Personally I’d send it via truck shipping company like the harp companies do. If you don’t have a trunk, you can buy a shipping carton from the harp company. Or you may know someone with a trunk who’d like to get rid of it and will let you use it if you’ll dispose of it later or ship it back. If you have to drive your own car to your new home, take the harp in the car with you. I’d trust movers with my china but not my harp.

I have done it with a trunk. You have to make sure what kind of aircraft is being used and that the freight door is large enough for the trunk to get in. The problem is in the local transfer people who pick it up and drop it off. If you can deliver it to the airport and pick it up, it is better, but they may not allow it.

That’s why we desperately need a network of concert-quality harps available for performance use in all major cities.

I would recommend a flight case. If you only have one move and no use for a case on a regular basis then I would recommend the cardboard heavy duty boxes that the harps come in. Make sure you have insurance on the instrument. For removalists, you could either try a dedicated instrument mover like companies that specialize in piano’s or a alternatively a good quality reliable dependable furniture removalist.

This is anecdotal, as I am not sure if I heard it, or read it somewhere, and perhaps someone else can confirm:

Osian Ellis, well known Welsh harpist, shipped his pedal harp in a case, from the U.S. back to the U.K. in the cargo hold. An employee there believed it was a coffin and meant to be buried at sea – it was dumped out of the plane, over the ocean.

I want to be helpful and you sound like a nice person but I have to ask

why don’t you ship it with a freight company that ships harps regularly

the harp companies all use freight companies to ship their harps

unles you live in Chicago your harp was most likely shipped by freight at some point in order to get to you or the store you purchased it at or to get to the person you purchased the harp from

many people have given you suggestions on this forum

ship the harp. send the harp by plane in the cargo hold. drive the harp.

there’s not much more we can suggest for you short of selling your harp and purchasing another where you are moving

I mean this nicely but

it’s not a dilemma it’s just a decision make it and get on with it

… and the airline immediately accepted full financial liability, and has already sent the check.