Violinist vs. Airline

[Ricordanza]

Is this really a "Corner Pub" item? In any case, I'm sure everyone would be interested in this article from the Washington Post about a confrontation between a violinist and United Airlines:

An airline tried to get a musician to check her 17th-century violin. A ‘wrestling match’ ensued.
By Cleve R. Wootson Jr. June 6 at 1:07 PM
Yennifer Correia. (Courtesy of Attorney Phil MacNaughton)
For the small fraternity of people who make their living coaxing musical notes out of vulnerable pieces of wood and metal, few things are more terrifying than seeing an expensive, defenseless instrument disappear on that little conveyor belt at the airport.

Horror stories abound. A musician checked his $45,000, 75-year-old cello, which airport workers promptly placed beneath somebody’s golf clubs, snapping its neck. A noted German soloist said airport workers roughed up his cello case. After his flight, he found his $20,000 bow broken in half. A Florida State University music student on a flight to Tallahassee found splinters of wood where her cello used to be.

Those stories and many, many more have converged into an unwritten musicians’ rule: Never trust an airline with your instrument.

So when a Houston-based gate agent at United Airlines told Yennifer Correia that she would have to check her 17th-century violin, which costs more than her car, the first words out of her mouth were: “What are my other options?”

The situation soured from there, her attorney says, resulting in what is becoming another black eye for an airline industry that dragged a bleeding man off an overbooked flight this spring and allegedly booted a family from a flight over a birthday cake.

Correia, a classical violinist on her way to play in the summer season at the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, asked for an airport supervisor. But the supervisor said there were no other options. The violin had to be checked.

Her attorney, Phil MacNaughton, recounted what happened from there. Correia told the supervisor, “I can’t not take my violin on board. I’ll pay the money. I’ll take another flight. Just tell me what I can do.”

As the altercation intensified, Correia told the agents that she would appeal to their bosses and asked the supervisor for her name, MacNaughton said. The supervisor said she wanted Correia’s name and reached for the tag on her luggage.

“Without provocation, the supervisor for the Chicago-based carrier then lunged for Ms. Correia’s case and, incredibly, tried to wrestle it away from the musician,” said a statement written by MacNaughton.

“I start screaming, ‘Help, help, help, can somebody record what’s happening because this lady’s trying to take my personal suitcase from me,’” Correia told Houston NBC-affiliate KPRC.

The supervisor said she was going to call security, and Correia apparently responded, “Please do.” Then the supervisor dashed off. That was the last Correia saw of her.

During the scuffle, MacNaughton said, Correia’s hand was injured. She doesn’t believe there is permanent damage, but she went to see a hand specialist “because the stakes are high.”

United Airlines didn’t offer an account of what happened. Charles Hobart, a spokesman, emailed a statement to The Washington Post:

“We’re disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation. We are reaching out to Ms. Correia to gain a better understanding of what occurred and to offer assistance.”

MacNaughton said someone from United left a voice mail on Correia’s phone. He asked that anyone who had a video recording of the confrontation contact him.

“Why can’t these people be polite?” MacNaughton said. “I’m sure that’s what their CEO is wondering. It’s like kind of everybody knows if you’re frustrated with a surgeon, you don’t grab their hands. This [supervisor] was willing to get in a wrestling match over a violin.”

Other recent confrontations involving airlines have stoked outrage: pilots hitting passengers and passengers brawling with each other and police. In late April, a Delta Air Lines passenger said he was kicked off a plane for using the restroom.

Musicians should have it a little easier, in theory. Federal law requires airports to accommodate musicians who want to carry their instruments with them in the airplane’s cabin. MacNaughton said he’s not certain whether United officials violated that law.

Either way, Correia was looking to put the incident behind her and get to Missouri.

She booked a flight for Tuesday on American Airlines instead of United — and carried her violin the whole time.

[lennygoran]

Hank, amazing-this is why I left my violin at home for our trip to London-if I had brought the violin to London I'm sure I could have found a tube tunnel to play in and get some money from sympathetic riders! Regards, Len [fibbing and fleeing]

PS going through those tunnels to get from one line to another produced some of the longest walks I've ever taken while riding subways.

[Lance]

Feel badly for this lady and her violin. While we all see the need for security these days, to treat a customer in this manner is ridiculous only because these attendants and some security people know nothing of the traveling musician and their instruments. Seems to me that in the case of a violin or other carry-on type of instrument, it could be gone over by special security, put a stamp on the outside of the case and allow it to go through at the gate. Any more, I hate traveling by air and will only do it if there is no other way. I would rather drive 1,000 miles than to put up with all the crap at airports. A recent experience to fly to Florida to see my daughter in February, on just a few days notice (I knew it would cost more) but had no choice, I had to drive to Elmira, NY (since Binghamton has lost several airlines and no connections available). Booked a flight on Delta through one of their smaller airlines. Arrived at Elmira at 9am and was told the flight was over-booked. My ticket cost $902!!! I was offered $400 to take another flight but had only a few days to spend in Florida and wanted to take the flight. On the waiting list, I was far down the line, but waited. All the others took the $400 and I got the last seat on the plane right next to an ever-flushing toilet at the back of the plane. Once to Detroit (going north to go south), everything was okay after that. Who needs to put up with this "over-selling" the flight never knowing whether you are, for sure, going to make the trip? When I got back to Elmira to drive home late in the evening, I tried to get my car out of the parking lot using an AMEX card, which took, but the gate never went up to exit. Nobody at the airport could help me. So I found a way to drive over a corner of the lot over grass and cement car-stops and left. [Feel better getting that off my chest!]

[maestrob]

What horror stories, Lance, both you and the poor violinist. We used to travel often earlier in life; stories like these almost make me glad that I cannot do so anymore.

[lennygoran]

What horror stories, Lance, both you and the poor violinist. We used to travel often earlier in life; stories like these almost make me glad that I cannot do so anymore.

Brian it cost me $152 more for us to guarantee our 2 seats to and from London would guarantee we would be able to sit together on the plane. Regards, Len

[maestrob]

What horror stories, Lance, both you and the poor violinist. We used to travel often earlier in life; stories like these almost make me glad that I cannot do so anymore.

Brian it cost me $152 more for us to guarantee our 2 seats to and from London would guarantee we would be able to sit together on the plane. Regards, Len

Sheesh! That's ridiculous! Never heard of that neat trick before! Pretty soon the airlines will charge you for using their oxygen masks if the cabin depressurizes!