Please Pressure Singapore Airlines - Swiss Youth Orchestra denied in H.K.

Written by Brian Larson
Published: December 9, 2014 at 6:44 AM [UTC]

I am a professional musician and teacher in S.E. Asia. I have always had the utmost respect for SQ and their service... until the recent events with a Swiss Youth Orchestra, trying to board SQ in Hong Kong.

As you are aware - this story is making its rounds extremely rapidly through social media, FB, Slipped-Disc.com, etc and should be addressed as soon as possible, through proper PR channels. The music world - professional, and student - is an extremely connected forum: and musicians also have a following of millions of fans and audience.

I have travelled many times on SQ, MAS, CX, AirAsia with my violin (one of the main instruments mentioned as not allowed by your Hong Kong ground staff.) - and I've never had a problem. In the USA, for instance, it is written into aviation law as an allowable item.

Having your staff properly trained is your own responsibility: Not the job of musicians to educate them. Those of us who travel to play, professionally, pay A LOT of attention to news of this nature. We absolutely cannot afford to have glitches at an airport with a belligerent, under-trained staff. We would rather pay a few dollars more and feel assured that some nitwit won't demand that we risk $200K, $500K or more, to check a violin, when it is completely unnecessary. I fly on twin-prop commuter planes - and EVEN THERE the instrument fits easily in an overhead bin.

Please respond to the story. Please re-assure the travelling musician public that this is an anomaly and is being rectified. OTHERWISE: expect this story to be circulated for months!
THANK YOU