Music Equipment on Aer Lingus (1 Viewer)

[chutneyfarmer]

Heya folks, hopefully some of you will be able to help me here. Me and my mate need to fly to Austria with Aer Lingus next week to play a gig. The people putting the gig on booked us with 3 bags between the 2 of us. We were hoping we could put our 2 guitars (in hard cases) in the luggage hold and then have 1 huge case full of all our pedals, mixers, keyboards etc. However this isn't looking likely as the case weighs a tonne.

I was thinking, if we can put the guitars in soft cases and carry them on tha plane, we could split out gear between 3 separate bags. Do you know or reckon we'd get away with this????

Also if anyone has any tips in general about travelling with musical equipment it'd be great!

Thanks

 

[lympog]

depends on how packed (or unpacked) the flight is. sometimes i've carried my guitar (soft case) onto the flight, but other times i've had to put it through as luggage

 

[Napalm]

Heya folks, hopefully some of you will be able to help me here. Me and my mate need to fly to Austria with Aer Lingus next week to play a gig. The people putting the gig on booked us with 3 bags between the 2 of us. We were hoping we could put our 2 guitars (in hard cases) in the luggage hold and then have 1 huge case full of all our pedals, mixers, keyboards etc. However this isn't looking likely as the case weighs a tonne.

I was thinking, if we can put the guitars in soft cases and carry them on tha plane, we could split out gear between 3 separate bags. Do you know or reckon we'd get away with this????

Also if anyone has any tips in general about travelling with musical equipment it'd be great!

Thanks

Aer Lingus are more generous than most of the airlines but it will depend who is on the check in desk. Butter them up nicely and you can get away with a lot

 

[ostrichsyndrome]

Aer Lingus are the same as every other airline when it comes to baggage restrictions on checked in luggage.

checked in bag can't exceed 32kg otherwise they wont take it. This is to do with how much the handlers are allowed to lift.

Guitars in soft cases are fine.

split it between 3 bags and hope all 3 turn up on the other side

 

[seanface]

Guitars in hard cases might be charged as oversized music/ sports equipoment and will be charged seperately from normal baggage. Ryanair do it and Aer Arran even tried to charge me coming home with my guitar. Last flight from Dublin with Ryanair had my hard case cost twice as much as my seat on the plane!

 

[Jelly_Block]

Quick solution: Learn the tin whistle and the recorder. Easily carried music and fun to play.

On a more serious note:
Carriage of Musical Instruments


If the instrument is small and space permits, the passenger may carry it in the cabin (in the over head bin, or under the seat in front of you).

Cabin baggage must weigh less than 6 kgs/13 lbs in total. It must be small enough to fit in an overhead bin or under the seat in front of you.

The maximum dimensions for a cabin bag are:
56cms x 45cms x 25cms or 22in x 18in x 10in.

If the instrument is larger, e.g. Bass, and the passenger wishes to carry the item in the cabin, they may purchase a seat for the item. This can be done online and normal taxes and charges apply. The instrument should be booked in the name of Cello/A Ms or Harp/A Ms.

Maximum weight permitted is 32kgs/70lbs.

If the passenger wishes to carry the instrument in the hold, then a special handling fee applies and it is charged at the same rate as golf equipment and skis (currently €30 online, or €40 at the airport).

Good day to you.

 

[tommytrousers]

Aer Lingus wanted €75 return for my bass in my hard case a few months ago to the 'Dam. Ouch! it's getting worse too with fuel costs etc. The butter up with soft case and guitar as carry on in a spare seat might work but it's a risk as if it doesn't would you want an axe in the hold in a softy?

 

[plug]

if you can avoid checking in gear and carry it on I'd say do it.

see alan remorse's recent thread about this.

 

[Sweetie]

Guitars in hard cases might be charged as oversized music/ sports equipoment and will be charged seperately from normal baggage. Ryanair do it and Aer Arran even tried to charge me coming home with my guitar. Last flight from Dublin with Ryanair had my hard case cost twice as much as my seat on the plane!

Very high chance you will be charged with Aer Lingus. My band were charged for guitars in hard cases. However, I had a soft cushioned guitar case that wasn't dissimilar looking from a long rucksack and had my midi controller keyboard and unit in it, wrapped in bubble wrap and NEVER was charged (even with Ryan Aer). Our drummer was charged for his SNARE and began packing it in a large suitcase surrounded by his clothes, and wasn't charged again.

BMI don't charge extra for musical gear (as yet any way).

 

[bren_at_xfm]

Quick solution: Learn the tin whistle and the recorder. Easily carried music and fun to play.

On a more serious note:
Carriage of Musical Instruments


Maximum weight permitted is 32kgs/70lbs.

We bought an extra seat on Ryanair when we brought Trost over last year...for their Vibraphone....
it weights a tonne!! Well over 32kg... no problem.

But ye'll get guitars as carry-on in soft cases no worries... just dont declare em at the checkin...

 

[Alan Remorse]

they smashed my stuff up good. wouldn't recommend it.

 

[ernesto]

We bought an extra seat on Ryanair when we brought Trost over last year...for their Vibraphone....
it weights a tonne!! Well over 32kg... no problem.

But ye'll get guitars as carry-on in soft cases no worries... just dont declare em at the checkin...

guitar in soft/padded case over your shoulder. put it in the overhead compartment. grand. they couldnt give a fuck.

 

[chutneyfarmer]

yeah i'm thinking splitting the gear up inot 3 bags and carrying the guitars on in soft cases is the way to go. Seriously though, how do bands manage to travel with flight cases and stuff if they can't weigh more than 32kg??? I'm confused.