Flying with a banjo
A banjo in a hardshell case is dreadnought-sized: an overhead-or-gate-check call on narrow-body aircraft.
Cased dimensions
44.5 × 16.9 × 7.1 in (68.5 linear in), ~7.99 lb, in a Gator GC-BANJO-XL case.
Source: Gator Cases, accessed 2026-07-09.
What the law says
US air carriers must let a passenger carry a small musical instrument (violin, guitar, or other) into the cabin as carry-on if it fits safely in an overhead bin or under the seat and space is available at boarding. A larger instrument may be carried in the cabin if the passenger buys it a seat and the instrument plus case weighs no more than 165 pounds. An instrument may be checked if its outside linear dimensions (length + width + height, including the case) are 150 inches or less, within the carrier's weight rules. The statute states the limit as '165 pounds' and does not itself state a kilogram figure.
The checked-baggage limit is 150 linear inches; this instrument measures 68.5 in cased.
Per airline
A banjo on each airline
| Airline | Verdict | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Air France (EU) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Alaska Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Allegiant Air (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| American Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Breeze Airways (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| British Airways (EU) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Delta Air Lines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| easyJet (EU) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Frontier Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Hawaiian Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| JetBlue (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| KLM (EU) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Lufthansa (EU) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Ryanair (EU) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Southwest Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| Sun Country Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
| United Airlines (US) | Gate-check risk | A banjo in its case often fits a mainline overhead bin but is a real gate-check risk on full flights and regional jets. Board early; if the bin is full it may be gate-checked. |
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