Cabin baggage ban hits musicians

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Cabin baggage ban hits musicians

Russian musicians returning from London after the Bolshoi Theatre's season face an overland journey because of the new UK cabin baggage ban on planes.

They are under contract to keep their instruments with them and cannot check them in as hold baggage, chief conductor Alexander Vedernikov said.

They will probably have to travel by rail via Paris, he added.

A German musician flying from London told the BBC about the stress of having to put her cello in the hold.

Mr Vedernikov made his remark after noticing violins checked in as hold baggage on his own flight to Moscow.

The Bolshoi's ballet and opera season at London's Royal Opera House tour is not due to end until 19 August.

These restrictions are a disaster for me

Julia Morneweg

London-based cellist

Mr Vedernikov arrived back in Moscow on Friday morning, a day after the terror plot alert which froze air traffic at London's Heathrow Airport and prompted a ban on cabin baggage.

"I saw two violins being checked in as luggage, which is unacceptable," he was quoted as saying by Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency.

Bolshoi musicians borrow their instruments from Russia's state collection and do not have the right to part with them under any circumstances, Russian media note.

'Wobbling on the trolley'

German freelance cellist Julia Morneweg, who lives in London, has until now booked an extra seat for her instrument each time she flies.

"These restrictions are a disaster for me," she wrote in a posting on the BBC's Have Your Say before flying to Zurich.

After her arrival in Switzerland, she recounted the ordeal of having to hand over the cello, valued at up to £10,000 ($19,000) and not covered by her insurance if carried in the hold.

"It is never safe enough in the hold and they don't treat instruments properly," she told the BBC News website.

She was not allowed to see the cello being put in and had to hand it over to the bulky items desk despite asking for it to be treated like a child's pram, which would have allowed her to keep tabs on it right up until boarding.

"I looked out the window and could see it wobbling on the luggage trolley," she said.

Confusion over the new restrictions extended into the cabin when a hostess asked passengers to switch off mobile phones and was met by loud laughter from the passengers, none of whom had been allowed to bring theirs aboard.

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.

Dreading the effect of the freezing cold in the hold on her instrument, she opened the case to find that one of the bows had been dislodged and there were scratches on the varnish.

"Air travel is an everyday part of the job for many musicians," Ms Morneweg said. "This is a crazy situation."

Your comments:

Like Ms Morneweg, I am a cellist. I am travelling to Germany tomorrow to rehearse for a premiere of a new cello concerto, written for me, at the Salzburg Festival on Tuesday. I cannot cancel, because no-one else has learnt this concerto; I cannot put my priceless 18-century Italian cello in the hold - it would not be insured in there (as far as I know) and besides, to risk the desecration of such an irreplaceable work of art would be irresponsible and wrong. So I am taking the train tomorrow - a 10-hour ride, as opposed to the one-hour flight.

Steven Isserlis CBE, London, UK

This is a disaster for musicians. Temperatures can go well below minus 10C in the hold, and a clarinet, violin, or oboe, will never be the same after that experience, especially if the wood is a 300 yrs old. It is not an exaggeration to say that luggage staff is not trained to do anything other than destroy instruments.

RB Thompson, Washington DC

I don't want to have to consign my laptop to the baggage hold. I don't trust the airlines enough for it not to be stolen. I can understand and sympathize with the musicians' plight, because if I had an instrument of such value, I wouldn't want it put in the hold either.

Alys, Calgary, Canada

This is absolutely obscene. Music instruments are put through the x-ray scanners at security and if anything suspicious shows up I'd expect it to be investigated there and then. What next? Are we going to ban people from boarding aircraft also because their bladders contain liquids?

D Majhan, Detroit, Michigan

I play the tuba, which is one of the largest instruments. My best tuba is worth over $10,000 (£5,250). Traveling, I've always checked it into the luggage. Because of its shape, buying an extra seat for it would most likely be out of the question and entirely too expensive, and I wouldn't wish to buy the seat and then have it not fit. However, with added insurance on it offered by the airlines, I've not had any problems. Talking to other musicians, though, I've heard horror stories of the instruments receiving extensive damage. One tuba player that I talked to had the entire side of his instrument smashed in, rendering it completely irreparable scrap metal.

Cynthia, San Diego, USA

I came home to a broken guitar after I checked it in baggage. Thanks Continental!

Brian, Brooklyn NY

I am a composer and recording artist. I usually don't have to worry about carrying equipment since I play the piano. However, I will start to have problems having musicans tour with me that can't bring onboard their instruments. A cellist actually pays for an additional seat for his or her cello. To have it even considered it as a carry-on item is a misnomer. I can easily see my next tour to be more like a long cruise when we travel overseas (by boat!)

Lucien Desar, Cork, Ireland

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4784225.stm

Published: 2006/08/11 18:45:06 GMT

© BBC MMVI

[sheldonm]

...this does suck but not sure what can be done about it!

[RDK]

...this does suck but not sure what can be done about it!

All flute and harmonica orchestra?

[Christiern]

This new set of rules (somewhat an overkill, IMO) also threatens to put airport stores out of business. I was already discouraged by the old regulations, now I won't fly unless it is really necessary.

[RDK]

It's only a matter of time, i fear, that all carry on luggage will be banned. And I'm not sure if that's really a bad thing, provided that checked baggage can be handled more delicately if necessary and provisions made for using laptops, etc. Having flown a fair amount recently, it seems most people use carry on bags only to avoid the hassle of reclaiming checked bags (an understandable objective I'll admit).

But in the long run I think it may help airport stores... at least those beyond the security checkpoints.

[Dan Gould]

You are correct, Ray. Stores in concourses reported increased revenue after 9/11.

[Matthew]

I've stopped doing carry-on about a year ago. It's just too much of a hassle; taking the laptop out, unbuckle the belt, take everything out of the pockets, take off the shoes, dump your wallet in the box, and THEN, there's agood chance you get pulled out of the line for an intense check (three times for me). Much easier to have nothing. Flying sucked after 9/11, and it just keeps getting worse, especially when you have to travel as a part of your job. Sorry for the rant but this is going to make flying more of a chore, if that's possible.

[mikeweil]

I think the point is not far where we will face similar safety regulations on international train rides - I saw increased security forces today on my ride back from Paris, and really wonder when terrorists will turn to trains after security on planes gets harder to override ...

This hassle about musicial instruments is ridiculous, unrealistic, and really shows how unprepared they are for these things!

Edited August 12, 2006 by mikeweil

[Free For All]

I used to carry on my trombone, no problem (it was in a gig bag that fit easily in the overhead- until they started partitioning them). Then it got very inconsistent- you were at the mercy of the whims of the gate attendant. Once they made me check it in the soft case- "We'll "hand-deliver" it, "We'll be extra careful", etc. This was along time ago, and I naively believed the person. They then lost the horn for several days, and when they found it and returned it to me, it was totally demolished- it looked like it had been in a cartoon. Of course, I had signed a release, so they were only liable for loss. I was very mad (and no longer naive) for a while, but it was a Yamaha trombone, so it turned out to be a fortuitous thing after all. That Yamaha sucked eggs. I still have it- I should "lamp it".

Now I check my horn all the time- I have a hard plastic golf bag case that my gig bag fits into. I also wrap it in bubble wrap and stuff towels in the spaces. The only way they can really hurt the horn is to actually run over it. That day may come yet.

It's a drag to check your horn (although a trombone can be replaced a lot cheaper than most other instruments), but it seems that soon there will be no option. It's also nice to board in a leisurely manner and not have to knock over little old ladies to get the primo overhead space.

People always think I've got golf clubs. One guy asked me about my handicap and I said "Giant Steps". He of course had no idea what I was talking about and looked confused.

[tatifan]

A friend had a cello turned into a collection of twigs after Continental checked it. Insurance or not, it's not a good option, but buying that 2nd ticket is no fun either.

[mikeweil]

People always think I've got golf clubs. One guy asked me about my handicap and I said "Giant Steps". He of course had no idea what I was talking about and looked confused.

[ejp626]

But in the long run I think it may help airport stores... at least those beyond the security checkpoints.

My understanding is that for flights between US and UK, you cannot bring any liquid on whatsoever, regardless of if you buy it past security. In addition, any UK-originating flight you can bring nothing other than wallet, glasses, and a handful of other items. So the stores past security at Heathrow are totally up a creek. I think it is these restrictions that people hope get eased up a bit, especially on things like not carrying books. My boss and I are flying to Japan on Monday. It's going to be a very long flight, and these restrictions will make it even less pleasant. I'm in a weird situation* where I have a layover in Amsterdam. If that flight isn't cancelled (and the last I checked, KLM service had been restored), I will probably be able to buy a book during the layover.

What may well be part of the past is bringing laptops on board. I regret this, but on the other hand, I can see some legitimate security threats in allowing them. In the long run, I see first-class and business-class travelers saying that they should expand the pre-screening process (I think they call it favored travelers or something) and that those people would still be allowed laptops. Anyway, I have occasionally checked laptops inside this padded sleeve-like carrier (sold by bike shops actually), then in a regular suitcase surrounded by my clothes, and it's always made it through safely (knock wood). That's what I will be doing next week. I know that doesn't solve the problem of packing a cello.

The latest news I have heard is that "security experts" are saying that small quantities of nitroglycerine are not toxic, so having someone taste baby's milk or medicine doesn't guarantee there is not an explosive in there anyway. Does that mean this will be banned as well?

* weird in that Amsterdam is hardly an ideal layover for a London-Japan trip.

Edited August 13, 2006 by ejp626