I want to buy a guitar in spain this semester, but I am worried about getting it back to the usa with me this summer. I am flying back with Iberia from Granada-Madrid and Madrid-Chicago. I dont want to check it, and besides that I will already have my 2 checked suitcases (the limit), so thats not really even an option. Can I fly with the guitar as a carry on, just put it in the overhead compartments?? Would it even fit? I would hate to buy a guitar and find out 3 months from now that I cant get it home with me!!! Ideas? Experience? Anything?
Kelly

I've seen people carry guitars on and have the flight attendants stow them in closets, but only on domestic flights. The way they pack people and luggage in on overseas flights may mean that flight attendants would be less accomodating. I wonder if a call to the airline (or a visit to its website) would help?

The space behind seats that are right in front of the bulkhead is often just the right size for a guitar--you might choose your seat so that you can board first (sit in the back) and claim this space/get flight attendant assistance.

You could also do a "gate check," where you hand the guitar off at the last second on the jetway--though I don't know whether Iberia does those--we often did that with strollers and car seats when my daughter was smaller. At least it doesn't end up bumping through the baggage carousel!

Good luck!

Unless you're planning on serenading the passengers and crew, perhaps purchasing your guitar from a reputable outlet, and having them ship it insured back to you in the States is the best answer...I know that any schmuck worth his weight in euros selling swords in Toledo will do this. I can only imagine the same goes for guitarreros (did I just create that term? )

Again, go insured, and you've nothing to worry about. You always have recourse through the shipping company, unless it's some volar de noche outfit called Super Rápido or something...

Hmmm serenading the passengers...well I could use a little extra cash, cuz after this trip Im not going to have much left!! The shipping it might work, but why do I fear it would cost me more in euros than the guitar itself
I think a little trip to the iberia ticket office here in Granada may be in order....
Any more ideas?

We've carried a guitar on a domestic flight within Spain, and then from Spain to the US. We carried it on board (British Airways to the US)and it was kept in a closet during the flight. No problem whatsoever.

I think this question has been asked before, with similar responses (I think one from me!). Have you done a search? There may be a response about Iberia. I just don't know if things are different now because of security, so I agree with the idea of calling the airline first.

Good luck!

Diana, what year did you take the guitar on the plane? In the last year or two most airlines are limiting passengers to only ONE carry-on and I'd have to guess that a guitar case would qualify as that one carry-one. Maybe it's different for 1st Class or Business Class passengers though. The reduced number of routes have made those fewer available flights MORE full with passengers so it may not be as easy now as it once was. Just some things to think about.

It was summer of 2000. It got a luggage tag and was counted as a checked-in piece, even though we carried it on board. When we arrived in Philadelphia we were paged and told they had lost one of our pieces - but the piece they thought was post was the guitar, which was with us. I was impressed that they had scanned every piece of luggage that had come off the plane. And this was plain old tourist class - no special frills. (Although I've always thought British Airways does an amazing job with customer service on the transatlantic flights anyway!)

i know that a twenty pound package from the canary islands to california is about 60 dollars, insured, so a guitar being sent from the peninsula would have to be around 15 - 20 dollars?

If it's any help, I flew Northwest from Paris to Detroit on Monday, and saw two people put guitars in the overhead compartments. The cases were not the hardsided ones, they looked like they were made out of vinyl or plastic.

Wow thanks for all the info guys, this is really helping. I will for sure need to call IBERIA though, because if even if I carry it on as a carry one they are going to count it as checked baggage, I will be in trouble!! I will have been here an entire semester and have to very large suitcases that I will check, hope I can count the guitar as my one carry on!!!