Category Archives: Travel

A small victory

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Rene Izquierdo, who had his guitar broken by Hong Kong Airlines reports

“Dear Friends!!!
Hong Kong Airlines finally paid two days ago the guitar repair and a settlement for $2000.00 plus two tickets that I will give up for donation…
Thank you for all your support during this time! We should stand for ourselves and take the road less traveled!!!
Yes we can and we must!
Thank you to Richard Brune for such an amazing repair.
Feel free to use my picture in your moment of need with the airlines… Merry Christmas, Holiday Season and Happy New Year!!!
This is just a small victory. Please spread the petition to get more signatures!
Rene Izquierdo “

www.reneizquierdoguitar.com

To join the campaign, and perhaps make a difference to the way airlines treat musical instruments (and musicians!)go to Change.org
More power to a group acting together as a whole despite the naysayers, who can undermine a community’s effort.

An airline for musicians to avoid at all costs

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Veuling, the Spanish budget airline, forced two violinists in a string quartet to carry their instruments unprotected on board, or face a steep financial penalty. They were quite rude about it.

This now appears to be the airline’s policy. Violinist David Peralta booked an Iberia flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona and found his ticket assigned to Vueling. Iberia, apparently, is a part-owner of this shaky company.

Veuling

Norman Lebrecht has more to say here on Slipped Disc

A previous report on this airline

The Next Time an Airline Makes You Check Your Guitar, Show Them THIS…(USA only)

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I came across this on Digital Music News and thought I would share it – hope it will work for you!

“The following very awesome tip comes from Ari Herstand, a performing musician, actor, and part-time blogger who also advises bands and artists (check out his services here).”

The next time an airline forces you to check your $3,000 guitar, handmade violin, or priceless handcrafted instrument into cargo…

(1) Please show the counter agent, guard, or other said official the 145 page FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 section 41724.   It was signed into law by Obama last year.

Print it out. Continue reading →

Guitar in Space

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Chris Hadfield is an astronaut who also plays guitar and sings. He is famous for being the first Canadian spacewalker and also for popular science experiments in zero gravity, as well as his guitar playing skills!

During his free time on Expedition 35, Hadfield recorded music for an album, using the Larrivée Parlor guitar previously brought to the ISS (International Space Station).
That’s a really smart way to travel! No problem with airline baggage handlers then!

Continue reading →

Musicians win the right to carry instruments on planes (EU proposal – again!)

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Perhaps this is a little premature, but we can hope!
This is actually old news from March 2013 and it says that the new EU proposals will come in “next year”

Thanks to Gaelle Solal for keeping this going!

Since the policy in the US changed in February 2012, musicians and organisations have campaigned for similar changes in the UK. The proposed changes will allow musicians carry small instruments in the cabin with them, and require airlines to make their baggage restrictions clear at the point of booking as well as at the airport.

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“Without music, life would be a mistake” – Friedrich Nietzsche

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Just a nod in the direction of the German philosopher, cultural critic, poet and composer, Friedrich Nietzsche, whom many remember for his declaration “God is dead”.

It’s his 113th birthday today (Nietzsche’s) and is celebrated by the Google Doodle.

Nietzsche made quite an impact on composers during the 1890s.  Continue reading →

More Airline stories and some positive recommendations!

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Seems that many people responded (positively) to the post on JAL’s treatment of guitars on internal flights, so as a way of jumping on the luggage carousel, I thought that I would add some positive recommendations.

For me, the most stressful part of taking a guitar on a flight is the uncertainty that it will be allowed as cabin baggage or not, or that it will be well taken care of in transit in the hold, so here is a list of positive experiences I have had with ground staff and flight crew.

Continue reading →