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Cello Gets Similar Airline Treatment As Obese Passenger
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jul 6, 2010
Modified Jul 6, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jul 6, 2010
Modified Jul 6, 2010
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Oh, United Airlines, you know just how to treat a customer. Instead of wrecking luggage, this time the airline attempted to force a musician to buy his cello a first class seat. Maybe they were just worried if it broke in coach they'd have another YouTube sensation on their hands.
Greg Beaver of the Chiara String Quartet had already bought his cello a ticket in coach aboard the Boeing 757 flight from Denver to LaGuardia, and argued with flight attendants that the 300-year old instrument had flown coach on the same type of plane before. But attendants said it wouldn't fit, and gave him three options: check it as baggage, wait for the next plane, or buy it a cushy spot in first class. They didn't even let him buy an adjacent coach seat, which is an option for obese passengers.
Beaver said checking was definitely not worth it, telling the Post, "You have to buy a seat if you want to see the instrument on the other side. In one piece, anyway." But he said buying it a first class ticket would cost him over what he would earn for the concerts he was heading to play. Eventually, he let his wife and daughter fly ahead and waited in Denver for the next plane, which hopefully had some more understanding attendants. United Airlines spokesman Mike Trevino said there is no rule that cellos must fly first class. That means the flight attendants were just making a nice exception, right?
Tagged
air travel
airline
cello
first class
united airlines
Jaya Saxena
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