Insurance? Flight case? I've personally never had to take a guitar on a flight so any experience and or advice would be helpful

I've seen those assholes throw luggage around so I'm spooked.

I bought a pretty indestructible flight case but even still I would recommend insurance. Your best bet is to soft-case it and carry it on....works about 80% of time.

But then 20% of the time they're making you check an instrument in a soft case.

Best advice: Don't fly Gibsons or any guitar with a pitched headstock.

sorry, just now saw the post.

for future reference I found that Southwest Airlines to be quite carry-on guitar friendly whether it is in a gig bag or ohsc. I never had an ATA case but if you got that it will be fine in the hold, thus the "ATA" grade of case. I have shipped heads in an ATA case with no prob.

do not check a guitar in a gig bag. ever. dont gamble.

Always have your gear insured. I recommend MusicPro.

1. Detune the strings.
2. Have your name/contact info painted/inscribed on the case somewhere. Those tags can and will fall off.
3. The only time I've ever gate-checked a case, they lost it. Also learned about advice #2 cause the only reason I got it back was the single Eric Tessmer Band sticker on the case. They tracked him down online (I was on a tour with another band). Had the case been covered in stickers, I never would have seen it again.

Also when gate-checking, they confiscated my $25 Leatherman multi-tool. I was planning on leaving it with my luggage, but the lady at the gate insisted I wouldn't have any problems.

Boy was she wrong.

Most guitars are not that aerodynamic, Flying V don't fly as well as the name implies.
My advice....an air plane is still a better way to fly unless copious amounts of drugs are involved.

Ditto.
You can still fly without a guitar