What Happened When a $3 Million Cello Was Bumped During Flight?

Last week, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, a cellist, had to postpone a performance in Toronto because an airline denied him access to his instrument, despite the fact that he had purchased a ticket for it.

It's common knowledge that work travel may be annoying. Cancellations and delays. The age-old gamble: do you risk losing or damage your baggage by checking them or not?

Flying may be far harder for professional cellists, whose instruments are highly delicate and can cost hundreds or even millions of dollars. They also definitely do not fit in the overhead bins.

Rising classical music artist Sheku Kanneh-Mason had to postpone a performance in Toronto last week because Air Canada wouldn't let him bring his cello on a plane, despite the fact that he had bought a separate ticket for it.

This is an all-too-common situation for traveling cellists and other artists with instruments that must go in the cabin, said Kanneh-Mason, who gained notoriety after playing at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018.

The incident, which resonated with cellists worldwide, happened last week when Kanneh-Mason and his pianist sister Isata were on tour and attempting to take a plane from Cincinnati to Toronto, with a stopover in Washington. According to a spokesman, American Airlines' initial flight was canceled after being delayed. Thus, they purchased seats for his cello on a new Air Canada aircraft to Toronto.

According to Kanneh-Mason, Air Canada provided them with contradictory information during the protracted procedure, which ended with gate officials refusing us boarding with the cello.

Air Canada expressed sorrow on Monday that the performers had not been able to fly as planned and promised to get in touch with them.

According to a statement, Air Canada has a detailed policy that allows cellos to travel in the cabin as long as a separate seat is reserved for them. Because their initial flight on another airline was canceled, the clients in this instance booked a last-minute reservation.

According to the airline's carry-on instrument policy, which is detailed on its website, passengers must reserve a seat for their instruments at least 48 hours before departure.