Guitar case in overhead bin on flight to ZIH?
by jaui 
, Zihuatanejo, Wednesday, February 04, 2026, 14:02 (276 days ago)
edited by jaui, Wednesday, February 04, 2026, 16:57
2/04/2026 Has anyone either themself taken, or has seen a person bring onboard & store in the overhead bin on a flight to ZIH,
a hardshell guitar case for a DM5 Dreadnaught size acoustic guitar?
P.S: I'm NOT looking for specific information.
Simply an "eye-witness" account,
IF someone has seen one of those cases put in the overhead bin, on a flight they were on. Nothing else.
That said, my daughter is bringing mine down on an AA flight.
She was told that IF space is available, & it fits, it can fly in the overhead bin.
--
jaui
No
by Little Guy , Wednesday, February 04, 2026, 16:14 (275 days ago) @ jaui
Different airlines deal with matters differently. You might get more useful information if you specify an airline and the itinerary.
I have not seen that on AeroMexico flights YVR-MEX then MEX-ZIH. In fact, AM tries to get passengers to put as much “carry on” into checked luggage as possible because the overhead bins are so jam packed as it is.
Several years ago I saw someone able to put a fragile bulky item into a closet on a WestJet flight from Calgary to Zihuatanejo. I don’t know whether they had made prior arrangements with the airline.
Guitar case in overhead bin on flight to ZIH?
by Little Guy , Wednesday, February 04, 2026, 17:36 (275 days ago) @ jaui
I have no experience with AA. They might have more overhead space than some other airlines.
You might have already read this on their website. (Emphasis added)
Carry-on instruments
You can travel with small musical instruments as your carry-on item on a first come, first serve basis as long as it:
Fits in the overhead bin; or
Fits under the seat in front of you
If your instrument doesn’t fit in the carry-on bag space, you can choose to buy an additional seat (LG: YIKES !) which:
Costs the applicable adult fare plus any applicable taxes or carrier-imposed fees
Is not in an exit row
Is directly next to yours
The flights to ZIH that I have been on in the past few years have been extremely full, as have been the flights of any friends/relatives who have visited with me.
Best of success in this. AA does offer two more tips to maximize likelihood for success.
To make sure you have room to store your instrument, board as soon as your group is called, or buy Priority boarding.
The size of overhead bin space can vary by fleet type and also between aircraft in a fleet. For further information on the aircraft in your itinerary, please contact Reservations.
