Measure your case to comply with carry-on luggage requirements. Obviously you don’t want to violate the FAA regulations and airline policies around carry-on luggage size, and you certainly don’t want to upset your fellow passengers by bringing on oversize luggage, so measure your viola case size.

Often companies, including Air Canada, will offer a discount when buying an extra seat for your viola. Research the airline and flight ahead of time to see what standard overhead bins sizes are (sometimes these vary when you are on a express flight).

While this is common practice for cellists who want to maintain the safety of their instruments, violists can also do this when their viola does not fit in the overhead bins.

Consider buying a seat for your viola.

DO NOT get offended if a security officer wants to open the case because if you do, you will most likely be in the express lane to a pat-down and further inspection.

Be upfront with TSA or security personnel. Let them know that there is a musical instrument inside when you get the x-ray machine and let them inspect it if need be.

Tips for Traveling with a Viola as Carry-On Luggage The airlines the IMF gave a “green” rating to are: Air Canada (funnily enough given their prior attitude), Air Dolomiti, Air Mauritius, American Airlines, Avianca, Brussels Airlines, Delta Airlines, El Al, Hawaiian Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest Airlines. UPDATE (9/4/16): The International Federation of Musicians (IMF) has now released an official rating of airlines that it considers best for flying with violas. Generally, airlines should allow you to fly with your viola as carry-on luggage, but below we’ve included some guidelines to ensure your viola’s safety. We at Viola Central fly with violas frequently, but try to fly under the radar (see what we did there) when passing through the TSA checkpoints and boarding aircraft. Given that the airline already had a history of destroying valuable violas, this stance by Air Canada seemed odd to begin with.

The short answer is yes, but different airlines have different guidelines.Īir Canada has received a lot of flack the past few years when it first banned violas from traveling as carry-on luggage only to reverse its stance a few weeks later.

American airline guitar policy