Taylor GS Mini Question To Delta Airlines

VTexan · #1 06-21-2018, 11:06 AM

I convinced the spousal unit to let me buy a travel guitar, and since I'm not made of money [and after trying a Baby Taylor for 24 hours, then returning it] I settled on a Taylor GS Mini with spruce top and walnut sides. I'm enjoying it a lot, not just as a travel guitar. It has its own merits and I'm quite pleased with it.

I wrote to Delta Airlines, telling them I had the gig bag, but not a hard case. I asked for assurance that I could have it with me in the cabin rather than checking it. Because of their response I'll be buying the case. Here's what they said:

Generally, we accept musical instruments as carry-on baggage, or
cabin-seat baggage depending on the size and shape. Please help us to
keep your instrument safe by bringing it in a hard-shell case.

Guitars and other smaller musical instruments, such as violins, will be
accepted as your free carry-on baggage item on Delta-operated flights.
These items must easily fit in the overhead bin or other approved
storage location in the cabin, based on available space at the time of
boarding. If adequate space is not available, then the item must be
checked and fees will apply, or you may purchase a seat for the item
based on availability.

Kerbie · #2 06-21-2018, 11:12 AM

No airline can give you that assurance about any piece of your luggage. It'll probably be fine with the gig bag, but the hard case is beneficial if it has to be gate-checked. I suggest flying first thing in the morning and on odd days if you can. Good luck... be polite to the flight crew. Depending on the load, it's usually the decision of the lead flight attendant as to where the guitar goes.

troystory92 · #3 06-21-2018, 11:15 AM

I'm curious if anyone has checked a gs mini just with it's gig bag. It's one of the hardest gig bags I've ever owned. Stuff a bunch of shirts and clothes in there and I think you'd be good.

Regardless, I think it should be fine to fit in overhead. I plan on flying with me to Mexico around October.

Athens · #4 06-21-2018, 11:18 AM

Most larger twin jets will accommodate a gig bag, smaller regionals usually don't have large enough overheads though.

You might want to consider buying the upgrade to get on earlier so you get to the available overhead space before it fills up.

It might be a good idea to keep a copy of the revised FAA regs on intrument carry on and have it with you. I had that link somewhere, maybe someone can post it here.

Bottom line thought, whatever happens, don't get into it with the gate agents or cabin crew. Even if they're flat out wrong about something, they can ruin your day.

DesertTwang · #5 06-21-2018, 11:23 AM

I have taken my GS Mini on many flights. It fits into most overhead bins, except on the smallest planes (the kind you get on to fly between cities that you could drive to in the same amount of time). On the very few occasions I had to gate-check it, it was not a problem. Most crews understand you don't load a heavy suitcase on top of a guitar in a soft case.

jrb715 · #6 06-21-2018, 12:58 PM

Have flown with my GS Mini in its gig bag numbers of times on American and Delta. I've never had a problem storing it in the overhead, nor finding overhead space in which to store it.

Doesn't mean it might happen that all the space is taken. At that point you're hoping the flight crew will find some space in a closet.

VTexan · #7 06-21-2018, 02:22 PM

...is that I SHOULD be able to bring it into the cabin with me, but there's no assurance. With that in mind, the solution really has to be to purchase a hard case.

By the way, I was delighted that the one I bought was one of those with the swirled ebony fretboard. I really like it.

VTexan · #8 06-21-2018, 02:25 PM

...why the picture I included with my post...didn't post. I punched the "insert image" then dropped a flickr site url there. Any ideas? Thanks.

jkilgour2000 · #9 06-21-2018, 03:12 PM

I've flown with my GS Mini, in it's softish bag a few times. Not Delta, but Jet Blue. It fits in the overhead, with lots of room to spare. No hassles. Just make sure you get on the plane before all the animals start shoving all their huge bags in the overhead bins that aren't even near their seats. I hate those people.

Yrksman · #10 06-21-2018, 04:19 PM

I bought the custom SKB case to go with my GS- mini. It’s a really good case with TSA approved locks. About $100 and very well worth it. I paid for it in the savings I made travelling on the cheapest economy ticket from Austin to Phoenix and back with the safely packed guitar in its case in the hold.

troystory92 · #11 06-22-2018, 06:33 AM

Just curious, has anyone used a standard size hard case for their gs mini?

I was thinking you could stuff it with extra shirts/towels to fill the extra space.

Good idea or bad idea? I don't fly enough to justify buying a hardshell case just for my mini. I still feel the gig bag is more than strong enough for what i need normally.

beninma · #12 06-22-2018, 07:43 AM

Definitely get the hard case for peace of mind.

I flew with my Taylor Academy earlier this year on Jet Blue, there is a ton of room in the Jet Blue overhead bins, literally any guitar case would fit, heck a Cello would probably fit. I'm 6'1" and I think I could curl up and get inside those bins they're so big.

But on the return trip one of the gate agents went on a power trip and tried real hard to get me to check the guitar. I'm somehow sure it would have been destroyed if she had gotten me to check it and it'd been in the Gig Bag. I just tore the gate check tag off and the crew didn't even blink twice at me bringing the guitar on and putting it in the overhead bin though.

Taylor can probably recommend something. I don't think they make anything smaller than the GC case though.

blacknblues · #13 06-23-2018, 10:31 AM

I bought a GS Mini w/gigbag specifically for traveling as that is its intended purpose. I don’t really see the point in buying a case for a guitar that is designed for travel and comes with a hard gigbag that was also designed for travel. Worst case is that you will have to gate check it. I know a professional musician that has traveled the world for many years with his Collings in a gigbag that was either carried on or gate checked and has never had an isssue.

joshua89 · #14 06-23-2018, 07:53 PM

Hi all,

Thought I'd chime in since I recently did a couple of flights with my GS mini in a Mono M80 Acoustic Parlor gigbag.

From my experience, bringing it into the cabin depends largely on the carrier's policies as well as the space available on a flight. Generally carriers are fairly understanding and if the flight has space they will not mind a guitar the size of the mini up in the cabin. However, some have stricter policies. I brought my GS mini on two trips. On the first, there were no issues because during check in I confirmed that I could carry it up into the cabin. However, unfortunately on the second I had a different experience. During departure, the carrier insisted that I had to check it in (which I was mentally prepared for). At this juncture, my GS mini was tagged with a fragile sticker and hand carried to the plane to be loaded because it was marked as odd sized baggage. It arrived unscathed. (Of course I detuned the strings a couple of steps before that as well)

The return flight had me checking it in and at that airport there was no personnel to hand carry my guitar, nor were there provisions for odd sized baggage. Unfortunately for me, they insisted I needed to check it in on the standard conveyor belt with other baggage (marked fragile). Although this was not an ideal situation because no one knows what might happen in the cargo loading area, thankfully my guitar arrived unscathed as well.

Some lessons:
1) Get a flight case/hard case if you are not prepared to risk any damage to your mini, because you might find yourself in a situation where risk of damage may be high in a gig bag
2) since my mini was my travel guitar, I got the best compromise for protection (hard cases are too inconvenient and defeats the purpose of a travel guitar) with the mono. And I found the mono to be of sufficiently durable quality when it comes to travel protection - so far. I love the mono m80 case.

Carmel Cedar · #15 06-23-2018, 08:25 PM

VTexan, if you're an elite flyer on Delta (or have another way to board early, such as via a Delta-affiliated credit card), AND you're not flying on a regional jet, then you'll be fine with gig bag as carry-on. No guarantee, but it's as solid as it gets. If you're not elite, it'll be hit or miss, as overhead space may be all full by the 3rd or 4th group, and if you're late to board, you'll be out of luck for sure. If it's a regional jet, the FAA carry-on limit of 22x14x9" will apply - because that's the overhead bin size - and you're also out of luck.

Net - you can make your own luck by your status on Delta, and by checking the aircraft you'll be traveling on. If good luck - take the gig bag. Otherwise, hard case.

Happy traveling!!!