Qantas bows to mass musician protest

Andra Jackson
December 30, 2010

QANTAS has backed down in a row over musical instruments following a massive protest campaign on Facebook.

The carrier has announced a policy that allows for instruments it previously consigned to the cargo hold to be carried on board.

The policy change follows a Facebook campaign that drew 8700 supporters outraged Qantas's stand meant instruments were at risk of damage.
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It was sparked by a Qantas policy introduced last year that all instruments, with the exception of violins and violas, must be checked in as cargo-hold luggage, angering other musicians.

The Facebook protest was started by Perth-based award-winning saxophonist Jamie Oehlers, whose tenor saxophone was damaged when Qantas insisted it go in the cargo hold on a flight to Melbourne a couple of months ago.

He started a Stop Qantas ''No musical instruments on board policy protest'' on the Facebook Causes page. Among the signatories were classical guitarist Leonard Grigoryan, Attack of the Mannequins' Jackson Freud and symphony orchestra members.

Qantas yesterday confirmed: ''As a result of customer feedback, we have revised our policy relating to the carriage of small musical instruments.

''Due to the delicate nature of musical instruments, customers who travel on Qantas-operated services are no longer required to check in as checked baggage a small musical instrument that slightly exceeds the carry-on baggage limit of a total of 115 centimetres [in total linear dimensions],'' a spokeswoman said.

The instrument must not exceed 81 centimetres in length, 30 centimetres in height or 19 centimetres in depth.

Mr Oehlers, booked to fly Qantas for a gig in New York in two weeks, said it was a relief ''just to be able to get my horn on board and know it will arrive safely and not bent''.