Special baggage
Some of the items you bring with you may require special attention or carry extra regulations.
Traveling with musical instruments
We know how important your musical instrument is to you, and we'll treat it with extra care. We have several options for you when traveling with your instrument.
Carry-on instruments
Small musical instruments may count as your one carry-on bag and may exceed the Standard carry-on dimensions, as long as they can be safely accommodated in a proper stowage compartment in the cabin of the aircraft.
Carry on your large instruments
If you'd prefer to have your large instrument travel with you in the cabin, you can purchase a seat for it. Please review our Cabin seat baggage information for details.
Checking your instrument
We're happy to accept musical instruments as checked baggage, provided each piece is packed in a case designed specifically for the equipment. If your travel includes multiple airlines, other restrictions may apply.
Each instrument is subject to the following checked-baggage service fees and overweight/oversize fees:
| Musical instrument weight | Fee per item |
|---|---|
| 50 lbs. or less | Standard checked baggage fees |
| 51-165 lbs. | Standard checked baggage fees + Overweight bag fee of $100 (USD) |
|
Musical instrument bag dimensions |
Fee per item |
|---|---|
| Up to 62" (linear) | Standard checked baggage fees |
|
63-150" (linear)
Alaska Airlines flights 1-1999 only
|
Standard checked baggage fees + Oversize bag fee of $150 (USD) |
|
63-115" (linear)
Alaska Airlines flights 2000-2999
and 3420-3499 |
Standard checked baggage fees + Oversize bag fee of $150 (USD) |
On Alaska Airlines flight series 1-1999 the maximum combined linear dimensions of a checked musical instrument may not exceed 150 inches (length + height + width). On Alaska Airlines flight series 2000-2999 and 3300-3499 the maximum combined linear dimensions may not exceed 115 inches (length + height + width).
Measuring bags
Measure the distance from the floor to the highest point on the top of the bag (typically the handle.) Then, measure the width of the bag from side-to-side when looking at it from the front. Last, measure the thickness of the bag when looking at it from the side. The sum of these equals the total linear inches.
Place an identification tag inside your bag.
In the rare event that your bag is misplaced, this free downloadable tag will make the identification and return process quicker. Simply complete the form and place it inside your bag.
Download a baggage ID tag. (PDF File is 343K)