According to this https://www.transportation.gov.....el-musical, US carriers (in the US, presumably) HAVE to let you bring it onboard in the cabin. (There are gotchas, I'd read the whole article. The two big ones are that it's first come, first served, and you might have to pay extra.)

The only real issue with it riding in the cargo area is that it's colder. It's NOT the -50 degrees that I thought it was. The cargo areas are pressurized these days, and heated, too.  But they usually keep them anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees (20-22 if they have a pet in there.)

5, or even 15 degrees is enough cooler than you usually have it at that the strings would tighten. At a minimum that will take it out of tune, and in a worst case scenario, might crack your bridge, or have the sound post fall over (since it shrinks some, too.) You could loosen the strings, but that has issues, too.

The good news is that the baggage area is not nearly as hostile an environment as it used to be.

On the other hand, it sounds like you're looking for a good excuse to get an electric, and far be it from me to discourage you from that.  (I'd recommend loosening the strings before you fly it in the baggage compartment, though. No sound post to fall over, so just a PITA tuning.)