Anyone flown with the KPA yet (in checked baggage)?

    Hi all - I've done a few fly-out tours so far with the KPA lunch box, and so far I've always brought the Kemper as a carry-on in a soft case. I now have one of the hard/flight cases for the KPA as well, and I'm wondering if anyone here has been brave enough to actually check their KPA lunch box in one of these hard cases in the belly of the beast... I mean... airplane (thereby freeing up space for another carry-on).


    Anyone? Happy to hear any thoughts on this idea as well. Even if not checked, I may try to bring the KPA as a carry-on in its hard case (for additional protection once I get to my destination and it's with the rest of the gear in the back of the van traveling around).


    Cheers!

    Quote from nightlight

    Carry the most expensive piece of gear you can as carry-on luggage, man. That's the only rule of flying.

    Yep, understood. That would actually be my guitar, which I always take as carry-on. I guess I'm just quickly filling my quota of expensive-enough-to-warrant-taking-as-a-carry-on... :)

    nice case @theod!@#$%... :)


    I've only flown mine once and carried it on using an old camera bag.... it fit perfectly and had pocket for cables.. checked my clothes bag and carried the lunchbox and guitar on...

    Gettin' funky up in here..

    nice case theodorkapnas!!!!! Wow!!!!


    I'd say carry your expensive stuff on as much as you can...or gate check it but don't leave it at the check in desk....I always sit in row 23 or 24 on the right side and I see the baggage handlers loading and unloading and I feel sorry for the suitcases and things that get tossed....

    Quote from bugnogmusic

    Yep, understood. That would actually be my guitar, which I always take as carry-on. I guess I'm just quickly filling my quota of expensive-enough-to-warrant-taking-as-a-carry-on... :)


    hey i allways wondered about carrying my guitar on do they really let you do that ? i mean its way bigger than the the carry on size limit where do you put it if it doesnt fit in the overheads?

    yeah they allow it.. they'll put it in the front storage locker for you when you board... I carry mine in a Mono soft case/bag to ensure ti falls within the size guidelines.

    Gettin' funky up in here..

    Over the course of dozens of flights (mostly international, but also some within the U.S.) over the past several years, I've been able to carry on my electric guitar or acoustic guitar except for a very few times (when it was gate-checked and came out - thankfully - fine on the other side).


    For both the acoustic and electric guitar, I travel with them in Mono gig bags. I do have a frequent-flyer status, though, and so I'm usually able to be one of the first on the plane after first/business class board. Most planes that I've flown in have enough room in the overhead bins, although when that wasn't possible I have been helped out by some very kind flight attendants who placed my guitar in the coat closet.


    I used to gig more as a bassist than a guitarist, and was never able to bring my bass on board. Back then I used an SKB case (I believe it's called a "bass safe") that held the bass in a gig bag inside the case. I would send that as checked luggage and had (mostly) good experiences. I'd be okay with checking my electric guitar in that SKB case if airlines stopped allowing guitars onboard, but it's size makes it rather cumbersome to fit in vehicles and haul around once I'm on the ground.


    Thanks for all the feedback so far, all...

    I worked a summer as a bag handler at the airport. My advice would be do not check anything you greatly value unless the case is such that you are willing to literally sling it across the floor. Those folks are paid lightly to unload and reload hundreds of heavy bags in less than 15 minutes in a typically very cramped space. The dude in the belly of the plane will never have the opportunity to hand crawl each piece of luggage from the back corner of the cargo hold to the cargo door 10 or 15 feet away. That space can also get very cold in the air, and/or very hot sitting on the runway. Somebody once checked an acoustic guitar in one of the paperboard type guitar cases. I gave it the softest handling I could but who knows what happened at the destination end.

    Fantastic job on the case theodorkapnas. Last time I flew with my gear in the UK they wouldn't let me carry anything on.
    I bought the green official bag, with hopes if I have to fly again I will be allowed to carry it on. The way I look at it if i'm pushed I can borrow a guitar from someone if I really need to, but the Kemper stays with me.

    Needed to bump up this post. In light of the recent crap that's going on in the air (thanks for giving me nightmares, Germanwings), I'm a bit skeptical about being allowed to carry my Kemper on a flight as carry-on baggage, since it looks like some kind of radio. Will have to pack it up and ship it out where I'm going.


    Do you guys think I'm being overly cautious? The last thing I want is to be carrying it in a soft case and then be told at security that I need to check it in with my other baggage.

    got my kemper on board, in the cabin, not checked in. didn't trust the people throwing the baggages. with the namba bag it stick perfectly in the cabin allowed bagage dimension tool in every airport

    "...why being satisfied with an amp, as great as it can be, while you can have them all?" michael mellner


    "Rock in Ecclesia" - new album on iTunes or Google music

    i've been carrying my kemper on board as well - in the namba bag. so far it's fit under almost every plane seat (i just make sure not to fill the front pocket of the bag over-full). that way i can carry on both my electric guitar and the kpa. i did this as recently as last month, and in a pretty small plane.


    as far as dealing with security, that varies. sometimes they'll let it go through the x-ray machine in the namba bag without a second glance. sometimes - after it goes through the x-ray - they'll open up the bag and wipe it to test for residue of some illegal sort. a few times i've had to take it out of the bag and have it x-rayed separately in a plastic bin. in every case, i've always been allowed to carry it on with no concern about what it is. if there's a question, i just tell them it's a digital guitar amp, and so far everyone's been okay with that answer.


    hope that helps give you a bit more confidence. peace...

    I checked-in my Kemper once. I used the original box and packaging, and filled all the empty spaces with socks. I also surrounded the box with clothes.


    All fine :)


    I didn't bring it as carry-on because I had a back-pack with my laptop, AND one of my guitars as carry-on.