WestJet Airlines: We Challenge Your Policy on Seats for Musical Instruments

Edited by CelloBello from the Change.org petition of January 30, 2016

Read this petition and the two blogs below it, and then, please… go to Change.org and sign this petition. We must insist WestJet stop bumping cellists off its flights!

Nathan Chan, a young student cellist at the Juilliard School, was recently prevented from boarding a WestJet flight because he was traveling with his cello – even though he had purchased a ticket for the instrument in advance.

WestJet, whose policy is clearly out of step with virtually all other airlines, refuses to budge, and thus prevents musicians from doing their jobs.

In February 2014, the International Music Federation adopted a regulation facilitating the transport of musical instruments in cabins:

F.I.M. Adopts regulations for musical instruments in cabins

Then, in a December 2014 ruling, The U.S. Dept. of Transportation stated,

“Carriers are required to carry large musical instruments in the cabin if the passenger wishing to carry the instrument in the aircraft cabin has purchased an additional seat to accommodate the instrument […]”:

Musical Instruments as Carry-ons

In light of these regulations, which are followed by virtually every other airline, WestJet Airlines must change its current policy and accommodate for musicians with instruments.

With this petition, I wish to support not only Nathan Chan, a young virtuoso cellist bumped by WestJet, but also every musician around the globe who has experienced horrendous travel problems. WestJet refused to allow Nathan to board even though the instrument had a valid boarding pass that had been purchased and cleared by TSA.

It is my wish that all musicians, locally and globally, are able to travel side-by-side with their treasured instruments. With this petition, we can make a difference, and I ask for your help and the help of all musicians and music lovers worldwide.

Signing the petition takes less than 2 minutes.

If you feel this petition sounds reasonable, vote to support this positive change. Each signature will further encourage WestJet Airlines to take immediate action and change its policy, and to recognize that musicians with instruments are traveling professionals.

On that note, I’d like to thank you each and everyone for reading, signing, sharing/re-posting this petition. Please help spread the word!

A Note from CelloBello: 

“The first sentence on WestJet’s About Page states: “WestJet was founded in 1996 by Clive Beddoe and a team of like-minded partners, who believed that just because you pay less for your flight, doesn’t mean you should get less.” If this still holds true, WestJet should match Air Canada’s policy of allowing musicians to purchase seats for their instruments. WestJet’s current policy is an impediment to musicians’ livelihoods and alienates a group of people who must travel frequently and who may have become frequent fliers on WestJet had this policy not been in place.”

“Canadian-based WestJet Airlines, to my knowledge, is the only airline with an official policy of not allowing a cello onboard, yet they seem to have no problem selling a seat for a cello and then denying boarding at the gate! Read in the Boston Globe how this happened to me in 2013. The situation has been suffered by cellists numerous times since, the latest being Juilliard student Nathan Chan, who I applaud for fighting back! By contrast, competitor Air Canada recently adopted a a “friendly skies” policy towards musical instruments as cabin baggage, even offering seats at 50%, and in the United States, the Passenger Bill of Rights says that airlines must allow the purchase of a ticket for a cello. Lets send letters of outrage to WestJet! Use your Facebook and social media pages to publicize WestJet’s outrageous behavior.”
– Paul Katz
Cleveland Quartet
New England Conservatory
Artistic Director, CelloBello.com