Australian airlines have been doing a lot for music fans lately, with the installation of onboard music streaming services for passengers and now another flight carrier is recognising the needs of travelling musicians.
Jetstar is updating its policies regarding carry-on baggage to allow for musicians to bring their instruments with them onboard, bringing them in line with the policies of fellow Australian airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia.
The policy change – which takes effect within a month – follows a review of the budget airline’s policies prompted by a professional folk violinist whose struggles with stowing her instrument caught the attention of Australian media, as The Australian reports.
Two weeks ago, Caroline Trengove was forbidden from boarding a Jetstar flight to Sydney from Hamilton Island because she refused to stow her violin in the hold of the aircraft at the request of gate staff. A fair refusal given the damage it could have caused her classical instrument (as it did to a professional cellist on a Qantas flight recently). “The hold is simply not an appropriate place for any delicate instrument that fits easily into an overhead locker on every plane I’ve ever been on in 20 years of travelling…”
Trengove had fronted an additional $150 for excess luggage transportation and was told at the boarding gate that she would not be allowed to take her violin on board because it exceeded the maximum size limitations for carry-on luggage, despite having flown without incident on Jetstar between Sydney and Brisbane with her violin back in February.
“If Qantas and Virgin have no problem putting a delicate instrument in the overhead luggage, why not Jetstar?” queries Trengove, who usually flies with the other airlines as part of her professional career, citing the additional luggage and booking flexibility given to musicians that was introduced two years ago.
The Jetstar flight that the violinist was barred from was a last minute booking she had made to get to Sydney to visit her dying father. After being barred from the flight because of her instrument, she arrived in Sydney a day later, her father passed away the day after.
“I lost a day with my dad. And sick father or not, the hold is simply not an appropriate place for any delicate instrument that fits easily into an overhead locker on every plane I’ve ever been on in 20 years of travelling with my violin,” wrote Trengove on her Facebook page after she was barred from the Jetstar flight.
Following the social media outcry, the budget airline offered a formal apology and refund to the violinist and has now updated its carry-on policy, increasing the carry personal items category – of items sized 56cm x 36cm x 23cm with a weight allowance of 10kg – to include musical instruments, sized up to 81cm x 36cm x 23cm, also with a weight allowance of 10kg.
Music Victoria’s Patrick Donovan was behind the initial push in 2011 that eventually led Qantas and Virgin Australia to implement musician-friendly luggage and baggage policies last year. “Three years ago Virgin Australia, and then Qantas, offered excess baggage discounts and supportive policies for travelling musicians,” says Donovan.
“The policy has been career-changing for many bands, and, as many musicians can only afford to fly on the budget carriers, we encourage Jetstar and Tiger to come to the party as well.”
In related news, in a travelling musician’s horror story, a Qantas customer was a recent victim of an unexplained mid-air incident that damaged his custom-built $8,000 instrument, while the iconic Australian air carrier is also embroiled in a legal battle with ARIA-celebrated singer-songerwriter Washington, who claims Qantas misused her voice, image, and music to promote the company.
Meanwhile Qantas and Virgin Airlines are upgrading their fleets to include on-board digital music streaming services as part of their in-flight entertainment services, while over in the UK, Virgin’s Richard Branson has gone one better with the introduction of live gigs on domestic flights.
