Airline Removed Violinist From Plane After Refusing To Check In Instrument

A violinist was forced off a flight bound to Baltimore, Maryland, on Monday after refusing to check in his instrument worth $80,000.

Emmanuel Borowsky boarded a Southwest Airlines flight from Manchester-Boston regional airport with his violin. After noticing the lack of space in the overhead lockers, he asked the airline crew if he could secure his instrument in one of the available seats.

Instead of helping him, the crew ignored his suggestion and put him on another flight seven hours later. This reportedly resulted in him missing a day of professional engagements.

“The crew were just completely unwilling to assist, They only offered me one option – either the violin goes in the hold, or you get off. There wasn’t any negotiating, I wasn’t going to make a scene and they weren’t willing to be reasonable, so I had to get off the flight,” he said, Classic FM reported.

“I’ve flown multiple times and both the airline and the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] have normally been really accommodating to all musicians and their instruments. I’ve never had an issue before.”

He said he was booked onto their second flight of the day which was three hours later; however, he was removed from the second flight as well, after a customer with priority boarding required space to put their own luggage in the overhead locker.

“As I’ve never had any issues before, I don’t usually get priority boarding. Normally, they’re very accommodating,” he said.

Borowsky then boarded a flight four hours later. This led to him missing business meetings in Bethesda, a presentation at UMD College Park and teaching at Towson University.

“They even went so far as to joke with me, saying I delayed the first flight. I’ve flown with Southwest Airlines many times – they’re one of my preferred airlines, I would say. In general, a lot of good has already been done with what the FAA does in terms of accommodation for musicians. I think this was maybe more of a case of one individual who was unwilling to help,” he continued.

He also claimed to have received no compensation for the delay.

“We regret that [Mr Borowsky] had anything less than an outstanding experience as we always strive to provide our legendary Southwest Hospitality on every flight. Our records indicate that the customer was among the very last to board the full flight and, unfortunately, the overhead bins spaces were filled with the carry-on baggage of other customers,” the airlines said in a statement.

"The availability of extra seating space prompted me to place my violin there. In response, I was requested to check-in my violin. As fellow musicians can understand, checking in my violin is an absolute non option. I was disappointed not only with Southwest Airlines’s decision, but their handling of the matter, it lacked compassion and understanding. Furthermore, because the next flight is overbooked, the earliest I will be out of here is over 6 hours after my original flight,” he wrote on his Facebook page.