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Post by deserttraveller on Aug 21, 2019 21:17:41 GMT
We attended a wonderful Swanage Folk festival last weekend where the ACSS played with N'faly dancing around with his Kora. On his way back to Africa British Airways managed to wreck what is obviously a delicate instrument.
This is the petition started by Simon in the band, please consider signing it, getting visas for Womad bands is hard enough without their precious gear being wrecked by buffoons.
DT
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Post by mikey on Aug 21, 2019 22:12:40 GMT
signed.
Wonder how consistent their policy on musical instruments is applied to other travellers? Difficult to know if they will not even release details of the new policy.
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Post by calndel on Aug 22, 2019 21:19:50 GMT
we know a number of musicians who had issues with travelling with instruments on planes
as one pointed out his livelihood depends on his instrument working and not being damage in transit so the airlines need to treat instruments with great respect
signed
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Post by Rendrags on Aug 23, 2019 9:07:30 GMT
The Lemon Bucket Orchestra had problems at Womad this year. Apparently a number of their instruments were lost on their flight - including a euphonium! Fortunately Womad came to their rescue and managed to source some replacements which they were able to use for their performance.
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Post by standing stone on Aug 23, 2019 21:21:53 GMT
Signed.
Appalled this happened.
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Post by dorsethelen on Aug 23, 2019 22:06:19 GMT
We attended a wonderful Swanage Folk festival last weekend where the ACSS played with N'faly dancing around with his Kora. On his way back to Africa British Airways managed to wreck what is obviously a delicate instrument.
This is the petition started by Simon in the band, please consider signing it, getting visas for Womad bands is hard enough without their precious gear being wrecked by buffoons.
DT
Not Swanage Folk Festival , DT, it was the fantastic Purbeck Valley Folk Festival and I have a lovely photo of you and Rachel! We have signed and shared the petition- such a terrible thing to happen. N’faly was on form on Saturday evening. |
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Post by Zenrider on Aug 28, 2019 2:09:47 GMT
Hope BA does the right thing. When I traveled home it seemed security on BA at the airports seemed a bit more tense. Even so, it's no excuse not to exercise extra care with such an item.
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Post by hotdrummer on Aug 30, 2019 15:26:51 GMT
Principles applied to musical instruments also apply to my bike. Airlines don’t have consistent policies and airline check in jobsworthies all have their own ideas of what they expect. ‘Let your tyres down’ was the instruction at Manchester ( I didn’t because it’s a fairytale) At Vilnius I got “its got to be in a box” How was I suppose to cycle to an airport with a box? Then I showed my email which stated that a bag was ok. “That’s not a bag!” “Oh yes it is” I replied. It’s pretty frustrating because airlines are now charging up to £60 for a bike. And they handlers still manage to bend my chainring and the forks. N’Faly was subjected to the usual enforcement of some minions idea in order to prove their power.
BA should pay up and reprimand minions for not applying common sense and come up with consistent and universal guidelines and policies. Instead we’re subjected to what side of bed they got out of in the morning.
Thanks for the rant
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Post by mikey on Aug 30, 2019 16:03:28 GMT
Principles applied to musical instruments also apply to my bike. Airlines don’t have consistent policies and airline check in jobsworthies all have their own ideas of what they expect. ‘Let your tyres down’ was the instruction at Manchester ( I didn’t because it’s a fairytale) At Vilnius I got “its got to be in a box” How was I suppose to cycle to an airport with a box? Then I showed my email which stated that a bag was ok. “That’s not a bag!” “Oh yes it is” I replied. It’s pretty frustrating because airlines are now charging up to £60 for a bike. And they handlers still manage to bend my chainring and the forks. N’Faly was subjected to the usual enforcement of some minions idea in order to prove their power. BA should pay up and reprimand minions for not applying common sense and come up with consistent and universal guidelines and policies. Instead we’re subjected to what side of bed they got out of in the morning. Thanks for the rant Sorry if this starts you ranting again but, are you saying they charged an extra £60 for the bike in a bag and still damaged it by not showing care in handling that you and others should expect from handlers (whether being charged £60 or nothing). Appalling! |
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Post by deserttraveller on Sept 1, 2019 13:46:58 GMT
We attended a wonderful Swanage Folk festival last weekend where the ACSS played with N'faly dancing around with his Kora. On his way back to Africa British Airways managed to wreck what is obviously a delicate instrument.
This is the petition started by Simon in the band, please consider signing it, getting visas for Womad bands is hard enough without their precious gear being wrecked by buffoons.
DT
Not Swanage Folk Festival , DT, it was the fantastic Purbeck Valley Folk Festival and I have a lovely photo of you and Rachel! We have signed and shared the petition- such a terrible thing to happen. N’faly was on form on Saturday evening. Apologies for the blunder Purbeck it is! |
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Post by Zenrider on Sept 3, 2019 18:40:41 GMT
The problem is if they don't load the item at the gate and return it at the next gate, the item will be put on the beltline/conveyor belts. Machinery is far less forgiving then the human element. If your item is longer then regular luggage there is a great chance it will get jammed in the system, where until the belts are turned off to break the jam, all the other luggage will put pressure on your item. If it's not in a sturdy box it will most likely get broken by the pressure of the luggage building up behind it. That's also how regular luggage often gets damaged. They should know that will happen with larger items and make other arrangements to get them to and from the plane, but that would cost more money. More importantly, if they took it from him at the gate, they should have returned it to him at the gate. I would check with airline policy, but he could always book a seat for his precious instrument, but even that may come with head aches. In this case I believe they were looking to bump one person to get two people on board that particular flight. chicago.cbslocal.com/2018/08/04/american-airlines-musician-cello/My experiences with BA have been better, even when there has been hiccups. My flight out three years ago one of my cases was damaged, but BA was a bit better at sending me a replacement for my old Samsonite bag, but they have a relatively cheap source and contingency for that. The only tense moment, was it arrived just as I was leaving my friends house to go to the Ferry. Good thing I had a cabin and there are no restrictions for suitcases on the ferry. OK, one was still in a box.  Ended up leaving the old, but somewhat still functional (frame bent, but would close. pull handle missing) suitcase at the hotel I stayed in Aberdeen. Not sure if it ended up, used, a planter or just thrown out. Still hoping the instrument can be restored, or BA pays for a suitable replacement. |
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Post by mikey on Sept 3, 2019 18:54:52 GMT
All that upset to someone who had done everything, paid for two seats and then found there were issues with getting the next suitable flight. cannot help but wonder if someone who was not a Chinese migrant would have been treated the same way. |
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Post by deserttraveller on Oct 17, 2019 22:55:12 GMT
UPDATE:
The story made it to the Jeremy Vine show last week with Nfaly playing a Kora live and Simon Emmerson of the Afro Celts there to fill in the blanks; jeremy also read out my email where I Pointed out that when I went to see Zoe Keating in London last year an airline had lost her cello (how do you lose a Cello?!)
I follow the Harp Twins and they made the attached video, shows how Air Canada treat instruments - they fly in a 1/2 price seat and get priority boarding!
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Post by olirow on Feb 6, 2020 3:44:17 GMT
There's another recent example where US Customs have destroyed Ballake Cissoko's priceless and unique kora during a flight to France.
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Post by calndel on Feb 6, 2020 21:07:14 GMT
That's shocking!
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Ended up leaving the old, but somewhat still functional (frame bent, but would close. pull handle missing) suitcase at the hotel I stayed in Aberdeen. Not sure if it ended up, used, a planter or just thrown out.
