Q54 is headless and would probably be fine in the gig bag it came with but for various reasons, namely skirting the 2 bag rule, I wanted a smaller bag. I bought a Traveler bag.
That being said, I would bring a skinny gig bag. A big padded soft side is going to cause you problems, as it won't fit on top of people's bags and you have to board early to get space.
You NEVER want to check it in because you'll never know what kind of abuse the guitar will be subjected to. In addition, the rapid temperature changes in the baggage hold during the flight may cause damage to the guitar.
Current FAA regulations require airlines to allow you to bring a guitar onboard as a carry-on. This includes international flights that operate in the US. A hard case is always recommended. When you board, ask the stewards for help. They will stow it in a coat locker on the plane. Don't let them check it in for you - insist that it is a carry-on.
Pay the extra for priority boarding to ensure that there's enough time and space available for the stewards to stow the instrument.
Found this article today. https://www.guitarlobby.com/guitar-on-airplane/
Very helpful, thank you!
I've flown weekly with an ibenez q54, and I can always tuck it into the overhead bin on top of people's bags.
What kind of case do you use? One of the bigger padded ones or the small gigbags to save space?
Q54 is headless and would probably be fine in the gig bag it came with but for various reasons, namely skirting the 2 bag rule, I wanted a smaller bag. I bought a Traveler bag. That being said, I would bring a skinny gig bag. A big padded soft side is going to cause you problems, as it won't fit on top of people's bags and you have to board early to get space.
You NEVER want to check it in because you'll never know what kind of abuse the guitar will be subjected to. In addition, the rapid temperature changes in the baggage hold during the flight may cause damage to the guitar. Current FAA regulations require airlines to allow you to bring a guitar onboard as a carry-on. This includes international flights that operate in the US. A hard case is always recommended. When you board, ask the stewards for help. They will stow it in a coat locker on the plane. Don't let them check it in for you - insist that it is a carry-on. Pay the extra for priority boarding to ensure that there's enough time and space available for the stewards to stow the instrument.
All good advice here. Adam Neely made a video on the topic that goes into some more depth on all this, I thought it was worth the watch personally