Sunday, 13th of August, 2006

Recently, my band has decided forthrightly to stop flying with one of the cheap carriers here (you can guess who). Why? Apart from the obviously lower level of comfort on their flights (but they are generally cheaper, so it never stopped us in the past), we recently encountered a remarkable level of hostility from them regarding the realities of our job. We were told that they have a rule about not allowing instruments in the cabin — something we’ve never been informed of before — and in addition they stopped us from taking our boxes of CDs on board with us.
We were lucky on that flight not to have smashed CD cases on arrival, but while CDs in the hold might be just tolerable, violins and violas in the hold is a complete farce. Here’s a great news item from BBC online, which describes how the Bolshoi Theatre musicians will have to travel by train now that the cabin baggage restrictions are in force in the UK, because their insurance doesn’t cover instruments in the hold. And a cellist describes her horror at putting her instrument in the hold. Admittedly I transport mine that way, because I simply can’t afford to pay for another ticket for it, but it does get bashed around — even the Qantas baggage handlers have no respect for musical instruments plastered with Fragile stickers. This quote resonated depressingly with me:

At Zurich airport, she found the prams lined up neatly in the baggage hall but she had to wait for her cello to come in on the bulky items conveyor belt on which it had been placed upside down.

Yep, the fuckers inevitably stick the cello belly-down on the conveyor-belt (in fact, in Australia is’t even sometimes on the main conveyor belt with the other luggage). How stupid can you be? Well, it doesn’t always come out on the conveyor-belt, but when it does, it’s hardly ever the right way up. And things do shift around inside the case, so if I’m putting it on a long flight I try and pad it with clothing as much as possible.
(Nice to see a comment on the BBC page from the wonderful cellist Steven Isserlis, too!)

These issues are just some of the reasons that I suspect that the UK’s full ban on cabin baggage can’t last long, especially if the rest of the world doesn’t follow suit. Who cares about no liquids? Noone really; but not being able to take one’s expensive laptops and musical instruments, often with limited insurance, on board would be disastrous for many of the most frequent air travellers.
Meanwhile, we no can longer trust that the above-mentioned airline will do the right thing by us, and thus cannot travel with them any more. This means more expensive travel for us (and the necessity of trying to confirm times as early as possible so as to get the cheaper flights before they get taken), but the alternative is unacceptable.

5 Responses to “Cabin baggage bans affect musicians”

1. acb says:
   August 13th, 2006 at 10:24 pm

   And your instruments haven’t yet suffered much damage from handling or the temperature extremes of flying? I thought that that was meant to be deadly to them.

2. Kate says:
   August 17th, 2006 at 9:44 am

   Well, actually no liquids bothers me unless certain airlines change their tune about free water being available on the flight. I don’t fly well (it’s an inner ear thing) and generally have to sip continuously on a bottle of water during take offs and landings to avoid the inevitable nausea. Since most flights only provide liquid refreshments AFTER take-off (and then some charge for it), this could mean a very unpleasant flight for me and anyone in nose-range. :o(

   I think I’ll delay taking any flights until this whole thing settles down and a more realistic view is taken by security and airlines.

3. Claire says:
   August 18th, 2006 at 1:53 am

   We just flew to and from NYC, and I had seats overlooking the rear baggage compartment. It seemed like the baggage handlers always put stuff face down — I watched them deliberately flip bags over so they could put them face down.

   Now, why they do it, I have no idea. But it seems like it’s not deliberate maliciousness towards musical instruments. Instead it’s either general maliciousness, or they have some some idea about bags not sliding around as much if they’re face down.

4. Kirra says:
   August 20th, 2006 at 9:06 am

   Hey there Peteypie! I may be crap with emailing and/or calling, but I DO read your blog at least. And as a muso in London right now I can tell you we are all FREAKING OUT. Orchestras are cancelling tours, people are stuck post-summer and not able to get back with their instruments. It’s all a bit dramatic. Here is a copy of the email (a modified or Kirra-fied version of an original, and yes, I know… my command of sentence structure has never been fabulous, but I was all fired up at the time!) that is doing the rounds with every musician I know madly forwarding to their MP’s to try to get the whole thing solved…
   Dear Mr Wimbledon MP person (um, I did actually write his name when I sent it!) ,
   >
   > I am a professional violinist, one of many musicians living in your
   > constituency.
   > The threat to musicians’ livelihoods posed by the current
   > cabin-baggage restrictions is of grave concern to us all.
   >
   > It seems absurd that a simple-to-examine piece of wood be considered
   a
   > more serious threat to security than a mobile phone or laptop!
   >
   > My violin was made in 1749 and is irreplaceable. My livelihood
   depends
   > on my instrument and I could not afford to risk it being damaged by
   > allowing it to be loaded in the hold with heavy suitcases and
   > sharp-cornered objects.
   > Moreover, baggage handlers are notorious for ignoring ‘Fragile’
   > stickers - I have seen them in action. Speed will always be a
   priority
   > over careful handling.
   >
   > If airlines insist that my violin is carried in -50 degrees
   > temperatures amidst heavy and less-fragile items, then my only choice
   > is to not go on tour or accept any foreign engagements. It does seem
   > that many of the ensembles that I am booked with are facing major
   > financial difficulties as a result of this inability to take
   > instruments on board. A true crisis for the classical music world.
   >
   > Moreover, as a significant part of my free-lance work as a violinist involves air travel, I am having to seriously consider giving up work vital to my career as it now stands, just at the point at which I am starting to achieve my career goals (I am 28). I’m sure I don’t have to point out that this would support the terrorists’ cause - any damage to our society is a measure of their success,besides which the classical music ‘industry’ is a significant earner of foreign currency and the idea that no British violinists will be able to perform overseas if this
   is not resolved is just beyond belief!
   >
   > The BAA has had before now a specific policy for certain musical
   > instruments, violins included, recognising that they were too
   > valuable and fragile to be put in the hold. This needs to be
   > implemented again immediately as I am getting word of more and more of my colleagues who are stuck in an impossible situation as well as myself.
   >
   > Whilst I do appreciate the vigilance of the authorities in responding
   > to any serious terror threat and completely support measures ensuring
   > our safety as air travellers, this particular issue is one that seems
   > to have been ignored and is effectively paralysing many musicans’
   > ability to work right now.
   >
   > I do appreciate your attention to this and hope you will be taking
   this
   > matter very seriously. Can you please approach the Civil Aviation
   > Authority and any other appropriate authorities to ensure that they
   > appreciate this serious threat to your
   > constituent’s livelihoods?
   >
   > Thanks and best wishes.

5. Fiona Pears says:
   August 23rd, 2006 at 4:44 am

   All I can say is that it is the most stupid thing to not be able to take a violin on board a plane! I understand the importance of having strict guidlines with everything that has happened but a violin can easily be scanned, also how anyone can say that a violin is like a camera and should be carfully put in the hold of a plane is an insult. You canot replace a lifetime of performing on your instrument, let alone the value and rariety of the instrument. I am flying to NZ in October and already have been freaking out about what to do. My airline will not refund my ticket so that I could fly from Europe instead of London and like alot of other working musios we do not have hundreds of pounds to spare. Often our instruments are given to us through years of hard work. I just hope that the govement comes to it’s sense’s about this matter or it will change the lives of many artists around the world and everyone will miss out on alot of beautiful music.. that would be a sad sad day!