Six tips for stealth airline travel with a Blackbird Rider and other small body guitars

We all hate the notion of putting our precious guitars under the plane so we designed the Rider to get on as a carry-on. While no one has ever had a reported problem traveling with a Blackbird Rider on a plane, these are some useful best practices we’ve gathered to keep it that way. They are just precautions that will help you be safe rather than sorry, and likely useful for anyone who travels by air with a guitar even a wood one*.

1. Research your airline and flight- become informed about their rules and regulations because you then may find yourself better informed than the airlines' courteous staff. After the whole United Breaks Guitars incident (copy and past into YouTube search if you don't get the reference), I suspect that airlines are getting a bit more sympathetic to guitarists.
2. Get a small guitar designed for travel- In the event you have to engage any airline personnel, with a small guitar you can explain that this guitar is compact, light and is designed to fit in the overhead along with a full bin of carry-on luggage. Smiles and a friendly demeanor are useful in these situations- you don't want to be like Ben Stiller in Meet The Parents.
3. Present a non-guitar-esque package(see ours above)- You don't want your instrument to even register as a guitar to the airline staff- a streamlined guitar in a tight case is key. The rider is designed to slip past the radar -think SR-71 Blackbird; it looks very discreet to watchful eyes. The gig bag should also be as un-flashy, un-pocketed and I would argue black as possible. Wear a black jacket while your at it- its a good look for traveling anyway. Being un-flashy also helps prevent theft.
4. Avoid another carry-on if possible- If you just bring your guitar and only your guitar as a carry-on, it should be easier to get on the plane because you can say something like 'but this is all I am carrying, miss"
5. Wear your gig bag as a low-rider (excuse the pun)- Wear your soft case as a backpack. Make sure to loosen the backpack straps so the guitar hangs low on your back and voila you’ll be in stealth mode- the head should not be visible from the front view.
6. Overhead bin positioning- Once on the plane, put the guitar in the back of the overhead bin with top facing against the back of the compartment. This will protect the top, generally the fragile part of the guitar, and prevent the guitar from falling out when the door is opened (and bags shifted in flight).

*Other guitar airline travel considerations

• With a wood guitar, make sure you have a humidifier and loosen the strings (no need with a carbon fiber Blackbird of course!)
• If you know you will be checking your guitar under the plane you should get a very robust hard case
• Get travel insurance that covers your guitar (and any other lost or damaged luggage while you are at it)

Email us with any other tips at info[@]blackbirdguitar.com