
why they try to cram as much stuff in as possible.
Chris
Dr. Christopher Wilke D.M.A.
Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer
www.christopherwilke.com
--------------------------------------------
On Thu, 10/17/13, Herbert Ward <[email protected]> wrote:
Subject: [LUTE] Checking a lute vs carry-on.
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, October 17, 2013, 1:31 PM
This is regarding flying with a lute.
Assuming that you have a good flight case,
is it better to check your lute or
take it as a carry-on item?
When I look at the carry-on regulations,
I see that the allowed size is much too
small to accomodate a 63 cm lute. And
when I put my lute into an overhead bin,
I'm quite liable to the charge of "bin
hog", especially dreadful when the plane
is full.
I did a carry-on a few months ago. I had
no problems. But I'm always dreading a
tap on the shoulder and someone saying,
excuse me, but your carry-on item is too
large.
So, is it worthwhile to get a flight case
and check the lute into the baggage handling
system? Or should I stick with carry-on?
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