Airline Passenger Swears Off Flying Air Canada Following Denied Boarding with Valid Ticket Paid for in Full
Headline: Air Canada Denies Boarding to Cellist Amit Peled, Cancelling Concert with Sheku Kanneh-Mason
In a surprising turn of events, renowned cellist Amit Peled found himself stranded at the airport after being denied boarding by Air Canada. Peled, who was scheduled to teach a class of students in Orford, UK, had to cancel his plans following the incident.
The incident caused a stir in the music world, with Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a fellow cellist, expressing his disbelief and disappointment on Peled's Instagram video. Kanneh-Mason and his sister Isata had a sold-out show in Toronto cancelled due to a similar incident involving Air Canada refusing to allow his cello on board.
Peled, who travelled back home to Baltimore, Maryland instead, had paid for a full-price ticket for himself and his cello. Despite following Air Canada's procedures, he was still denied boarding at the airport.
Air Canada's policy for travelling with cellos does not explicitly mandate a mesh or net requirement, but there are strict procedures and limitations. The airline typically does not allow large musical instruments like cellos as carry-on due to size constraints. Such instruments often must be checked in or shipped separately, subject to airline baggage policies and fees.
Advanced notification and coordination with Air Canada’s special baggage or musical instrument policies are recommended to reduce the risk of denial at boarding. However, the incidents highlighted suggest that policies can be strictly enforced and occasionally lack clarity or flexibility, causing issues for musicians travelling with cellos.
Peled claimed that the written procedure for his cello was not correctly entered into the computer system. This is not the first time Peled has faced such an issue; in 2018, his cello strings were confiscated at Warsaw airport due to staff claiming they were "too dangerous" to take on board.
Wendy Law, another cellist, also commented on Peled's video, stating that Air Canada has a policy to put cellos in a net and has given her trouble in the past. Despite Air Canada's advice for musicians to contact them as soon as they've booked their flight and at least 48 hours prior to departure to purchase a seat for their instrument or for more information, it appears that clear communication and flexibility are still lacking in some cases.
At the time of writing, Air Canada has not yet provided a comment regarding the current situation. It is hoped that this incident will lead to a review and improvement of the airline's policies for musicians travelling with delicate and valuable instruments like cellos.
[1] The Strad [2] Classical Music Magazine
- Social-media posts by Sheku Kanneh-Mason and fellow cellist Wendy Law shared their disbelief and frustration about Air Canada's policies towards classical musicians, specifically their treatment of cellos.
- Despite Air Canada's advice for musicians to coordinate and communicate with them in advance, instances of missed concerts and strict enforcement of policies persist, highlighting the need for better flexibility and clarity in their musical instrument policies.
