U.S. Transportation Dept. Officially Approves Rules Requiring Airlines to Allow Musical Instruments on Airplanes

Written by Laurie Niles
Published: January 2, 2015 at 8:46 PM [UTC]

On Tuesday the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a final administrative rule that fully implements section 403 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2012 – the law authorizing musical instruments as carry-on baggage onboard US air carriers.

In other words, law now requires that airlines allow passengers to carry musical instruments on board. And this is no longer just a "proposed law" or law waiting to be implemented; it's now official FAA policy regarding musical instrument transportation.

Here are some of the most important points in the rule, according to Ray Hair, International President of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada:

• Airlines are required to allow small musical instruments, such as a violin or guitar, to be carried into the cabin and stowed in approved stowage spaces, if available, and/or under the seat.
• Once safely stowed, airlines cannot require passengers to remove their instruments, even if space taken by their instrument could accommodate one or more other carry-on items.
• Airlines cannot charge an additional fee for instruments as carry-on or checked baggage other than any standard fee imposed by the carrier.
• Airlines are now required to train air crews, gate agents, counter agents and baggage personnel concerning appropriate procedures necessary to comply with all FAA musical instrument transportation policies.

Read the announcement from the FAA here and read the entire final rule here: Final Rule on Carriage of Musical Instruments. I would personally recommend printing out this ruling and carrying it in your instrument case (or with you somewhere) when traveling. Alternatively, you could just wear the rule -- get a T-shirt from Time for Three with section 403 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2012 printed on the back! (In their typical good humor, the musicians of Time for Three came up with the shirts after the unpleasant experience of being denied on a plane with their violins and being left on the tarmac in Charlotte last spring.)

The Department of Transportation also created a webpage with tips and information for consumers on how to prepare for air travel with musical instruments.

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You might also like:

• Time for Three Violinists Denied on U.S. Airways Flight
• Air Travel with your Violin and Bow: Getting the Documents You Need
• FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act of 2012 (to put in your case; highlight Section 713)