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#1
02-17-2010, 09:58 AM
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Southwest Airlines and carbon fiber guitars
So on my Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Albany with a change over in Chicago, I experienced the ultimate guitar players' nightmare.
I only travel w/Southwest as I've found they have the most friendly guitar carry on rules of any airline. I had my new to me Composite Acoustics OX guitar in a nicely padded gigbag that easily fits in the overhead. On the trip out I had no problems..all went smoothly....However on the return, I forgot to take advantage of the 24 hour advance boarding pass signup...so..I get to the flight gate in Oakland and discover I'm going to be the last passenger to board an oversold flight. I board the plane, make my way to the very end of the aisle, and to my horror discover there's not 1 square inch of available overhead space to stow my guitar. I make my way back to the front where I have no option but to hand my gigbag to the flight attendant who gives it off to a very impatient baggage handler to be placed with all the other bags in the cargo hold.. I try to tell the attendant that my guitar is going to get smashed to pieces and that the whole reason I travel with them is because I always get my guitar on the plane with me. She apologizes nicely, asks if it's insured, and says there's nothing she can do. Then with a giggle she says not to worry..they won't go all "United Airlines" on my guitar... Against all logic and laws of physics I decide to take that as a positive sign..and then I remember the whole reason I bought this carbon fiber "thingy" was to alleviate all the stresses of travelling with one's guitar. And I calm myself a bit more knowing that on the first leg of the trip my guitar will be loaded last after all the other cargo so I should be OK for that anyway. After boarding the 2nd plane for the last leg of my trip I actually see the cargo handlers place my gig bag on the baggage conveyor upside down right after a humongous piece of luggage, followed by the toss of an even bigger piece, and followed by a whole lot more of the same...! At this point I'm telling myself, at least it's not my long standing Santa Cruz OM that I have flown to many gigs with in the past. So....we arrive at the Albany airport. I hurry to the baggage claim area in a fairly Zen like state of acceptance, ready to learn yet another valuable life lesson. After a pretty short wait the bags start rolling out and immediately my travel suitcase appears right away. I wait...and wait...and wait...until all the bags have been claimed.. No guitar...!!! Then suddenly the door to the baggage handlers area opens and a kindly Southwest baggage handler carries my guitar to me. He apologized for the delay explaining that he had put it aside from the other bags at arrival to make sure it was not damaged on the conveyor, and then momentarily forgot about it as he went on with his other baggage duties. I thanked him profusely, and with a rather unexpected sense of calm, opened up the gig bag and except for the high "e" string having become completely detuned, all was absolutely fine. So..I will continue to sing the praises of Southwest Airlines and add to that a huge thumbs up for Composite Acoustics guitars. Larry Last edited by lclyman; 02-17-2010 at 02:21 PM. 
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#4
02-17-2010, 10:12 AM
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Glad to hear it worked out for you. I suppose I just might possibly take an all carbon-fiber guitar to the airport in a gig bag. Maybe. Probably not, the more I think about it. But certainly not a wooden one. Which makes for a right dilemma if I ever have to go somewhere by plane.
I have schlepped my plastic Fluke ukulele on a commuter flight with me (even played it during the flight!) but it's tiny compared to any guitar. And I bought a very inexpensive "travel" size guitar while on a trip to England a couple years back. It only had a gig bag but after getting to use it for 10 days during the trip it was cheap enough to be considered "expendable" on the way home. But they let me carry it on the transatlantic flight and stow it overhead so it survived. Still it seems you dodged a bullet, carbon fiber or not. I sure wish there was something a little better than a padded gig bag but not as bulky as a wooden or fiberglass hard case.
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Grabbed his jacket Put on his walking shoes Last seen, six feet under Singing the I've Wasted My Whole Life Blues ---Warren Malone "Whole Life Blues"
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#6
02-17-2010, 10:17 AM
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Great story! I have also found Southwest to be the best by far. Even took my Larrivee parlor with me last time (in its hard shell case) rather than the Martin LX. Don't fly often enough to fly all the airlines, but no other airline I have flown (except maybe Jet Blue?) has even come close to Southwest in any aspect of customer service.
jeff
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Flammang RS35, Flammang el35, SC 000 12 Fret ss, SC H13, SC PJ, Rockbridge 00, Eastman 810ce, Recording King RPH 03, Martin LX (on loan), Martin 0018vs (given to Godson), Lowden F388c (traded), SC OM (traded), Martin OM28v (traded), Martin 00017s (sold), Bourgeois Martin Simpson Slope D 12 fret (sold), Larrivee Parlor (traded), Larrivee L05MT (sold), Gibson LG1 (sold), Seagull Folk (traded)
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#7
02-17-2010, 10:21 AM
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I sometimes wonder if I'm the only oddball in the world who considers not having a reserved, assigned seat to be the opposite of Customer Service. Everyone seems to rave about that as though it is a feature but it's hard for me to see any disadvantage of knowing when I arrive at the airport that I'm going to be sitting in 14A and just waiting until they tell me to board then going and sitting in 14A.
It's a moot point as Southwest doesn't fly to and from the places I travel anyway but it's always seemed odd. People love 'em, though.
__________________
Grabbed his jacket Put on his walking shoes Last seen, six feet under Singing the I've Wasted My Whole Life Blues ---Warren Malone "Whole Life Blues"
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#8
02-17-2010, 10:57 AM
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Larry,
Very interesting story. Glad to hear that everything worked out OK. That situation would have tied me up in knots for sure! Regards, Glenn
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#9
02-17-2010, 11:46 AM
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Last time I flew with a guitar I flew Southwest. Guitar was in a hard case and checked.
I get to baggage claim. No guitar. All the bags come out.. no guitar. I'm about to get really hot and bothered and talk to the baggage folks and I turn around and there is the case. Southwest had hand-carried the guitar to and from the aircraft so that it wouldn't go on the conveyor belt. Yeah, I like Southwest.
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#10
02-17-2010, 12:08 PM
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Larry, you should be writing suspense novels!
  I've been caught w/ that late boarding thing where I had to gate check my carryon, but it was luggage, not a guitar. Just another annoyance in the world of air travel. Glad you dodged a bullet. Enjoy the CA 
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A Maverick Radar Guides Fate
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#11
02-17-2010, 01:13 PM
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Quote:
OK, so which of you folks are going to write the next song/vid for SW Air? I'm a waitin, y'all!  Edward
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#13
02-17-2010, 02:14 PM
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Great story and a great reason why to buy Composite Acoustics if you're flying about the country. Really enjoyed the read.
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Rick Steel and Wood, "Listen closely and she'll tell you her secrets" RG
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#14
02-17-2010, 02:15 PM
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Quote:
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Jim Dogs Welcome......People Tolerated!
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#15
02-18-2010, 12:03 PM
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OX in the Overhead?
Quote:
(... got one (OX) on the way, btw  )
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Taylor GS4e Carbon Acoustics OX RAW w/K&K pu Takamine GS430S JBL EON One Compact Too many harmonicas! "I never met a guitar I didn't like..."
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