Flown AerLingus to Shannon recently?

[steve V. johnson]

Hi
We're off from Chicago O'Hare to Shannon via Aer Lingus in mid-February.

Have any of you flown Aer Lingus with instruments recently?

Will they do a 'gate check-in' for instruments? Can a full-size
(24.75" scale) bouzouki in a HSC be carried on by arrangement with Aer Lingus? Stored in cabin closet? Overhead bin?

Thanks,

stv

[mrmando]

I don't know about Aer Lingus specifically, but I can report that the security-folk at Shannon were very nice and didn't bat an eye at a fellow carrying two instrument cases (mando & fiddle). Lots of musicians per capita going through that airport ... they're used to it, I suppose.

[Bob DeVellis]

My experience is that customs and security folks are okay with instruments. I brought a concertina through Shannon once. An x-ray of a concertina looks pretty frighteningly mechanical and menacing. As soon as it went through the X-ray, the security guard said, "I'll have to have a look at that." I said, "it's a concertina." He answered, "I know it is, and I'm dyin' to have a look!"

On the other hand, my recollections of Aer Lingus are that the cabin is incredibly jammed and that they may not take too kindly to a bulky carry-on of any sort.

[dane]

I flew Aer Lingus Chicago to Dublin this past summer. #I saw a passenger with a guitar trying to get on, but eventually he had to give up the guitar -- to baggage or just to some sort of cabin storage I don't know. #As Bob mentioned, the cabin is pretty tight, so I wouldn't go to the airport expecting to be able to carry on. #

I checked my own zouk -- in its HSC and with the case mummified in about 2" of bubble wrap. #To date, I've found this approach seems to work pretty well -- that outside bubble wrap really gives the handlers the message, and even if it doesn/t, it will absorb an awful lot of shock.