Qantas – Australia’s national airline – is copping flak from musicians and fans over its carry on luggage policy. As people increasingly travel more and seek to leave airports quickly, there has been a rise in the amount of carry on luggage people are trying to take on board. Qantas has recently cracked down on the amount of carry on luggage it allows on board, and is strictly enforcing its existing carry on luggage policy.
Naturally, this prevents the standard stock in trade of many musicians – guitars, bass guitars and just about all stringed instruments – to be carried on board. These instruments are also the most delicate, and most musicians are loathe to entrust gear to the baggage handlers and the hold of an aircraft.
They can buy a separate seat for their instrument, but it is an added expense for poor struggling musicians to have to pay for an extra airfare. Moreover, it’s a further burden for a musician to have to check in their luggage and wait to collect it. Many indie bands have become experts in the art of leaving work in one city early on a Friday, dashing to the airport and catching a plane to play a gig in another city with their instrument and a small bag, and then dashing from the plane to sound check. Waiting for up to an hour to collect your gear – providing it hasn’t been damaged in transit – is yet another burden on a musician.
Qantas’ carry on luggage policy states “musical instruments … [which] exceed the above limits may be accepted at the discretion of the airline but arrangements must be made at least two days before you travel. You may need to purchase an extra seat.”
Ironically, Qantas provides a $10,000 prize to young musicians in its ‘Spirit of Youth Australia’ award, in which “musicians aged 30 and under the chance to leap to the next level with $10,000 in cash and flights and a professional mentorship”. This award was recently won by Sydney act Kyü. It appears disingenuous to offer such award when they appear to be affecting musicians with their recent crackdown.
While Qantas appears to provide comprehensive assistance for people with mobility issues, we urge readers travelling to monitor the size of items people are taking on board to see that the airline’s crackdown on the size of items allowed as carry on luggage has been applied across the board.
