If you’re a guitar player who travels often, finding out how to bring a guitar on southwest. Whether it’s for a long road trip or a quick trip across the country, there are many airlines that allow instruments onboard as long as they meet certain size and weight requirements. In fact, some airlines will let you check both your instrument and a regular bag at no extra cost. If you’re wondering what size and weight requirements your guitar needs to meet, this blog post will tell you everything you need to know about bringing your instrument on Southwest Airlines flights!
Related Article: How to carry a guitar without a case
The Necessary Requirements
There are a few things you’ll need to know before bringing your instrument on Southwest Airlines. If you’re flying international, the requirements will be slightly different and this blog post won’t apply.
– Your guitar must be under 50 pounds and fit in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you.
– Your guitar should not exceed 62 inches in total length (that includes the neck and body).
– Your guitar should not exceed 36 inches in total width (that includes all outstretched strings).
– You can only bring one small carry-on bag with your instrument and it cannot weigh more than 25 pounds.
Anyway, now that we’ve covered what’s required, let’s get into what you need to do next!
The Important Considerations
If you’re wondering what size and weight requirements your instrument needs to meet, this blog post will tell you everything you need to know about bringing your instrument on Southwest Airlines flights!
You may be able to bring your guitar with the purchase of a seat. You can also bring it in the cabin without buying a seat as long as it meets certain size requirements. If it doesn’t meet these requirements, you’ll need to check it at the baggage counter and put it in the cargo hold below.
As with any airline, there are limitations. For example:
-It has to be less than 44 inches total length (combined length of strings plus neck) and less than 36 inches total height (combined height of strings plus neck).
-The maximum weight is 25 pounds.
-The headstock may not have any metal or attachments on it because they could interfere with the plane’s systems during takeoff and landing. Finally, the instrument must be packed in a case that protects its finish.
Airline Approaches to Bags and Instruments
Airline policies about instruments vary, but in general, guitars can be carried on board. Though some airlines do not allow guitars as carry-ons, many of the major carriers like American Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Southwest Airlines will permit you to bring your guitar onboard.
The first thing you need to know is that not all airlines allow instruments as carry-ons. If you’re planning a trip involving multiple airline carriers, it’s important to find out which carriers do not allow instruments as luggage so you can either check the instrument or ship it ahead of time. It’s also worth noting that most airlines will only give you one free checked bag (so if you plan on checking your guitar and bringing a suitcase with clothes or other items with you, make sure your guitar meets the size and weight requirements of the airline).
Southwest Airlines Approaches to Bags and Instruments
Southwest Airlines allows customers to bring one personal item onboard the plane. This could be a purse, laptop bag, or any other personal item that can fit under the seat in front of you. Some travelers may think that their guitar can’t count as a personal item, but that’s not true! As long as your guitar meets Southwest Airlines’ size and weight requirements, you can bring it on board with no problem.
As a general rule, most guitars under 25 inches in length can be carried on without any additional fees. But if your instrument is over 25 inches in length, it’ll need to be checked as luggage. If you have an acoustic guitar with a round sound hole (also known as a Dobro), you’ll need to check the instrument as luggage because of its unique design.
Guitars typically weigh anywhere from 15 pounds to 30 pounds, so make sure that your bag weighs less than 50 pounds before checking it at the airport! Your instrument should be packed in its case with all of its accessories and placed inside another container so that there’s no way for them to get damaged during travel. This container should then be packed in with clothing or other personal items for added protection.
If you’re looking for an even easier solution to traveling with your guitar, consider investing in an inflatable travel case! These cases usually cost around $30-$50 and take up much less space than traditional ones; they’re perfect for travelers who want to fly with their instruments but not lug around heavy cases when they’re not needed!
Southwest’s Carry-on Baggage Policy
The way Southwest Airlines handles carry-on baggage is different than most other airlines. When you travel on this airline, you can bring one carry-on bag and one personal item onboard with you. The personal item must be under the seat in front of you or stored overhead. Your carry-on bag needs to be 10 pounds or less and fit under the seat in front of you.
If your instrument meets the size and weight requirements for a carry-on bag, then it will be considered a personal item. The only exception to this rule is if your instrument is too big to fit under the seat in front of you and no seats are available overhead. In these cases, your instrument may still be considered a carry-on bag because it would need to be checked at the gate. You may want to contact Southwest’s customer service before checking any instruments at the gate so there are no surprises when it comes time for boarding.
Southwest’s Checked Baggage Policy
Southwest Airlines has a very strict policy on what can and cannot be brought on the plane in checked baggage. The airline will only allow you to check instruments if they meet certain size and weight requirements. This is important to know before you book your flight because you might not be able to bring your instrument in the cabin if it doesn’t meet these requirements.
If your instrument meets the size and weight requirements, it will need to go through Southwest’s passenger security checkpoint at the airport. Depending on how busy or full the airport is, this process could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour or more. You’ll need to pack any fragile items that can break easily accordingly, as they’ll have to go through an x-ray machine and might end up getting dropped along the way. You also may want to bring packing materials such as bubble wrap or an extra blanket in case your instrument needs some additional protection during transit.
If you’re traveling with a guitar for a long trip, make sure that you drink plenty of water every day because flying dehydrates people more than usual and can cause dryness in your throat which makes it difficult to sing or play guitar properly.
Southwest Airlines allows guitars onboard for free as long as they meet certain size and weight requirements. To help you find out if your guitar will be allowed on this airline, we’ve compiled a list of the following:
– Size restrictions
– Weight restrictions
– Checked baggage policies
– International flights
How to bring a guitar on southwest FAQS
Your guitar needs to fit in a single, standard-sized item for the plane. You can check it as one of your two free checked bags.
Your instrument must weigh under 50 pounds and be no larger than 62 linear inches.
No, your instrument must go through the baggage screening process with other checked baggage and may not be placed in the plane’s cabin.
If you plan to travel with your instrument, it’s important to check with the airline that you’ll be flying with before the flight. Southwest Airlines has specific dimensions for overhead bins, so be sure to check their website for more information about how your instrument will fit in overhead bins.
If you’re bringing a guitar on Southwest Airlines, please remember that you can only bring one bag in addition to your guitar. This applies even if you’re checking baggage at no extra cost! The other bag must also meet the size and weight requirements of 45 pounds or less and fit into a standard overhead bin.
Conclusion
If you’re a musician planning to fly with your guitar, you can avoid hassles by knowing Southwest’s policies and knowing the best way to pack your instrument.
One of the most important things to know is that you are allowed to bring your instrument on board as carry-on baggage. This will not only save you the cost of checking a bag, but it will also keep your guitar safe from potential damage. Another thing to be aware of is that if you have a guitar case that fits within Southwest’s guidelines, you can simply take it with you on the flight as a carry-on bag. If your case does not fit within their guidelines, there are a few packing tips that will help ensure your guitar will make it safely from Point A to Point B.
