On the morning of April 16, my sister — singer/songwriter Hope Griffin — and her accompanying cellist JamieLeigh Bennett, having traveled thousands of miles on their own dime to Juneau to perform at the Alaska Folk Festival and other venues around town, were treated hostilely and rudely by a gate agent at the Juneau International Airport as they were headed back to their home in North Carolina.
The incident occurred over Bennett’s cello, which she checked at the gate instead of through security. She travels annually on plane for countless concerts with my sister, and on no other airline has this been an issue. I emphasize again: Not once.
Nevertheless, after the cello had been checked at the gate and Bennett had found her seat on the plane, she was approached by the agent, who asked her to leave the plane with him. Then, in front of other passengers and customers still checking into the flight, the agent abrasively informed her that the cello was too large and that it could only travel on the plane for an additional fee. If she did not pay the fee, she would not be allowed back on the plane — nor would her cello. When Bennett informed him that this had never been an issue for any other airline in the history of her traveling with her cello, the agent informed her that all other airlines were wrong and that he was right. By this time, Bennett was in tears. After a long week of performing in various Juneau venues, she was ready to go home with her bandmate.
Bennett asked if she could talk to a supervisor. The said supervisor was more helpful, and simply stammered when she was informed of the situation. “But they’re already on the plane, and so is the cello,” she informed the agent. The agent would not have any of it. “Are you going to let her get away with this?” he demanded of the supervisor. The supervisor did, because she was right — the cello was already on the plane, and it was no problem. The agent continued to fume.
Keep in mind: Plenty of musicians were headed home on this plane from Folk Fest. Plenty of them were watching this exchange and the way that the agent reduced Bennett to tears. Plenty of people heard the agent tell Bennett that all other airlines were wrong about the policy of gate checking an instrument onto a plane. I wonder exactly what the agent thought Bennett was getting away with? Flying thousands of miles to bring the joy of music to Juneau? Is this the kind of message that Alaska Airlines chooses to send to artists who want to come to visit this beautiful land? The question I must pose now is this: Are we going to let him get away with this?
Danel Griffin,
Juneau