The violinist has spoken out after he was left with no choice but to refuse boarding a Vueling flight from Asturias to Barcelona, following a dispute over the airline’s handling of his instrument in the cabin
Violinist Yuri Zhislin has described a distressing experience flying with his instrument on a Vueling Airlines flight from Asturias to Barcelona, adding to growing concerns among musicians about the treatment of instruments by airlines.
In an account shared with The Strad while awaiting onward travel at Asturias Airport, Zhislin said he had arrived with ample time before his scheduled flight and had checked in at the airline desk without incident. He was given a sticker indicating that his violin case was ’suitable for overhead locker’, a moment he described as a relief.
Zhislin, who had purchased priority boarding, was among the first passengers to board the aircraft. He placed his violin case in the overhead locker and took his seat. Despite the plane being largely empty at that point, he said a flight attendant immediately approached him and insisted that the instrument could not remain in the cabin unless he had purchased an additional seat or checked it into the hold.
An argument followed, as Zhislin attempted to explain that he had been assured at check‑in that the instrument could be carried on board, and that there was ample space in the overhead compartments. ’All the usual explanations fell on deaf ears,’ he said.
According to Zhislin, the situation escalated after the captain was informed. He reported that a flight attendant removed his violin case from the overhead locker and issued an ultimatum.
’She literally dragged my violin case from the overhead locker before I had time to react and declared, “Sir, if you do not hand over your instrument to be placed in the hold immediately, I will call security.”’
When he was told that his violin would be returned on the luggage belt at his destination, Zhislin refused to fly. He subsequently had to purchase a new ticket and wait for a later flight, staying with his instrument while making alternative arrangements.
Zhislin also pointed to a previous experience with the airline, saying that Vueling had charged him €60 the previous year to carry his bow case on board, despite it being small, ’half the size of a walking stick’. He said such incidents make string players feel ’guilty – and even punished – for having to bring [our instruments] on board’.
Reflecting on the broader implications, Zhislin questioned whether flying with low‑cost airlines was worth the emotional toll. ’I seriously wonder whether it is worth saving a few pounds at the cost of constant stress and uncertainty about whether my instrument will arrive safely,’ he said.
While adding that he would avoid low‑cost airlines if possible, he acknowledged that such flights are often ’the only viable option for reaching our next performance destination’.
The incident highlights ongoing tensions between airlines and professional musicians over cabin baggage policies and the safe transport of valuable instruments, an issue that continues to be raised by performers across the industry.
No comments yet