Originally Posted by
rapidex
I seem to remember BA offloaded a cellist from a flight to the USA because the cello did not have an Esta. Beware which destinations you take your guitar.
I thought this was a joke, but no:
British Airways stops musician from flying with cello as 'it didn't have a visa' | The Independent
But this illustrates how the 'new policy' doesnt work well: you cant book a seat for an instrument online, but have to phone a call centre. The call centre staff have very different ideas about how it is supposed to work and give the customer the run-around. In the end, you have to hope that 'the revenue department' actually exists and will make a booking for your instrument-- although you cant know in advance what it will cost. Sound like a deterrent?