§41724 Musical Instruments

Summary

Airlines must let passengers bring musical instruments into the cabin without charging an extra fee beyond a normal carry-on charge if the instrument (like a violin or guitar) can be stored safely in a cabin storage bin or under a seat and there is room when the passenger boards, following the Administrator’s carry-on rules. Bigger instruments that cannot meet those small-instrument rules can still go in the cabin without extra fees beyond the price of an extra seat if the instrument is in a case or covered, weighs no more than 165 pounds (or the plane’s weight limit), follows the Administrator’s stowage rules, and has no prohibited items inside. If an instrument cannot go in the cabin, the airline must accept it as checked baggage if its outside dimensions add up to no more than 150 inches (or the plane’s size limit), it weighs no more than 165 pounds (or the plane’s weight limit), and it can be stowed under the Administrator’s rules. The Secretary must issue final rules within 2 years after this law was passed, and the requirements start when those rules are issued.