Questions: Flying With Guitars

by David Freeman

Originally published in American Lutherie #85, 2006



Woodley White of Portland, OR asks:

What's the best way to travel with guitars? I try to carry my guitar on board, but when that's not possible, I wish I had packed it in a box and checked it. What are the best solutions? What does the pressure differential do to a guitar that is not in a pressurized environment? I loosen the strings, is this enough?


David Freeman of Tugaske, Saskatchewan, Canada responds:

I have flown with guitars for thirty years. In the beginning I could carry my guitar on, and they would store it in a closet. That didn’t last long. There is a copy of a letter on the Internet (www.local1000.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/CATSA-Factsheet-for-Musicians_EN.pdf) that states that musicians can bring their instruments on board as carry-on luggage in addition to one bag and one other personal item. I have not tried to use that letter, so I’m not sure that it works.