If you really want/need to bring it:
1. Bring a box of sealed chocolate (airports sell 1lb of See's candy for $30 or buy something from a local store), give it to the FA when you step into the plane, and ask if they can store your guitar case in the coat space or anywhere else
2. If they say yes, great
3. If they say no, prepare to check it in
Depending on how much risk you want to take, you may need to prepare for the worse situation and package it for possible check in so it doesn't get damaged.

 

I have gone through this exact situation, although it was two CRJ-700 routes. I went with Starbucks gift cards for each of the 3 crew, and asked right as a boarded if there was space in the closet up front. They crew definitely went out of their way to make sure it fit. They even brought it right to me (both times) before deplaning. Depending on the size of your case, I would not expect it would fit in the overheads.

I also really didn't want to check it, as it was a fairly old and expensive guitar to replace. If you are clear, short, and respectful with your request and say "thank you" with the chocolate/gift cards up front, I would expect a pretty good chance of success.

Best of luck!
Leighjohnwi

 

Considering that there usually isn�t enough overhead space on E175 for usual carry ons� sounds like your guitar will take up space from four pax whose bags meet carry on sizing. E175 is a very small plane.

If the FA accepts a bribe from you for an oversized carry on resulting in others being forced to check luggage I don�t see this going down well. For you or the FA.

If it�s an empty flight, sure they can probably find space. But few domestic flights these days are light loads.

 

Well, that's the Internet. It'll be fine, it won't be fine, bribe, don't bribe.

 

How does the bribe work- give it before the FA even tries? Or a thank you after the fact? If the former, do you get it back if he/she is unsuccessful?

 

You should reject apples to oranges comparisons. I would completely discount anything that worked on a 737 because it is simply not comparable to an E175. The bin space is a LOT less on an E175. As someone else mentioned, if you do get it to fit at all you will be taking up space for multiple passengers� bags. If I was a passengers whose bag was displaced by a guitar that took up all or most of an entire overhead bin I would be pretty upset and would probably challenge the FA to follow the stated rules (�fits in the carry-on bag space� which I take to mean meeting the carry-on bag dimensions).

On the other hand, leaving your guitar at the mercy of baggage handlers isn�t a great choice either. Google �united breaks guitars.� (Read the story before watching the video)

 

For a while I was splitting my time between MSY and PHL, and I flew frequently between those two airports with my acoustic guitar on AA. I was always super careful to choose flights on 737s or the like, nothing smaller, for exactly this reason. I board in group 2 on AA as a OWE and could always find a space in the overhead bin for my guitar—never had an issue with the FAs, although a gate agent in PHL once tried to tell me I had to check it. I just said “no, I don’t and I am not checking it” and just kept on walking. The regulations on AA are very clear—if it fits in the overhead bin, it’s allowed.

If there is an alternative flight you can take that you’re sure will use a non-RJ aircraft, I would switch to that one.

 

As promised, I'm back to update. Unfortunately, I don't have anything concrete - in the end I took a guitar with a bolt-on neck in my luggage, and decided not to take the other one in the separate case, as that would have meant two suitcases, a guitar, and a rucksack - that on top of your warnings would have been too much fun for one person. And indeed the E175 bins were not large enough to swing a cat - when I saw them I was most satisfied with my choice.

 

I'm recently back from a trip requiring flights on United and Air Canada, both using the Embraer 175 aircraft. (At least the booklet in the seatback stated it was a Embraer ERJ175.)

Before the trip I came here to find out if my guitar case (dimensions 42.5 x 16.5 x 5.75 inches, for my Ibanez electric, Steve Vai signature) would fit in overhead bin. Since I didn't see any definitive answers, I thought I'd post my results: yes, it did fit.

My guitar in hard case easily fit in the overhead bin with maybe six inches (in width) to spare. I also noticed there were wider overhead bins it would have fit in also. (Note: the dimensions I indicate above include all latches and even the rubber feet.)

Recommendation(s) and points:

- Get on early (always).

- Be stealthy. If you are conspicuosly standing in front of the line in full view of gate agent with a massive case for carry on, you're asking for gate agent push back. Sorry, but that's the way it is.

- Be polite.

- Obviously, know the aircraft that will be used ahead of time.

- Act like you know what you're doing (this is part of the previous point). This is no big deal.

- If you ask "will it fit?" you signal to gate agent you are proactively volunteering to check it. Gate agent's answer will always be a definitive "no." They will make the case they actually designed the plane and know all of its physical capacities.

- The guitar case is to protect your guitar. Take pride in there being scratches or dings on your guitar CASE. It means the owner of the guitar actually needs(ed) to use one.

- In my experience(s) the gate agent is less likely to make a scene and try to convince you "it won't fit" when there are 50,000 other testy people waiting behind you to board. That wastes time. On the other hand, if you proactively go up prior to boarding and seek accomodations, odds are high they will have the time to tell you why there is no room and that the overhead bins are somehow already full (despite not having boarded any passengers yet).

If challenged, try responding with: "This is an Airbus A320 [or whatever specific model of the craft happens to be], right??? Oh yeah it fits." This signals to the gate agent you know what you are talking about.

In my experience, my guitar case also easily fits in overhead bin of the following crafts (I'm talking economy/coach or variants thereof here):

Airbus A320 (United - coach and first class)
Airbus A321neo (typical of Aegean Airlines)
Boeing 777-300ER (Air Canada and others I'm sure)
Boeing 737-700 (typical of Southwest Airlines)
Boeing B737-800/900 (United - first class, not sure about economy - but very likely)
Embraer E175 (Air Canada, United, others probably)


Hope other guitarists find this post helpful.

 

While I haven�t traveled with a guitar since the late 90s (Satriani - Ibanez JS1000 that I purchased in Boston while on a business trip), this is great info!
​​​​​Still have and love that guitar, but my favorite is my Ibanez JEM7V 🤘

 

A buddy tells me I'm nuts to travel with this thing, but if you already follow these guys you have to be a little bit nuts anyway, right?