I share the paranoia, yet it's the reason I bought the GS Mini, because all my work travel was interrupting my other, more important job (practicing guitar:-). Took me a few months to get the nerve and the requisite research (of course the GS Mini purchase came after researching baggage handling of guitars and this famous guy for the first time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo).
So far so good, first few times on a Southwest 737, where I put it in overhead no problem — But, I also pay for early boarding because SW is first come first serve on seating and overhead storage. SO...when I travelled on Virgin America I expected the same thing, but due to a full plane, they made me hand it over (not to automated baggage, but where they stow it under manually — I nearly had a heart attack. I detuned it and handed it over and it came back in fine shape though the semi-hard travel case us unexplainable stained with back grime. The way back I got it into the overhead storage on their Airbus no prob.
Everyone else I've talked to (and I have asked many guitarists and uke players in Austin airport where they flow like water) has had no problem with any kind of instrument on Southwest, but one guy lost a checked in instrument on one of the other big guys (cant remember).
