It’s started again: A violinist is kicked off a US plane

From Emmanuel A. Borowsky:

I arrived at Manchester-Boston regional airport at 5:45am for a 7am flight to Baltimore (Southwest #1034). My agenda today was to include presenting a guest visit of a luthier at my Alma matter UMD College Park, followed by an afternoon of teaching at Towson University.

Due to a lack of space in the overhead bins, I was asked to check my violin and bows valued at $80,000. As all professional musician know, that rarely ends well.

There were multiple available seats on the flight, including two in a row that I intended to sit. The flight attendants were unsympathetic in my request/suggestion to use one of the multiple free seats to transport my violin (restrained similar to a cello). Although I remained calm and respectful, I was given the option of checking in the violin or being promptly booted from the flight. I selected the latter due to necessity but am severely disappointed in the treatment received and the consequences for my professional schedule.

It’s Southwest Airlines. They have history.