Last year, some comedians made fun of Air Canada for its rather baffling guidelines regarding musical instruments. Luckily, the airline now seems to have adopted some more musician-friendly policies that will benefit customers travelling with instruments.
There are two new policies that will be of interest to travellers with instruments. Firstly, musicians will be able to buy a second seat for their instrument for half the price, meaning that their instrument will be able to sit next to them in the cabin. This 50-percent-off discount goes for all published fares, including low-cost Tango flights. If they are in business class, however, their instrument will be placed in economy class for what Air Canada calls "safety reasons."
Secondly, musicians (without an extra seat) will be able to pre-board ahead of general boarding in order to ensure that their instruments are safely stowed before everyone else comes in with bags.
This is definitely good news for travelling musicians, although we do question how many bands will actually to be able to afford extra seats for their instruments.
Alan Willaert, the Canadian vice-president for the American Federation of Musicians, told the CBC that he was pleased about the new policies, but expressed concern that it might change policies for those unable to buy a seat for their instruments. Will, for example, musicians still be able to carry their instrument up to the plane door and then retrieve it once the plane reaches the gate?
Read Air Canada's page on instrument policies here, and watch last year's parody video about the airline below.
There are two new policies that will be of interest to travellers with instruments. Firstly, musicians will be able to buy a second seat for their instrument for half the price, meaning that their instrument will be able to sit next to them in the cabin. This 50-percent-off discount goes for all published fares, including low-cost Tango flights. If they are in business class, however, their instrument will be placed in economy class for what Air Canada calls "safety reasons."
Secondly, musicians (without an extra seat) will be able to pre-board ahead of general boarding in order to ensure that their instruments are safely stowed before everyone else comes in with bags.
This is definitely good news for travelling musicians, although we do question how many bands will actually to be able to afford extra seats for their instruments.
Alan Willaert, the Canadian vice-president for the American Federation of Musicians, told the CBC that he was pleased about the new policies, but expressed concern that it might change policies for those unable to buy a seat for their instruments. Will, for example, musicians still be able to carry their instrument up to the plane door and then retrieve it once the plane reaches the gate?
Read Air Canada's page on instrument policies here, and watch last year's parody video about the airline below.
