[HANASHIR:14267] RE: Carrying instruments on airplane flights.

[Laura Ferguson <allenderl...>]

Hi Fran,
At 10:54 PM 5/12/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>For some reason I cannot get to the PDF. Do you have to be an AFM member?

Make sure you have the latest Adobe Acrobat. You can download it from 
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

>I came home to Montreal from Kalamazoo last week with a splintered never 
>mind broken martin guitar and United is dealing with it but the airlines 
>all say that the rules have changed.
>When I fly on a small plane like United express or Delta express from 
>Chicago to Montreal, there is no space on board - often there are no 
>overheads ----- that's what happened from Chicago to Kalamazoo.
>Any thoughts?
Maybe you did these things, but here are my thoughts:
1)  ask to gate check the guitar  (then it will be carried from the gate to 
baggage by hand)
2) ask for a tag or tape to mark the case "fragile" or breakable, even 
though that should be obvious
3) if you are going to be on small flights, rent or buy a hard case and use 
it for that trip

>Thursday I will be flying to Chicago once again, for my daughter's 
>graduation from the Art Institute and am travelling with all my luggage to 
>go straight to israel from there. I can't imagine being able to take an 
>instrument on board.
Congratulations on your daughters graduation!

I assume you want to use the guitar in both Chicago and Israel?  I guess 
the thing to do is to call El Al (or whatever airline you are flying) and 
see what they say.  It still might be possible to take it as carryon 
baggage -- I think the 747's are big enough to store the guitar 
overhead.  If not, the hard case sounds essential.

Obviously, your guitar case will be searched everywhere you go, but that is 
the case for any bag anyway in Israel these days.

>I welcome all suggestions.
>Fran Avni






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