Travel Tips: Flying with your Voyage-Air
Simply stated: a Voyage-Air guitar can change the way that you travel when flying on a commercial airliner. Obviously, with a Voyage-Air, you can carry your guitar with you as onboard luggage, but there's a lot more to it than that.
The unique backpack-style case common to all Voyage-Air guitars means that you can carry the guitar on your back - leaving both hands free for other things.Finally, you can answer your cell phone at the airport without putting down your other bag!
All Voyage-Air cases have zippered sections with storage pockets big enough for a laptop computer, music books, extra strings and lots more. Now you can take your computer with you in the same padded caseas your guitar, and have it all with you as carry-on luggage. One less thing to worry about whentraveling!
In fact, many air commuters find there's enough space in the Voyage-Air case that they don't need to check a bag at all. If you travel light, there's room for a change of clothes and basic travel needs. Now it's fast and easy to go through airport security!
All Voyage-Air guitars qualify as carry-on luggage, and will fit in the overhead bin of commercial airliners. For smaller, prop-driven commuter planes the overhead bins are a bit smaller: in this case, the deluxe Voyager case has a zipper-detachable section that can be removed, then it will fit in these planes just fine. The slimmer Transit Bag cases easily fit in the overhead bins or under the seats of these smaller planes.
Once at your destination, Voyage-Air cases continue to be a convenience. it's amazing how much easier it is to walk through airport crowds with a backpack, rather than lugging separate carry bags. And the Voyage-Air case sits easily at your side in the back of a taxi or a bus: there's no need to waste time putting your guitar in the trunk or other storage.
Sometimes,you may need to gate-check your guitar. For example, late seating on a flight filled to capacity may mean all the overhead bins are full. In this case, you can detach the computer/storage pocket from the deluxe Voyager case, and gate-check just the guitar, keeping your computer and other needs with you at your seat. The rugged, molded foam case with the guitar is up to the task as gate-checked baggage.
Choosing a Voyage-Air Guitar for Airline Travel
Any guitar carried for airline travel should be light weight, compact and durable. Of course the instrument should also match the musical needs and purpose of the trip.
The Transit Series guitars fit the bill perfectly: they are compact,lightweight and very durable. They are ideal for a business trip where you'd want to take along a guitar for practice in the off hours. The supplied Transit Bag is the most compact of the Voyage-Air cases, making it easiest to fit into overhead bins, or the backseat of a taxi at your destination.
The Songwriter Series guitars are shipped with the same compact Transit Bag case as the Transit Series guitars, and are equally compact and lightweight. The extra resonance and harmonics of the Songwriter's Solid Spruce top make them the pick for the more discerning musician who appreciates the superior tone of a solid wood top. The Songwriter Series is a better choice where music is apart of the purpose of the trip: for informal gigs, music seminars, outdoor music festivals or even performing on stage. Since their introduction, Songwriter Series guitars have been used for stage performances worldwide.
If music is the purpose of the trip, and only the best will do, then the Premier Series guitars are the only choice. The brilliant harmonics and sustain afforded by their solid wood construction make this the no-compromise solution. The fine solid tone woods used in the Premier Series are more fragile than the engineered Mahogany used in other Voyage-Air guitars.Therefore, these guitars are supplied with the super-durable Voyager carrying case. The extra size and padding of the Voyager case helps protect these fine instruments during travel. It is also slightly larger and heavier than the other Voyage-Air cases.