Cellist gets bumped by Dutch airline

The French cellist Astrig Siranossian has posted:

‘Today, at Paris Orly Airport, for a Paris-Berlin flight operated by Transavia, I was sadly surprised to be denied access to the plane with my cello, despite having purchased an extra seat for it called CBB

‘The dimensions for an extra seat have now been changed to 75x55x45 cm, which obviously makes it impossible to bring a cello on board. I booked my flight on the phone 10 days ago and precisely sent them the dimensions of my cello in order to avoid any problems.

‘I was generously offered to send my Gennaro Gagliano cello from 1756 in the hold, but it is of course not an option, not only for such a precious cello but for any instrument, considering the very high risks of damage and the lack of insurance coverage in such a situation.

‘After speaking to all the responsible parties and while checking all the possible options for me to be on time tonight in Berlin, I was fortunate to come across a team of music lovers who granted me the “grace” to board with my instrument. They clearly observed that a cello fits without any issues in a seat, and while hoping that the dimensions for extra seats will be reviewed upward very soon, I warmly advise all my fellow cellists to avoid this airline unless you love stressful experiences…’

Transavia is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Royal Dutch airline, KLM.

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