Rules for transporting a guitar in checked luggage and hand luggage. Transporting musical instruments by air Is it possible to carry a guitar in hand luggage?
Airlines have long been waging a strange, unspoken battle with musicians - who find it increasingly difficult to carry their instruments because airline policies are unpredictable.
Large musical instruments, cellos, double basses, etc. They have been flying on tickets for a long time - like people. They charge an additional fee for guitars in a case, or they do not allow the passenger into the cabin with the instrument at all. Musicians complain that it is sometimes impossible to guess whether they will let you into the salon with an instrument, or demand a serious additional payment, or even force you to check it as luggage.
Now, some airlines are going to completely ban the carriage of violins and violas in the cabin as hand luggage. (Some companies already have such restrictions).
Large instruments have long been flying like people: with a ticket, with a separate seat. Photo: Twitter.com/Notcoldshoulder
Artistic director of the Helikon-Opera musical theater Dmitry Bertman believes that the new ban, if it comes into force, calls into question the touring activities of musical groups in general. “This will simply stop everything,” Bertman is sure, because “not a single musician would check an instrument into his luggage - it is part of his body, his life.”
Bertman confirms that violins and violas do indeed go somewhat beyond the dimensions of hand luggage, but recalls that “all their lives, violins and violas have been fiddling around in the cabin of the plane. We are always forced to buy a ticket for the cello, in Russia as well as throughout the world.” Bertman believes that the reluctance of airlines to distinguish a fragile and expensive musical instrument from a simple bag or suitcase speaks of the incompetence of the people developing such rules. “People earn their whole lives on this violin, and it is the personal property of the musician or the property of the orchestra. These are instruments of enormous value. I’m not even talking about Stradivarius, Guarneri... great musicians who tour will never be able to go out with this instrument in their lives , it turns out".
While the airline musicians were slowly being squeezed, they found some way out of the situation and put up with new inconveniences and risks. But every week musicians’ blogs on social networks are full of posts about which airline damaged which instrument, and how they failed—or, less often, succeeded—to receive compensation.
Natalia O " Shay, the leader of the popular rock band Melnitsa, which performs in the CIS, the Baltic states and Israel, recalls how “the guitar was broken in luggage. The company was not able to sue the company because the damage was not discovered immediately, not at the airport. The instrument was expensive, "endorser" (that is, provided by the manufacturer. - Ed.), and, fortunately, it was repaired. But since then we have super-hard and super-heavy flight cases. We have a special cabinet for three guitars, made "In England on special order. We regularly pay for overweight and oversize, but this cabinet is much more difficult to throw or drop."
A solution suitable for a stadium rock band may not suit academic music performers: for financial reasons, among other reasons. “Musicians are not the richest people, classical music is not show business, it is rather the pride of the country. Performing arts, along with ballet, are one of the few that keeps us at the forefront throughout the world,” says the Honored Artist of Russia cellist Boris Andrianov. , calling the new ban decision “nonsense.”
By introducing different rules, airlines are trying to make money, which, according to Andrianov, is an “understandable motive,” as is the fact that “passengers complain that the luggage compartments are full,” including cases with tools. But in any case, “one or two violinists, or even a whole orchestra, will not make a difference on the flight.” Theoretically, when developing airline rules, they are guided by flight safety issues and legislation (see inset). But Andrianov believes that an exception should be made for musical instruments as hand luggage: “Carrying a musical instrument with hand luggage should be an exception. Let’s not cellos, okay, we<виолончелисты>have already come to terms with it, but as for other instruments, such a solution is simply impossible. Please let them tighten their rules, but let this apply to trunks, bags, anything, but not musical instruments. I think this needs to be conveyed to those who make decisions. Otherwise, musicians will simply stop traveling."
Officially
Take both a viola and a cello to the salon
The Ministry of Transport expressed bewilderment that musicians will be prohibited from transporting their musical instruments, including cellos, in the aircraft cabin from February 15. “Such initiatives are not being studied by the Ministry of Transport,” the department noted to RG.
The transportation of musical instruments is regulated by federal rules, which were approved back in 2007 and no changes have been made to this paragraph of the rules since then. With the consent of the carrier, a passenger can transport not only hand luggage, but also luggage that requires special precautions during transportation, including musical instruments. Baggage transported in the aircraft cabin is placed in specially designated places (compartments), and in their absence, in a separate passenger seat. In this case, to transport a musical instrument, the passenger must buy a ticket for it, says the Air Code.
There are also restrictions on transporting musical instruments (you cannot transport a piano in the cabin). The weight of one piece of luggage carried in the cabin must not exceed 80 kilograms, and its dimensions must allow it to be placed on a separate passenger seat. The packaging of baggage transported in the aircraft cabin must ensure that it is secured to the passenger seat. The owner is responsible for lifting the instrument into the aircraft cabin, as specified in the law. Small musical instruments, if they fit on a shelf in the cabin or under the passenger seat, can be carried as hand luggage. The concept of “carry-on luggage” is also regulated by federal law. Thus, airlines cannot set requirements for passengers to transport baggage and carry-on luggage below the level prescribed by federal regulations.
How are they
For double bass - separate ticket
Similar rules apply in different countries.
When it comes to large musical instruments, such as the double bass, Air France, for example, offers two options. The same double bass can be checked in as luggage or carried into the aircraft cabin if the passenger agreed on this issue with the air carrier in advance (48 hours before departure) and purchased a ticket for an additional seat for his “musical” luggage.
As Rossiyskaya Gazeta was told at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, they don’t remember a case where a violin or guitar could not be carried on board an airplane as hand luggage. The main thing is that the sum of the three dimensions is no more than 115 cm. If it is slightly exceeded, as a rule, no problems arise either.
There are several ways to transport a guitar on an airplane:
take into the aircraft cabin as hand luggage;
place the musical instrument in a hard case and check it in as luggage;
disassemble the guitar, put it in a suitcase and check it with other things
send by courier service.
Let's look at the last method first. In general, sending a guitar by courier service is a simple matter, but it has several big disadvantages. The first of them is timing: the owner will have to send the musical instrument either in advance before the flight in order to receive the guitar on the spot upon arrival, or send it immediately before the flight, but then wait 1-2 days for its arrival. Even the fastest services will not be able to deliver a musical instrument within a few days, and even if they do, the cost of transportation will be serious. The second disadvantage is that you will have to pay a lot of money for shipping. Third, you will have to pack the parcel (if the carrier does not provide such a service), call a courier, fill out papers, go to the office, that is, waste a lot of time. When traveling abroad, you still need to think about customs clearance of the guitar. And the last disadvantage is that the guitar may be lost in transit, and then you will have to demand insurance payment from the courier service.
Now let's consider the option of checking the guitar in your luggage. You need to be aware that things in the luggage compartment of an airplane literally “fly” around the compartment during takeoff and landing. Therefore, it is recommended to lock the guitar in the case so that it does not accidentally open while traveling. Instead of a case, you can use a regular suitcase, but the musical instrument will have to be disassembled. Of course, when transporting a guitar with a glued or through neck, this option is not suitable. And one more important point: it is not recommended to transport a disassembled guitar by plane too often, because wood is not metal, and the threads for the screws in it can quickly become loose.
And finally, the most commonly used method is to place the guitar in a soft case and take it with you on the plane. Before doing this, it is recommended to study the airline's rules for transporting musical instruments. The fact is that hand luggage in its dimensions should not exceed the values established by the air carrier, and not every guitar can fit into them, first of all, in terms of length. Formally, this means that you cannot take it into the cabin, but in practice, in 99% of cases, owners of guitars are not denied their request and are given tags for hand luggage at the airport. A refusal by an airline employee can only occur if there is already too much checked-in hand luggage. In this case, if you absolutely do not want to expose the instrument to the risks of transportation in the luggage compartment, everything will depend on your ability to negotiate with people. The flight attendant must find space in the cabin for cargo. This is their responsibility, because the safety of passengers during a flight depends on the placement of things: in an emergency, any loose suitcase can start flying around the cabin and hit one of the passengers.
If you are wondering why you are not allowed to use cameras, iPads, laptops, etc. during landing and takeoff, then imagine a situation where, during an emergency braking of the plane, your tablet will fly into someone’s head.
Conclusion: if you want to transport your guitar by plane safe and sound, we strongly recommend that you try to bring it into the cabin and ask the airline employee to find a place for it, while not forgetting to securely secure the musical instrument.
Most musical instruments can now be transported in the cabin
Aeroflot has increased the size of musical instruments allowed for carriage on board an aircraft - from 115 to 135 cm based on the sum of length, width and height. In addition, the carrier has relaxed the requirements for those instruments whose size exceeds the permissible parameters. Their placement in the cabin is possible depending on the type of aircraft and technical capabilities at the request of the passenger 36 hours before departure.
Previously, the musicians asked Aeroflot to allow them to carry musical instruments in hand luggage racks. “To meet the numerous wishes of the best musical groups that make up the pride of Russia, Aeroflot has decided to increase the size of musical instruments transported as hand luggage in the sum of 3 dimensions, which will make it possible to transport most of the musical instruments in the aircraft cabin,” noted the statement. Aeroflot.
The airline explained that if a musical instrument is transported as hand luggage, such a musical instrument is the only piece of hand luggage allowed for transportation in the aircraft cabin. The new rules come into force on February 15, 2018 and correspond to the best global practices of leading air carriers, Aeroflot added.
The airline’s website has already posted new rules: “Musical instruments are transported both in the luggage compartment and in the passenger cabin. When transporting musical instruments in the passenger cabin, the transportation rules for baggage carried in the passenger seat apply. When transported in a passenger seat, the weight of the tool should not exceed 80 kg, dimensions should not exceed 135x50x30 cm. When transported in the luggage compartment, the weight of the tool should not exceed 50 kg.”
During the next flight, I encountered new nuances of transporting an instrument, and in light of frequent issues regarding the interaction between a guitar and an airplane, I decided to write a corresponding article.
Basically, you need to fly somewhere, and your guitar will be with you. In total, I see several ways to transport tools:
- Take it with you to the cabin as hand luggage.
- Check it in as luggage in a hard case.
- Disassemble and check in as luggage in a suitcase along with your belongings.
- Send separately by courier service.
Let's start with the last method. In principle, there is nothing tricky here and I would not note any pitfalls, but there are several serious disadvantages. The first is the timing: you will either need to send the guitar earlier than you fly, in order to then receive it approximately on the day of arrival already on the spot, or, having sent it literally before the flight, wait for delivery: as a rule, even fast services will not bring it to you for 1-2 days, and if some are delivered, the shipping cost will be very serious. The second disadvantage is that you actually have to pay money. Third, you need to bother, call a courier, pack it (if they don’t do this themselves or you have doubts about the packaging), or even go to the service office and hand it over, wasting time again, filling out papers, and so on. If we are talking about traveling abroad, then you will probably also have to think about the topic of customs clearance. Well, there is a small plus, but there is a small chance that the guitar will be broken or lost, so you will also need to worry about insurance.
Next, about checking in luggage. Personally, during that period of my life when I went on tour, I almost always checked my guitar in my luggage. At the same time, you need to be aware that everything that happens to your things will look something like this:
This video, in fact, was filmed after one of the flights during the tour, right from the airplane window. One way or another, the clothes will most likely fly happily either during loading or unloading, or at the airport.
I handed over the guitar in a hard case, closing it with a lock so that the case would not accidentally open. At the same time, I did not cover it with polyethylene and, in principle, everything was always fine. Over the course of a year and a half, the case took a fair amount of beating, the lining was torn, but the case itself was made to last, and apparently even the bravest throwers would not be able to break it.
Once, when I was flying to visit Moscow, I was too lazy to bother with cases, so I did it simply: I took the guitar apart and put it together with my things in a regular suitcase. Everything fit and packed perfectly, since I was flying with a small amount of clothes, but it looked quite funny:
Of course, if the guitar’s neck is through or glued in, then such a thing will no longer work, although my comrades say that tough guys dismantle such instruments for the road, but are completely berserkers and put them back together :)
One unpleasant nuance should be noted here, namely: I personally would not recommend doing this too often, since wood is still not metal and the threads for the screws can become quite loose.
Well, the most obvious and widely used method for many is to take a guitar in a soft case with you on the plane. Before doing this, I would recommend researching the airline's policies on this topic in detail. The fact is that hand luggage must have certain dimensions and weight, which a guitar obviously cannot fit into, primarily in terms of length. Formally, this means that you cannot take it with you, but in practice things are somewhat different.
From my own experience, in 99% of cases there were no questions for me at airports and I calmly received my tag for hand luggage and went into the cabin. But there were cases when an airline employee at the airport said even at the check-in stage that it would not be possible to bring the instrument onto the plane. This does not always depend on the employee’s menstrual cycle, mood or general viciousness, and sometimes can be completely dictated by certain circumstances.
The last such situation arose just two weeks ago, when I was flying with S7 to Moscow. A girl working at an airline immediately warned us when checking in our luggage that the plane was literally packed and there was simply nowhere to stick a guitar even if we wanted to. To this I replied that I had flown on planes of this type (Airbus A320s usually fly between my cities) so many times that I could find my row with my eyes closed, and that the guitar clearly fit into the overhead bin.
Actually, the girl was absolutely adequate and competent, saying that the salon would now be filled with so much stuff that it would probably not fall on your head. In principle, the situation is quite probable, knowing the passion of our people to take with them on a plane so much clothes that would be enough for a year-round wardrobe. But there was nowhere to go: there was no reason to check the guitar in a soft case into luggage, which the girl was immediately informed about, and that the guitar would absolutely not go along the luggage belt.
Formally, she, again, was right: the instrument does not fit the dimensions, according to the rules it must be returned. In such situations, it seems to me, everything depends to a greater extent on the ability to negotiate: diplomacy decides everything. After another radical press on the girl, she suggested that I call the airline’s hotline from her phone and ask them a question about whether she was right or wrong, which we did. At the other end of the line they confirmed that she was completely right and in such situations the issue of bringing a guitar into the salon is decided on the spot by a company employee at his own discretion.
The girl was immediately asked a question about what her discretion depended on: the weather, the color of my eyes, and so on. In general, in the end, we agreed that she would personally wait for me near the plane at the landing, where we would either try to resolve the issue of placing the instrument in the cabin through the flight attendants, or she would personally send and place the guitar in the luggage compartment, without loaders, and will warn the crew that the instrument will have to be given to me immediately upon arrival, in person.
In principle, I was completely satisfied with this option and I went to board with a calm soul. At the plane we actually met with this madammoiselle again, but upon entering the plane, the flight attendants immediately took the trunk from me and assured me that they would take care of everything themselves and place her somewhere in the cabin.
Once I entered the cabin, I understood why the girl was really serious about not letting me and my guitar onto the plane: it felt like I was on a plane that was evacuating refugees from the war. I have never seen so many clothes in my life: bags, suitcases, backpacks, bags: they were everywhere. It was some kind of clothing hell, a separate branch of the Cherkizovsky market in an airliner.
As befits our undoubtedly free and extraordinary personalities, even before takeoff they immediately turned into brutes, and there were a couple of scandals about how someone had filled the shelves above their heads to capacity with clothes and now there was no room, but I came and where should I go now? put the bag on, happened on earth. Again, as befits cultured people, these issues were resolved exclusively in hysterical mode, in raised voices, with a waterfall of obscenities and threats. All you had to do was call one of the guides and ask them to find a place. By the way, this is their responsibility, since the placement of things is part of ensuring flight safety: in the event of an emergency, any unsecured suitcase can start flying around the cabin and knock off a couple of heads of innocent passengers.
Oh, by the way, anyone wondering why they ask you to put away laptops, iPads, cameras, etc. during takeoff and landing - that’s exactly why. Imagine a metal MacBook, which, during emergency braking on takeoff (the brakes are cooler than a Ferrari), will fly into someone’s temple.
In general, even in this case, I managed to amicably, politely and calmly resolve the issue of transporting the instrument; I immediately issued a letter of gratitude to the girl and the crew, since people work and it’s generally unclear to me how they maintain their sanity, each time flying in such a cattle shed.
Musical instruments can be carried: – in the aircraft cabin as hand luggage, in the luggage compartment, in the aircraft cabin on the passenger seat, or sent as cargo.
Option 1. In hand luggage you can take only those tools that fit into the standards for hand luggage, almost always this is one piece of baggage measuring 55x40x20 cm and weighing from 5 to 10 kg, when flying in economy class.
Musical instruments must be in a case or packed in hand luggage. Only in this case are musical instruments carried free of charge.
As an exception, Iberia allows you to take a musical instrument measuring 30x38x120 cm (the size of a guitar) in your hand luggage if the passenger has no other hand luggage.
If you exceed the limits for hand luggage, sometimes music instruments can be carried in the cabin for an additional fee. Aegean Airlines allows you to purchase additional hand luggage. When flying on Ryanair flights, small musical instruments can be purchased in the cabin.
At AirBaltic you can buy additional hand luggage; this service costs 40 euros online, or 60 euros when checking in at the airport. However, it is not possible to buy additional hand luggage or a seat, or to carry a guitar in the cabin of the plane on all airlines.
Option 2. Large musical instruments are carried in the luggage compartment in hard cases, outline cases, and any packaging that guarantees the integrity of the instrument during transportation.
It is very convenient to transport musical instruments in special cases for extreme transportation or to check them in as fragile luggage (if the selected airline has such a category).
When flying on Aegean Airlines flights, the owner of musical instruments must sign a Limited Realease Form upon check-in, in which they sign that they will not make any claims regarding the conditions of carriage of the instruments.
Carriage of instruments is paid according to the rules for the carriage of checked baggage. For example, Aeroflot, UIA perceive musical instruments as a piece of baggage, which is included in the free baggage allowance. However, Iberia does not allow the carriage of music. tools heavier than 45 kg in the luggage compartment.
If the overall dimensions of a packaged musical instrument exceed the norm by the sum of three dimensions or by weight, then the excess is paid at the tariffs for excess of the norm.
If a musical instrument is transported in the luggage compartment, the passenger has the right to declare the cost of the luggage space. This service is paid, on average the amount is 10% of the declared value, but in return the owner of the instrument receives a guarantee of compensation for losses in the event of damage to the instrument during transportation.
Option 3. To transport cellos, wind instruments, banduras, alfas or valuable musical instruments, a separate ticket must be purchased. In this case, the musical instrument in a case, box, case should weigh no more than 75-80 kg, and size no more than 135 x 50 x 30 cm, so that it fits in a standard passenger seat.
For example, AirAstana transports musical instruments only in the aircraft cabin on an additional seat, with a maximum weight of 75 kg, and dimensions must be no more than 120 x 50 x 30 cm. Exception - Air France does not transport instruments heavier than 46 kg on one additional musical seat.
If the musical instrument being transported in the transportation container is larger than the permitted norms, then two or more additional tickets are purchased. Additional tickets are not eligible for discounts, carry-on or free luggage are not allowed, and a boarding pass for a musical instrument is issued upon boarding the plane.
Loading and unloading of the musical treasure is provided by the owner of the instrument. Additional tickets for the transportation of musical instruments must be purchased only at the ticket office of the airport or travel agency; it is prohibited on the Internet.
A musical instrument on an additional ticket can only be transported with an accompanying passenger.
Option 4. Large musical instruments can be sent as cargo; this is much more economical than transporting them in the luggage compartment of a passenger airliner.
There are no uniform IATA rules for the carriage of musical instruments on an airplane. Each airline requires its own rules for transporting musical instruments.
Musical instruments are non-standard baggage, so you should always coordinate their transportation with the airline in advance and obtain confirmation.
If a musical instrument is of historical or cultural value, then its export abroad must be agreed upon with Rosokhrankultura and permission must be obtained. The permit must indicate the conditions for export - temporarily or permanently. If you often cross the border with a musical instrument, then it is convenient to obtain a passport for the instrument.
If desired, or if the instrument is exported using a passport, you need to fill out a declaration for the export of a musical instrument.
If an instrument is purchased outside the Russian Federation, it is necessary to obtain a certificate from the seller that this instrument is not an object of art or a national treasure and can be freely moved across the border; also keep the purchase receipt for customs officers.
From the beginning of 2015, musicians in EU countries will be able to legally take small instruments onto planes.
The more years, the more happiness. Have a nice flight everyone.