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flying with your cello

International Federation of Musicians Publishes Ranking of Airlines’ Musical Instrument Policies

The International Federation of Musicians has published a ranking of airlines' musical instrument policies. The rating system ranks policies as red, amber or green according to how accommodating each airline is of musicians’ instruments in the cabin. From the IFM website: Airline rating | Disclaimer 1. The information that we provide about the airlines’ policies re. musical instruments strictly reflects the information that was available on the airlines’ websites at the time these data were last updated on the FIM website (please check the date of the last update). 2. Our rating of airlines is based on the following criteria: • Airlines complying with the current US FAA regulation (entered into force in 2015) are rated as GREEN (best grade). These companies accept musical instruments in the cabin, provided they fit [...]

By |2017-10-30T04:39:14-04:00September 1st, 2016|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: , , , , |
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Petition to Change British Airway’s Instrument Baggage Policy

Reprinted from The Violin Channel on 6-11-2016 A change.org petition has been launched today calling for British Airways to change their instrument baggage policy – following a June 4th incident at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport where Dunedin Consort Concertmaster, Cecilia Bernardini was refused entry inflight with her 18th Century violin and case. ‘This is unacceptable behavior by the BA staff,” the petition reads, “ … while of course we musicians understand the many stresses associated with working at an airport desk, we believe that BA needs to understand that the instruments we carry around are not just the tools of our trade but also priceless works of art.’ “I call on BA to institute a policy to clearly allow musical instruments to be carried on as hand luggage – otherwise musicians [...]

By |2017-10-30T04:40:44-04:00June 10th, 2016|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |
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Some Hassles of International Cello Travel

By Zachary Mowitz: Curtis Institute cello student Zachary Mowitz tells the story of his recent travel to Europe, and the stress and aggravation caused by inconsistent cello policies between airlines, and untrained and uninformed airline personnel. As a student cellist I've had several occasions to travel by plane with my cello, both domestically and internationally. This is the first journey where I've had any difficulty at all-- every time I've traveled before, I've always been let on (I even traveled to Europe with Lufthansa a couple years ago, and they were one of the most helpful back then), with at most a look of incredulity at my bringing a big guitar on board. In fact, everything looked all right, at first, for this flight. Lufthansa let me check in (at Philly for a flight to Valencia, [...]

By |2017-10-30T04:40:59-04:00June 2nd, 2016|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |
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Famed Cellist Angry That Canadian Airline’s Policy Banning Cellos from Cabin Still Unchanged

[Blogmaster’s note: If you are upset after reading this story and want to add your voice, please go to change.org and sign the petition!] Paul Katz says he is ‘outraged’ after WestJet refused a cello in the cabin during a flight from Vancouver, four years after he received the same treatment. Reprinted from the Vancouver Metro, January 28, 2016 By Thandi Fletcher A renowned American cellist says he is “outraged” after hearing that WestJet refused to allow a young musician’s cello in the cabin during a recent flight from Vancouver, even though he bought an extra seat for the instrument. Nearly four years ago, Paul Katz says he received the same treatment. “I get angry,” he told Metro. “I just think WestJet is so indefensible, and their attitude is so cavalier. They’re just [...]

By |2017-10-30T04:43:49-04:00January 28th, 2016|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: , , , , , , |
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Air Travel with Musical Instruments: Final Ruling!

Reposted from BMI News. As of March 6, 2015, it’s official and no longer at the discretion of the various airlines. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, musicians who board planes must be allowed to carry on their instruments provided they fit in the overhead bin. If this space isn’t large enough, the musician is also permitted to purchase a second seat in which to stow their musical companion. One caveat: the airlines don’t have to prioritize musical instruments ahead of any other carry-on luggage, so if the bins are full, you’ll still have to check your instrument at the gate. To remedy this, the DoT suggests that musicians may want to pay the airline’s fee for priority boarding to ensure that there will be room for their gear. [...]

By |2017-10-30T04:58:34-04:00March 19th, 2015|Categories: Cello Travel|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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