Cellos count 2 points, so an airport transfer with instrument cases in Irvine that carries one is reserved in an SUV
Guitar, violin and cello cases, keyboards, rolling hard cases, display cases and light stand bags each go on a counter of the request form. For an airport transfer with instrument cases in Irvine, those counters set the smallest car the desk asks local companies for, and the fit list rows on this page give each case's size, points and smallest car.
- 7 items on the list
- Sedan
- SUV
Your case count reaches the desk in Irvine, which sizes the car and, on your yes, hands the booking to one local car company. You pay that company; it confirms and drives the ride, then pays the desk a flat fee for the completed ride.
Half a point to two points per case
Load points are the desk's own rule of thumb for asking, never a promise, and each case counts what its form counter counts. A sedan takes up to 3 riders and 3 points, an SUV up to 6 riders and 6 points. This family uses three counters:
- Guitar case, rolling hard case, light stand bag: 1 point, guitars and small hard cases, sedan
- Violin or viola case: 1/2 point, carry-ons and small bags, sedan
- Cello, keyboard, display case: 2 points, cellos, keyboards and display cases, SUV
So one rider with a guitar, a violin and a suitcase counts 2 1/2 points and fits a sedan, while two riders with a cello, a keyboard and two suitcases reach 6 points in an SUV. From Irvine, the site prints $110 for the car, one way, for a sedan to John Wayne Airport and $135 for the car, one way, for an SUV.
| Item | Drawn to scale, seen from above | Typical size | Load points | Smallest car to ask for | Tell the desk this |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cases and instruments | |||||
| Guitar in a hard caseacoustic or electric | 42 × 16 in | 42 × 16 × 5 in | 1 | Sedan | Count it with the guitars and small hard cases |
| Violin or viola casesmall enough for a lap | 32 × 10 in | 32 × 10 × 6 in | 0.5 | Sedan | Count it with the carry-ons and small bags |
| Cello in a hard caseabout 4 1/2 feet long in its case | 54 × 20 in | 54 × 20 × 14 in | 2 | SUV | Count it with the cellos, keyboards and display cases |
| Keyboard in a soft case61 to 76 keys | 48 × 14 in | 48 × 14 × 7 in | 2 | SUV | Count it with the cellos, keyboards and display cases |
| Rolling hard casegear or samples, latched | 24 × 18 in | 24 × 18 × 12 in | 1 | Sedan | Count it with the guitars and small hard cases |
| Trade-show display casetall roller with a banner stand | 38 × 18 in | 38 × 18 × 14 in | 2 | SUV | Count it with the cellos, keyboards and display cases |
| Light stand bagstands and a tripod, long and thin | 40 × 8 in | 40 × 8 × 8 in | 1 | Sedan | Count it with the guitars and small hard cases |
Latched cases and a note on shapes
By the pickup time, have every case latched, the stands folded into their bag and the keyboard zipped in, all near the door: the company's driver waits 15 minutes at the pickup address without charge. A counter gives a number, not a shape, so the note can add:
- Which 2-point case is a cello, a keyboard or a display case
- A light stand bag, which counts with guitars and small hard cases
- Which cases are hard shells and which are soft
Ride home with the cases in hand
The ride home is its own request with its own written fare, sent on its own. The flight number tells the company whether the flight is domestic or international, and the free wait runs from the actual landing: 60 minutes after a domestic flight, 90 after an international arrival. You bring the cases out, and the company's written confirmation names the meeting point:
- John Wayne Airport: a white curb zone or the Ground Transportation Center, lower level; the driver helps load there
- LAX: the outermost arrivals curb outside baggage claim, at the door the company names
- Long Beach Airport: the median strip in front of the terminal; the driver loads the cases at the car (see Long Beach Airport transfer from Irvine)
Two changes that move the car up
The first is one large case. A cello, keyboard or display case makes an SUV the smallest car even when the rest would fit a sedan: one rider with a guitar and a suitcase counts 2 points in a sedan, and a keyboard in place of the guitar makes 3 points in an SUV.
The second is a fourth rider, since a sedan seats 3. With four riders or fewer, 7 to 9 points calls for an SUV with the third row folded, at the same figure as the SUV. One request holds one car: up to 6 riders, or 4 with the third row folded. A bigger load goes in the note, and the written reply names the size the desk found or says the load is past that limit.
Extras sit on top of the figure
Each printed figure covers the ride itself for one town, airport and car size, the most a company may charge through the desk. Extras you ask for get their own lines; the total stays within $250 for the car.
Fare figures set on September 27, 2026, from the fares that car companies in the area publish. A company's written fare for the ride itself, for the same town, airport and car size, is the same or lower; extras you ask for are listed on their own lines.
Three items and one rider already counted
The cases decide the car, so the form below already holds one suitcase, one guitar-size case and one cello-size case for one rider, and its size line names an SUV. Change the counts to your own.
Phone hours, Pacific Time: in the school year Monday to Saturday 5:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and Sunday 7:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.; in summer, Thanksgiving week and December 18 to January 3, every day 5:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m.
Adjust any count below
A violin or viola case goes on the carry-ons and small bags counter at 1/2 point, not on the one for guitars and small hard cases.