[HANASHIR:12184] question about guitar travel

[Batiya5723 <Batiya5723...>]

I have finally bought a hardshell case for my jumbo guitar. It's used but in 
good condition.
Questions:
1. Do the airlines offer "fragile" handling service (I guess I'd hand it off 
to them and they'd handle it differently than regular checked baggage)?
2. Is insurance available through the airline?
3. Can I arrange to have the guitar held at a claim counter so it doesn't get 
swiped from the pickup carousel upon arrival? 
Are these questions pretty standard or must they be answered on an 
airline-by-airline basis?

I'm not traveling yet but plan to be this winter. Ideally I'd like to be able 
to bring my guitar without having to buy it a seat on the plane, but I DO 
worry about how it will survive the passage. SInce I can't justify the cost 
of buying a case that's twice what the instrument cost I am hoping to be able 
to do this affordably. Thanks in advance for your help. --Beth