The Musician’s Guide to Air Travel: Violin/Viola Edition
Keeping your instrument safe is the #1 priority!
Musicians are gradually resuming travel for auditions, competitions, summer festivals, and concert tours.
With that, we need to remember to stand up for our instruments to ensure that they do not become checked luggage.
This article was inspired by Hannah Haefele, one of my fellow musician writers here on Medium. A few weeks ago, she wrote about flying with a flute. I highly recommend that you check it out if you are a woodwind player!
Without further ado, here is my violin/viola air travel guide!
Avoid flying with your instrument in the first place.
If you have the option of driving yourself or taking a train, bus, ferry, or carpooling service, opt for that.
Trains, busses, and ferries don’t really monitor how many bags passengers take on board. The bins and luggage racks tend to be empty most of the time because many people use these transportation methods for shorter trips, and therefore will not have large suitcases. If you can carry it, you can take it.
If you're getting a ride from someone, make sure you let them know how many bags you’re taking and…
