Aspen – Cellists heading to this year’s Aspen Music Festival & School can still choose to rack up United Airlines frequent-flier miles for their cellos.
After United’s recent switch to a larger regional jet to serve the Aspen airport, some travel agents began telling music students they could no longer buy a seat for their instruments, which could be damaged in the cargo compartment.
“Any cellist with a decent cello would not be comfortable with checking it as baggage. There are some horror stories out there,” said Jim Berdahl, the school’s general manager.
United and other airlines allow cellists to avoid checking their instruments as baggage by buying a separate ticket. A cello cannot fit into an overhead compartment, and it must be buckled into its own seat for safety purposes, United spokeswoman Robin Urbanski said.
She hadn’t heard of the concerns but speculated that the confusion over United’s policies stemmed from the use of the new jet.
Berdahl said he and Bill Tomcich, president of the lodging-reservation company Stay Aspen Snowmass Inc., have informed students they can bring a cello aboard a flight.
“This turned out really well for us,” Berdahl said.
About 750 students are enrolled in the school this summer, many from overseas. The first festival concert is June 21. School officials estimated that up to 100 cellos are flown into Aspen at the beginning of each summer.
