Travelling with a cello on BA sounds like a nightmare
May 19, 2019, 7:02 am
#16
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
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The most bizarre rants I have ever read. Not sure what this person is complaining about and what does BA have to do with anything...
It reads like some drunk texting. I am not sure anyone can figure it out what his problem is apart from (I guess?) someone not willing to lift his instrument that he should be responsible for.
I honestly don't know what this is doing on FT.
It reads like some drunk texting. I am not sure anyone can figure it out what his problem is apart from (I guess?) someone not willing to lift his instrument that he should be responsible for.
I honestly don't know what this is doing on FT.
Last edited by Andriyko; May 19, 2019 at 8:00 am
May 19, 2019, 7:07 am
#17
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: UK
Programs: BA Blue, IC Spire Ambassador
Posts: 5,227
I think we need to know:-
— specifically why check in took 45 minutes - what was the issue? The Twitter post doesn’t say. Was the person trying to check in the cello to the hold or was the issue getting the cello a seat assignment (I think they get a BP with Mr/Mrs (not sure what the correct pronoun would be) Cello.
- then the person ‘explained’ something at security but doesn’t specify what it was they explained. They seem to have taken umbrage that the security screener wouldn’t lift the cello onto ‘the smooth bit’. In English, I think they were saying they wanted the cello to go onto the conveyor belt rather than the bit before that - but can things go onto the rollers anyway - I thought the whole system was based on trays. I assume cellos go through security every day of the week & there is bound to be a process. No idea whether that was followed but would be interested to know.
Overall, it sounds like a lot of drama. If the same thing happens every time this person travels BA then to me it indicates either BA’s / HAL’s systems don’t work, our cellist doesn’t comply with them or the type / size / something about this cello means that the systems / policies don’t cater for it.
This all seems like a hugely hypothetical discussion without knowing the details.
I’m not sure what to make of it but I won’t be getting the violins out just yet.
This week’s threads seem to have been about afternoon tea, champagne and cellos, so I guess we’re all doing ok really! #firstworldproblems
— specifically why check in took 45 minutes - what was the issue? The Twitter post doesn’t say. Was the person trying to check in the cello to the hold or was the issue getting the cello a seat assignment (I think they get a BP with Mr/Mrs (not sure what the correct pronoun would be) Cello.
- then the person ‘explained’ something at security but doesn’t specify what it was they explained. They seem to have taken umbrage that the security screener wouldn’t lift the cello onto ‘the smooth bit’. In English, I think they were saying they wanted the cello to go onto the conveyor belt rather than the bit before that - but can things go onto the rollers anyway - I thought the whole system was based on trays. I assume cellos go through security every day of the week & there is bound to be a process. No idea whether that was followed but would be interested to know.
Overall, it sounds like a lot of drama. If the same thing happens every time this person travels BA then to me it indicates either BA’s / HAL’s systems don’t work, our cellist doesn’t comply with them or the type / size / something about this cello means that the systems / policies don’t cater for it.
This all seems like a hugely hypothetical discussion without knowing the details.
I’m not sure what to make of it but I won’t be getting the violins out just yet.
This week’s threads seem to have been about afternoon tea, champagne and cellos, so I guess we’re all doing ok really! #firstworldproblems
May 19, 2019, 7:40 am
#19
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: LAX and LHR. UA lifetime Gold 1.9MM 1K , DL Gold Medallion, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, Avis President's Club
Posts: 3,592
The most bizarre rants I have ever read. Not sure what this person is complaining about and what does BA have to do with anything...
It was some drunk texting. I am not sure anyone can figure it out what his problem is apart from (I guess?) someone not willing to lift his instrument that he should be responsible for.
I honestly don't know what this is doing on FT.
It was some drunk texting. I am not sure anyone can figure it out what his problem is apart from (I guess?) someone not willing to lift his instrument that he should be responsible for.
I honestly don't know what this is doing on FT.
Justr because you've not heard of him doesn't give you the right to dismiss him as a drunk.
May 19, 2019, 7:45 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
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Posts: 2,991
A lot of people commenting here don't seem to know that Stephen Isserlis is a world-class cellist who plays an extremely old, rare and valuable instrument, which travels inside a hard case to protect it from the knocks of everyday life. We've all read stories of baggage handlers smashing up multi-million pound instruments.... So he's not ranting. What he's doing is saying to BA "I travel with this cello with your airline a lot. You know who I am, and you have specified what the procedures ought to be. And yet your people don't seem to be able to follow them." He's not the only world-class cellist to travel with his instrument on the seat beside him.
May 19, 2019, 7:55 am
#22
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Kyiv, Ukraine
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Posts: 7,690
A lot of people commenting here don't seem to know that Stephen Isserlis is a world-class cellist who plays an extremely old, rare and valuable instrument, which travels inside a hard case to protect it from the knocks of everyday life. We've all read stories of baggage handlers smashing up multi-million pound instruments.... So he's not ranting. What he's doing is saying to BA "I travel with this cello with your airline a lot. You know who I am, and you have specified what the procedures ought to be. And yet your people don't seem to be able to follow them." He's not the only world-class cellist to travel with his instrument on the seat beside him.
Justr because you've not heard of him doesn't give you the right to dismiss him as a drunk.
Justr because you've not heard of him doesn't give you the right to dismiss him as a drunk.
May 19, 2019, 7:56 am
#23
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Location: Brighton. UK
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A lot of people commenting here don't seem to know that Stephen Isserlis is a world-class cellist who plays an extremely old, rare and valuable instrument, which travels inside a hard case to protect it from the knocks of everyday life. We've all read stories of baggage handlers smashing up multi-million pound instruments.... So he's not ranting. What he's doing is saying to BA "I travel with this cello with your airline a lot. You know who I am, and you have specified what the procedures ought to be. And yet your people don't seem to be able to follow them." He's not the only world-class cellist to travel with his instrument on the seat beside him.
Justr because you've not heard of him doesn't give you the right to dismiss him as a drunk.
Justr because you've not heard of him doesn't give you the right to dismiss him as a drunk.
It's not HALs job to lift his stuff up. As I said upthread already he's soon be ranting if they dropped it / knocked it. And I thought those hard cases with padded interiors (no doubt especially shaped to match that of his cello) were supposed to protect it from damage yet a few rollers on the security belt would damage it ???
May 19, 2019, 7:56 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 1,577
Sounds like the cello didn’t fit through the hand luggage scanners. Taking it to oversize, scanning it there, then holding it airside for the passenger to collect when he’d cleared security would have solved this problem. Alternatively, they could have scanned it at oversize, and escorted the passenger with it to security. HAL being absolutely inflexible, it seems.
BA aren’t much better. I think it was 2016 when they denied boarding to a cellist who’s instrument had a seat reservation next to her for a flight to the US - but it didn’t have an ESTA or valid visa (!).
BA aren’t much better. I think it was 2016 when they denied boarding to a cellist who’s instrument had a seat reservation next to her for a flight to the US - but it didn’t have an ESTA or valid visa (!).
May 19, 2019, 8:00 am
#25
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Sounds like the cello didn’t fit through the hand luggage scanners. Taking it to oversize, scanning it there, then holding it airside for the passenger to collect when he’d cleared security would have solved this problem. Alternatively, they could have scanned it at oversize, and escorted the passenger with it to security. HAL being absolutely inflexible, it seems.
BA aren’t much better. I think it was 2016 when they denied boarding to a cellist who’s instrument had a seat reservation next to her for a flight to the US - but it didn’t have an ESTA or valid visa (!).
BA aren’t much better. I think it was 2016 when they denied boarding to a cellist who’s instrument had a seat reservation next to her for a flight to the US - but it didn’t have an ESTA or valid visa (!).
May 19, 2019, 8:22 am
#27
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You have to remove it from the case - like a laptop and he is trying to get them to sit it directly on the belt and retrieve it from the belt at the end. Most of the time this area isn't accessible to passengers.
May 19, 2019, 8:55 am
#28
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: London, UK
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I saw him in the Flounge once. He was relaxing with some scrambled eggs and a glass of something fizzy.
I have some sympathy here, as not the easiest thing to transport.
These cellos are basically irreplaceable due to their age and provenance, and it appears from the attached his current one is on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
Cellos!
I have some sympathy here, as not the easiest thing to transport.
These cellos are basically irreplaceable due to their age and provenance, and it appears from the attached his current one is on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.
Cellos!
May 19, 2019, 9:14 am
#29
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May 19, 2019, 9:41 am
#30
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