Have Uke Will Fly
Flying with a musical instrument can be a challenge. Ukuleles may be relatively small but an instrument in a hard case is going to be bulky and get you embroiled in the airline’s regulations. Geoff Dancer has faced the challenges and has compiled a series of steps for you to find the best solution.
- Check in or carry on?
- Which airline?
- What are musical instrument provisions?
- What weight and size limits apply?
- What are the costs?
- What are the risks?
Read Geoff’s guidelines here.
Note about putting your uke in overhead locker from own experience. My first soprano uke was a cheapie in a soft bag and was one of the first in the overhead locker. Other passengers jammed their bag on top or next to mine. When disembarking, I found my Uke had its next broken.
Lesson, place your uke in last on top of other baggage of place under seat in front of you. Most other passengers will not have any regard to the safety of your ukulele.
I am a regular airline traveller and pilot on B737 with Virgin. The ukulele gives me great leisure time on my layovers as it is compact and light.
Thanks Marty. Good comment. I made a slight change to my report to say that, if you are carrying a uke on board with you in a soft case, be careful and try to ensure your uke goes on top in the overhead locker. My recommendation is to still use a hard case if you can for carry-on baggage. Thanks again. Geoff