Woman Denied Boarding as Violin Too Big for Carry On

[Jester]

As a ramp agent, I don't wan to be resonsible for a fragile $20 million musical instrument either...
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-rachel-barton-pine-violin-airline-met-20160428-story.html
 
Cleary she isn't letting go of that violin either: "In 1995, Pine's violin was trapped inside the door of a Metra train as she was getting off. She was dragged more than 300 feet and one leg was severed in the accident."

 

[UPNAWAY]

Lots of musicians buy their instruments a seat. For a 20 million violin I am surprised she didn't do that and in first class.  I recall once when I was a gate agent a jeweler that couldn't get his bag in a bin and refused to valet it because he had 200k in diamonds in it.  

 

[kirkpatrick]

Whenever I see a post like this I imagine the following:
 
Woman has spat with supermarket checkout girl. 
 
AP, April 29, 2016
 
A manager was called in to assist in an altercation between a customer and a checkout employee in a King Kullen store on Long Island today.  More  information at 11.
 
Do you think you would ever see that in the paper?  But if it happens on an airplane...
 
MK
 

 

[jimntx]

True dat.  For some reason or another, airline employees are almost always presented as the villain of the piece when oversized "carry-on" luggage is involved.  I agree with upnaway...if the fiddle is worth that much money, buy it a seat.  We do it all the time with larger string instruments, such as cellos and basses.  What I don't understand is why is the case too large for the overhead?  I had Itzakh Perlman as a passenger in F/C last year.  He had no problem with putting the case containing his Stradivarius violin in the overhead bin.  Lord only knows what that thing was worth.

 

[nycbusdriver]

 I had Itzakh Perlman as a passenger in F/C last year.  He had no problem with putting the case containing his Stradivarius violin in the overhead bin.  Lord only knows what that thing was worth.

 
Were you in an RJ like this flight?

 

[john john]

Yo-Yo Ma buys a seat for his Montagnana cello built in 1733 valued at US$2.5 million. And he has professional assistance with him and the cello at all times saw him on a DH-8

 

[jimntx]

 
Were you in an RJ like this flight?

No, but Ms. Pine has been fiddling and traveling for quite awhile now; so, I find it hard to believe that this was her first rj flight, or this was the first time she had encountered this problem.  Perhaps a connecting flight through DFW on S80s or 737s would have been the preferred booking.

 

[AA89]

There is no place for violins in the workplace. The pilot did a great job.

 

[Worldport]

There is no place for violins in the workplace. The pilot did a great job.

I could picture Bob backing over it with the water truck

 

[Worldport]

I could picture Bob backing over it with the water truck

I could also picture him trying to fix it with baggage tape

 

[Black Magic]

Years ago I was worked a flight where a customer purchased 2 seats, 1 for him and one his large cello with case, it was huge.  Everything went by the book except they were not able to place it in the seat properly, just wouldn't fit.  Gate agents went round and round with him till finally they settled on allowing him to walk with the agents to the cargo bin and personally watch it loaded last carefully.  Not sure if he got a refund on the seat price or what.  Those cellos are in the 10's of thousands minimum, I don't blame him for being cautious as I see first hand what rampers do to "fragile" items.

 

[FWAAA]

In this case, the Envoy E-175 pilot and the flight attendant were horse's asses.

AA's published rules state that a musical instrument may be carried on as long as it fits the overhead bin or under the seat, even if it exceeds the normal carry-on size limits.

In this case, the gate agents permitted her to board with her violin (they clearly understood the rules), and since she was the first to board, there was no question but that it would fit.

Earlier this year I boarded an E-175 (also first to board, given my status) with a musical instrument and it fit easily in the overhead bin. Neither of the pilots or the FAs gave me a hard time. The gate agent asked if I was sure it would fit in the overhead, and I assured them that it would. Everything worked the way it should.

In this woman's case, however, the FA and the pilot were petty tyrants, and acted like A-holes. It's too bad they appeared to have taken out their frustrations at being merely RJ pilots and FAs on the Executive Platinum passenger. Most employees uphold the rules and are not jerks. These employees did not uphold AA's rules and were A-holes.

http://www.abqjournal.com/765453/news/violinists-trip-to-albuquerque-is-interrupted-by-airline-pilot.html

http://www.kabc.com/news/pilot-tells-woman-she-cant-carry-on-her-20m-violin/

http://www.thestrad.com/cpt-latests/american-airlines-pilot-denies-rachel-barton-pine-access-to-cabin-with-her-violin/

 

[nevergiveup]

What were the dimensions of the case? Was it larger than a standard full size violin case? 

 

[john john]

Carryon rules vary from all of AA 10 express carriers all 10 express carriers have there own set of rules that they and the FAA have agree on ZW,CP,MQ,EV,YV,PT,OH,YX.OO,AX

 

[eolesen]

After winning almost $30M from suing the state transportation agency, she can afford to buy a seat next time... It's arguable if that lawsuit was even justified... was she trapped, or did she just value her violin over her personal well being?....

This isn't her first incident with AA, either.