The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi, I've seen some mention that the Paul Beard Road-O-Phonic can fit into an airline overhead bin, but I'm not certain whether the airlines accept these after 9/11. Has anyone travelled on the airlines (particularly United) and carried a small Beard? Thanks!

jd

I haven't flown on United since then, but American Airlines' overhead bins will hold a standard Dobro in a hardshell case without any problem. I took one to St. Louis MO for Twangfest without any problems whatsoever.
If you call the airline ahead of time, they should be able to confirm this for you.
I have seen plenty of regular guitars in airports, obviously not checked in, so I wouldn't worry about it. You do need to show them the guitar though - the security agents don't seem to know what to make of that metal pie pan in the middle of the guitar.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

I haven't flown with my resonator since 9-11 either, but prior to that U.S. Air let me on with my hard shell case with no problem. I think airlines understand a lot of musicians are particular about their instruments and try to accommodate the best they can. When they call your section, I'd just keep on walking with it and see if an attendant stops you. You'd probably be okay with the Road-O-Phonic since it's smaller anyway.

I just got back from a trip to Cleveland from California a few hours ago. All flights were on United Airlines.

I took my National Style 0 (all metal except the neck) in a softshell case. I knew it was a major risk if they wouldn't let me carry it on but I decided to take the chance rather than a hardshell case. I probably would have made a different choice if it was a wooden guitar.

I had no problems on any of the four planes I was on. Each plane was a different type. 777, 757, 737 & 727. The guitar fit in the overhead on all of them. I also carried on a small briefcase sized bag.

Two of the planes were full (I departed the day before a holiday) which had made me nervous. I should note that I was able to board early on in the boarding process because of my frequent flier status but I'm pretty sure that would not have made a difference.

No problems with security - no one ever questioned me about it. They were much more concerned with assorted metallic items on my person (belt, coins, etc..)

Thanks, folks... those recent real-world experiences are very valuable. I'm not sure which path I'll pursue yet, but you showed me where the limits weren't. Thanks!

jd