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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
 Posted - 07/07/2008 : 09:22:21 AM
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aloha all,
i wanted a nicer travel guitar, and so i am now the happy owner of a new dennis lake punahele `iki. you can see this kind of guitar on dennis's web site http://www.konaweb.com/mahina/.
so, now i'm facing flying with this. i've not tried to carry on guitars in recent history. if you have, i'd like to know your experiences. are you finding it easy to do? are you getting hassled? did you use a gig bag or a hard sided case?
mahalo,
keith
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2008 : 09:36:54 AM
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| I traveled to/from Moloka'i with a baby Taylor in a gig bag in February and had no problems, hassles or even questions taking it in the cabin with me on United. I stored it overhead on a one flight and in a closet on the rest. There are minor risks both ways - other people cramming stuff into/onto your guitar in the overhead, or sitting pretty loose in a closet and subject to bouncing if the air or the landing is rough. Once, on a trip to Maui, a fellow got his travel guitar stuck in the overhead, so check carefully before latching. |
Mālama pono
Ben |
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cpatch
Ahonui
USA
2187 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2008 : 10:14:16 AM
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| The other benefit to traveling with a Baby Taylor is that you get to preboard (as long as it's four years old or younger). |
Craig
My goal is to be able to play as well as people think I can. |
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2008 : 2:05:50 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by cpatch
The other benefit to traveling with a Baby Taylor is that you get to preboard (as long as it's four years old or younger).
And just why did nobody let me know about this!!??? |
Mālama pono
Ben |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2008 : 5:43:49 PM
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thanks ben - was it one of your two pieces of carry-on luggage, or was it a third piece?
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Ben
Lokahi
USA
122 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2008 : 10:22:59 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by marzullo
thanks ben - was it one of your two pieces of carry-on luggage, or was it a third piece?
One of two. |
Mālama pono
Ben |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 02:10:59 AM
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With the way airlines are behaving right now with carry-ons and worse yet, with checked luggage, who knows what they will do. I have heard there is no consistency in actions, even within the same airline. Paul did take his dulcimer to Hawai`i and he carried it on as one of his two permitted carry ons. He nestled it ever so gently with bebedees and such. So far, no trouble. Plus, long waits in the terminal, can have something to occupy your time. He attracts folks allatime, wanting to know what the instrument is or wanting for jam.
Some airline are not even letting you have one checked bag for free. They are charging even for the first bag. And some now are charging two bucks per bag if you check in with the sky cap instead of waiting in the dumb line in the terminal. That is payable to the airline, not to the sky cap, so you still need to give tip to the sky cap or go iniside and wait in the line.
And take food with you, otherwise you gonna starve. No mo food, rarely some can of soda, only a tiny cup full of ice and two swallows of soda pop. |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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Larry Goldstein
Lokahi
267 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 07:56:02 AM
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Aloha Keith,
On traveling to camp, a guy carried his classical guitar on board, no problem.
On traveling home, a women gate-checked her classical, no problem. We talked at SeaTac, and her guitar was fine.
Larry |
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Julie H
Ha`aha`a
USA
1206 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 7:50:57 PM
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Hi Larry! 
Julie |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2008 : 02:57:06 AM
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aloha larry - mahalo for your report. did you check your hali`a aloha or did you carry it on?
i'm leaning towards attempting to carry on my punahele `iki in a hard case...
aloha,
keith
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Larry Goldstein
Lokahi
267 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2008 : 06:37:00 AM
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I packed my guitar in a Bruce Lamb Clam.
More often than not the foam blocks aren't put back in the proper place after the TSA guys inspect it, but the system still works.
Larry
PS - Hope to see you and Julie in February! |
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Karl Monetti
`Olu`olu
USA
756 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2008 : 10:38:21 AM
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At this years winter AMC camp I took two of my Medusa travel guitars on the plane as carry-ons. My friend Fred carried another. We flew on Alaska Airlines to Kona, then Mokulele (i think) Air between islands. There was never a hassle getting on, I always make sure i store my guitar way in back of the overhead, with a second carry on in front, or in this case, just the two on top of each other, leaving no room for anyone to pile something on top. The other option, if i am late boarding is to put it in last, on top of everyone else's garbage.
My wife and I recently went t New Zealond. Alaska Air to LAX, then Qantas to NZ. The Medusa came along, no problems either way. That was end of May, mid-June. I know policies are always changing, but to date i have had no problems. BTW, the Medusa case is a gig bag about the same size as Baby taylor bag. I usually pack a light jacket in the bag, along with some fruit, nuts, a water bottle, some blank tab books, my day planner, cell phone, wallet, neck pillow and a book to read. I could probably live out of the gig bag if I had to. |
Karl
Frozen North |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2008 : 11:59:14 AM
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| Right on Karl just don't eat your guitar when you get hungry K? |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2008 : 1:50:01 PM
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hi karl!
i flew out to DC on a business trip and took along my punahele `iki in a gig bag. my flight had two legs each way: SAN - ORD - DCA and DCA - ORD - SAN. i was upgraded to first for all but the last ORD - SAN segment. i flew united. the gig bag was a third carry-on item: i also had a soft-sided briefcase for my mac powerbook (the big one) and a gym-bag sized clothes bag.
no one ever blinked when i carried on the three items. i also noticed other passengers carrying on three items, with one being an instrument (guitar or `ukulele-sized case). i didn't see anyone else attempt to carry on three items. so... we musicians know that we're special (in all senses of the word, perhaps...)
on two of the four links, they let me store the guitar in the closet (both times i was flying first). once flying first and once flying in the back, the stew got very defensive and said that they could never ever put a guitar in the closet (i was nice in my request, but i guess they get asked this a lot and some stews have learned to push back with vigor).
since it was in a gig back, i was nervous on the two flights when it was in the overhead, but my fellow travelers were very accommodating, pleasant, and friendly (it's small enough that i couldn't really use karl's method).
i think that in the future i'll use the hard-sided case so i can fall asleep as soon as i get on board.
aloha,
keith
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Admin
Pupule
USA
4551 Posts |
Posted - 08/04/2008 : 3:49:28 PM
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You got upgraded? With the reduced number of flights, I never get upgraded on Continental. Funny thing is that whenever Elite pre-boarding gets announced, it looks like 3/4 of the plane get in line. 
I recently flew Continental with my Taylor in a HSC. I brought it onboard both ways despite full flights. Plenty of room in the overheads. On the return, the employee at the gate said, "You might have to check that but we can see." I smiled, said thank you and got on. On a short flight where most of the people have carry ons (lots of business road warriors), I know that I would not have gotten the guitar in the cabin. Luckily, on this flight most people checked their baggage. |
Andy |
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