Can musicalinstruments be checked normally with no extrafee?

I'm in a band and we're trying to fly as cheaply as possible due to us getting not getting paid very much at all.

I've read the Ryanair website's information about musical instruments several times and have scoured various forums to try and find this out but to no avail as yet.

I'd like to know if the musical instrument instrument fee is applied to every musical instrument that gets put on the plane - full stop - or whether it only applies to musical instruments that are not checked at the check-in desk, but are placed below the hold just before take off.

We'd like to try and avoid the cost by just using decent cases and checking them as regular pieces of luggage, but I don't want us to all turn up to the flight without knowing for sure that this is possible.

Plus I don't want to call the customer service line which costs over £1 an hour.

Does anyone know about this for sure?

Thanks

Tom

Hi there. From the web-site............

Sports or musical equipment including but not limited to large fishing rods, golf clubs, bicycles, scooters, fencing equipment, surfboards, bodyboards, snowboards and skis and large musical instruments including but not limited to harps, double bass and drums are inherently unsuitable for carriage by airlines operating fast turnarounds such as Ryanair. However these items may be carried in the hold of the aircraft in addition to your personal checked baggage allowance upon payment of an additional discounted fee per item, per one way flight if booked online. If the item is not booked until arrival at the airport or through a Ryanair call centre the full fee will apply (Click here for rate details). Smaller musical items such as a guitar, violin or viola which exceed our cabin baggage dimensions may be carried in the cabin if a seat for it has been reserved and the appropriate fare paid. There is no checked baggage allowance associated with the purchase of an extra seat. Online check-in is not available when you have booked an extra seat for a musical instrument.

That was found at http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=pnr&quest=tip&xtmc=instrument&xtcr=2

Click on the link for "larger" items that require to go into the hold for fees. As it says, a Guitar, violin or viola, that exceeds the current dimensions permitted for carry-on luggage, will require an additional seat to be purchased, however, you will NOT be allowed additional baggage allowace for the extra seat purchased. Now is the time to take up the flute or piccalo I guess. It mentions that you cannot on-line check-in the instrument either, which means you'll have to pay the airport check-in fee, I guess.

If you have any doubts, please take a visit to www.saynoto0870.com and search for Ryanair, and call their "International" number rather than the £1 a minute number. I would link to another thread that this number has already been mentioned on, BUT, I have to go to bed as I have work in the morning and have no further time to search for it.

Hope it works out for you.

Steve

Hi, thanks so much for finding that, unfortunately that doesn't answer my question. I want to know if a musical instrument can be checked AS personal checked baggage. So the idea is that you say you're going to check one bag - that bag being the musical instrument. As I'm only going away for a matter of days, I can take personal items in my hand luggage.

I checked saynoto0870 and there isn't an alternative number unfortunately.

Tom

You are not allowed to check-in music instruments as "regular bags", you must book a separate "musical instrument". However this depends on the check-in staff i.e if the instrument is packed in a normal bag weighing under 15kg then it might be ok as they might not notice. But observe that if you are intending to check in a normal bag + music instrument then it's more preferable to book 1 bag + 1 music instrument as you have an separate weight allowance for the music instrument, but if you book 2 bags then they must weigh 15 kg together.

Thanks for the info. Any idea why a fee must be paid for checking a musical instrument?

Also, have you got any idea what the weight limit is for musical instruments?

Tom

30£/30€ oneway (when booking the ticket) or (40£/€ airport/callcenter price). Max 32kgs for the music equipment.

Thanks for that, that's very useful.

I think Ryanair are really out of line with this musical instrument policy. If my luggage is less than the 15kg and within the allowed size, then what does it matter to them whether it's clothes or a musical instrument that's inside? There is no logicial reason to charge more. They aren't doing anything more, so they shouldn't charge anything more.

Tom

Does anybody know if you can take a electric bycilcle with you on a Ryanair flight?

Please inform me