British Airways discrimination against cellists

[londonmummy1966]

Before I start I will admit that this is very much a first world problem but it is still really annoying.

My Dds are going on a music tour in Europe this summer and they are flying with British Airways. Dd1 needs to take her cello with her which is not an immensely valuable instrument but as is the way with cellos it is still worth more than the £1000 maximum compensation BA would pay if it went in the baggage hold and got damaged. There are so many horror stories about what happens to cellos on flights. So the only option is to book an extra seat for the cello.

I thought this would be fine as DH has loads of airmiles so we could add Mr Cello to our family account with the BA and use the airmiles to pay for the extra seat. Apparently not - you can't use airmiles to buy a seat for a cello. So then I thought that we could use the airmiles to buy the seat for Dd and pay for the cello. Apparently also not. IF Dd was travelling minus cello that would be fine but apparently BA have a rule that a cellist travelling with their cello cannot book a flight with airmiles . I asked why not and was told it was because it is a faff for the airline to allocate two seats together. However, if Dd was just really fat and needed an extra seat for that reason she could have used airmiles.

AIBU or is BA just taking the proverbial with this? Its not as if dd is a professional cellist or anything - just a school kid who was really excited about being able to play abroad. Also what jobsworth at BA has so little to do they have had time to dream up all these complex rules for the fairly small number of people wanting to travel on airmiles with a cello?

and even if you take it to the gate: I have seen airport crew drop luggage from the plane door down to the tarmac to put into hold...

Exactly, so have I and it's a big drop!

Pleased to hear you have come to a harmonious solution bassed on this thread. You have Handled the chorus of YABUs well - it definitely could have left you feeling a little flat.

Thanks Mackerel for ending this on a high note!

Well I know you've come to alternative solution, but couldn't you just say that she IS too fat? And then just shove cello down jumper? Only joking, but what would they actually do when she arrived? Chuck her off for not being fat enough? I can see why it is annoying for you. There are many annoying and stupid things about airmiles TBH. My DH accumulates a lot from work trips but it is bloody bloody difficult to use the things!

Thanks everyone - Bravada yes it did occur to me but I know that they will just take the cello off her at that point. It just really annoys me that we have to go through all this palaver when DH's airmiles would buy seats for a whole orchestra's worth of cellos. But obviously some bean counter at BA has worked out that they can save a few thousand a year by preventing cellos and their accompanying flunkies from using airmiles. Personally I would have thought they would welcome such well behaved passengers - its not as if the cello is going to try and board the plane in a drunk and disorderly fashion or suffer from air rage.....