An acoustic guitar flight case is an ideal item to invest in if you plan to fly and are looking to take your acoustic guitar along.
Traveling With Your Baby
I don’t know about you, but when I travel with my baby, I want to take every precaution to keep it safe. So what does that have to do with guitars? Simple. Your guitar is your baby. You (probably) paid a fair amount for it, so why would you treat it without the consideration it deserves when you are traveling by air?
When you fly with a real baby, you make sure that the baby has its own seat and a car seat in which you can securely fasten it so that there will be no mishaps during the flight. Most of us cannot possibly afford to buy our guitar baby its own seat (which of course is the very best thing you could do to ensure its safety). It would be easy if we could simply carry our guitars onto the flight as a carry-on item. But unfortunately each airline has different regulations regarding carrying instruments on board; even delicate instruments such as guitars. Since there is no guarantee that you will be able to carry-on your guitar, it is highly recommended that you buy your guitar baby an acoustic guitar flight case. This ensures that if you do have to check it, that it arrives in the same condition as when you boarded.
A Case By Any Other Name…
An acoustic guitar flight case should not be confused with a traditional hard traveling case, and definitely not with a gig bag. There is a world of difference between the three.
Gig bags are just that; bags. They are a cover for your guitar to keep-out dust and moisture. Even the best made gig bags offer very little in the way of protection when you are traveling. If you use a gig bag to ship your acoustic guitar and the guitar gets checked at the gate, there is a good chance that you will end-up with nothing more than a bag full of splinters when you arrive at your destination.
A hard traveling case is a better choice, though it is still not recommended to check your guitar as baggage when stored in a hard case. The primary problem with hard cases is that not all guitars fit snugly inside of a hard case. If the guitar rattles around during the flight, it can still be damaged.
An acoustic guitar flight case, on the other hand, is a specially designed container in which an acoustic guitar can be shipped without worry of being damaged. Flight cases are designed to be virtually indestructible. They are made of incredibly rugged military-grade polyethylene that can withstand falling from great heights and can endure extremes of pressure and heat. Even if your plane has a mid-air collision, your guitar will probably survive. But best of all, the interior of a flight case has specially fitted foam padding that fits your guitar snuggly. Encasing the guitar in a cocoon of foam padding ensures that it doesn’t move so much as an inch during transit.
Best Acoustic Guitar Flight Cases
While there are now a large number of flight cases available for acoustic guitars, the best by far would have to be those made by SKB, CaseXtreme and Gator.
CaseXtreme also makes a good flight case. Their Clam Classical Guitar Flight Case (which will fit most standard classical guitar sizes) has excellent durability and 2” foam C pads that act as a suspension system to keep your guitar from rattling about.