Taking an instrument on board an aircrfat can still be a very hit or miss situation. You may be lucky,you may not be -
don't take it for granted that you'll get away with it.
I've mentioned on here several times,that this is an on-going problem that ''The International Federation of Musicians'' is trying to sort out. It still seems to be the case that despite several rulings in the USA regarding this,that the word really hasn't spread around too much yet !. My advice,especially for a mandolin,would be to use a case as small as possible (not a gig bag),in the hope that it would seem to be hand luggage. I wouldn't use a gig-bag just in case somebody were to slam their laptop on top of it.
I flew out to the US back in 1992 with my banjo on board in one of the on board luggage lockers (not the over head ones). I flew back with my
even larger Mark Leaf banjo case, actually in an overhead locker - however,i wouldn't take it for granted that i'd be allowed to do the same today.
As for Ryanair,possibly the world's worst airline - no fault of the people who work for the airline,just the insidious guy that owns it - neither they,
or the other 2 airlines that regularly fly from Manchester UK to Dublin,would allow my mandolin on board !. Ryanair did however offer me a return ticket for my mandolin for £72 UK,
Ivan
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