@dfwskier wrote:
@huskies90 wrote:
What about an electric bass guitar in a soft gig bag? A bass is slightly longer than a guitar. Can it be brought on board? It would not survive being checked.
Unless it is some type of dwarf guitar, I expect it exceeds the normal carry on size limit of 24x16x10 (inches).
I know that airlines with assigned seating let passengers buy adjacent seats for their instruments, and they get seatbelted in. Maybe Southwest does something like this.
If it has to go in the belly of the aircraft, perhaps you should invest in a hard case.
Anyway, it sounds like you have questions to ask the airline. You may do s via the methods listed on the top left of Southwest's contact us web page
https://www.southwest.com/contact-us/contact-us.html?clk=GFOOTER-CUSTOMER-CONTACT-US
Musical instruments are actually a somewhat special case - not just that they may need a special case - and it could still be allowed as a carryon as long as it would fit in an overhead bin. I know some of the bass guitars are longer but I believe will still fit lengthwise in a bin.
https://www.southwest.com/html/customer-service/baggage/special-luggage-pol.html
The language however is that the instrument could be stowed in the overhead if space was available - if you have a C boarding pass or for whatever reason that flight on that day filled up before you boarded and there wasn't a place to put it, it would have to be gate checked.
As @dfwskier mentioned there may be an option for buying an instrument a ticket if it fits accordingly in a seat. I guess on some WGA fare sales that could actually favorable compared to oversize checking on the shortest routes. (But shouldn't be necessary for a bass guitar.)
Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.
