Flying with Banjo

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UK 5

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For 5 String Banjo Players based in the British Isles.

523 Members, Created 1/27/2011 -

Administrators: alfiedog (owner) , HSmith

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From Rikkidikkidoo on 2/6/2014 9:19:48 AM

I'm considering various options for flying Ryanair from UK to Portugal with my Deering Goodtime banjo. Apart from entrusting it to baggage handlers or buying an extra seat it occured to me that another option may be to dismantle it, pack the neck, pot and other parts carefully in my luggage, then reassemble it at the other end.

Has anyone ever done this? Is it a viable option?

Thanks for any advice.

6 Comments
	darlo says: 2/6/2014 9:55:22 AM i travel extensively and some airlines will let you take an instrument on board at there discretion and put it in business class locker or let you put it in overhead locker so far have not been refused but to be on safe side contact ryanair and ask i know ryanair of old and its money money money for everything so maybe just extra luggage charge ,failing that flight case and that will probably be dearer than a ticket but you never now when i travelled with mine my laptop fitted in front pocket so only one piece of hand luggage
Rikkidikkidoo says: 2/6/2014 10:18:21 AM Hi, thanks for the reply but the question was about dismantling a banjo. Ryanair charge 50 quid each way to allow an instrument to go in the hold and be treated with all the care that baggage handlers usually afford to your average suitcase. Alternatively you can buy your banjo its own full price seat - but your banjo doesn't qualify for it's own hand baggage allowance. I'm just looking at the feasibility of taking it apart for travel purposes.
	banjonutty says: 2/7/2014 12:17:08 AM taking the neck off is pretty straight forward if its an open back, tail piece off, unscrew tension rod with a thin screwdriver through the hole, undo other nut and thats it, you can mark where your neck, tail piece and rod nuts were was so your not affecting the action when putting it back together
Rikkidikkidoo says: 2/7/2014 2:07:27 PM Thanks for the advice. I'm tempted to give it a go but I wonder whether I should try to refit the existing strings or simply discard them and fit a new set. I'm guessing the latter is probably the way to go.
	daveteague says: 2/9/2014 3:12:12 AM 2 years ago, travelling to Le Roche, before Easyjet, who now have a policy of allowing anything smaller than a guitar go in the overhead locker as part of your hand luggage allowance, a friend of mine took his Gibson, with resonator, apart and stowed it in his suitcase. No problem. He also kept the same strings. Don't consider Ryanair if you can help it. They made me buy a seat ticket for mine, including booking fee and when I got inboard the stewardess demanded that I put it in the overhead locker for "health and safety reasons". Needless to say, I will never, ever fly Ryanair again. I noticed that they made a loss for the first time this last quarter. I wonder if their abysmal customer relations is finally kicking back at them. Incidentally, I am going to Dublin in May and am flying Aer Lingus, who have a better luggage policy, but the cost is more than Ryanair. But you pays your money and makes your choice!
Rikkidikkidoo says: 2/9/2014 11:21:19 AM Thanks for the Easyjet tip. As they have a flight to where I want to go I might just try them instead of Ryanair. In fact I'm now wondering if I can get a banjo and a mandolin into a single gig bag and take it on an Easyjet flight as hand luggage.
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