Airlines: it’s time to modernise how extra seats for musical instruments are booked.

As professional cellist who travels frequently, I always purchase an extra seat for my acoustic cello. This isn’t optional — it’s required to protect a fragile, valuable instrument and to comply with airline safety regulations.

What is optional (and outdated) is the process.

Despite this being a well-known and regulated scenario, booking an extra seat for a cello often requires:

– Long calls with customer service

– Manual seat changes at check-in

– Re-issuing boarding passes

– And unnecessary stress for passengers and staff alike

There are clear, standard requirements:

• Window seat

• Passenger seated next to the instrument

• No exit rows

• Instrument treated as a passenger, not luggage

This is not a niche edge case — thousands of professional musicians travel this way every year.

One airline has already solved this.

EasyJet allows customers to book:

– Passenger name

– “Extra Seat – Musical Instrument”

Using the same passport details, with seats automatically assigned correctly.

No calls. No counters. No confusion.

In a five-day period, I took five flights. Only one offered a truly seamless experience. Others ranged from inconvenient to frustrating — not due to staff, but due to system limitations.

With the level of automation and AI already present in airline pricing, seating, and baggage systems, this should be a straightforward fix.

My request is simple:

Please implement a clear, automated, call-free booking option for musicians purchasing extra seats for instruments.

It would improve efficiency, reduce staff workload, and significantly improve the customer experience for a loyal and frequent group of travelers.

Our instruments — and the people carrying them — deserve better.

🎻✈️

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