Always carry it onto the aircraft with you. With this guiding principle in mind, here are the techniques to use to achieve it. There are several kinds of case available. These fall generally into flight cases, hard cases, and soft cases. This is the only type of case that will allow you to collect insurance if the instrument is damaged.
Hard cases are, to our mind, the worst of both worlds.
They're large and heavy, impossible to fit in an overhead bin onboard, and uninsurable. A soft case is probably the best option. They provide the least protection, which can be an advantage when convincing a sceptical airline employee to let you take it on the plane with you, because it's obvious that it shouldn't go into the cargo hold with the luggage. They are far lighter than the other kinds of case, which is good because you're going to be carrying it a lot more. Packing Before you go anywhere, remove the handle from your instrument.