Cebu Pacific Air on Thursday clarified its baggage guidelines for musical instruments following a viral social media post regarding the handling of violins at the airport.
The budget carrier explained that travelers carrying instruments that exceed standard cabin baggage dimensions must utilize its specialized baggage service.
“We advise passengers carrying musical instruments that do not fit as hand carry items to purchase the Musical Instrument allowance through CEB Special Baggage,” the airline said.
”The CEB Special Baggage can be purchased during the initial booking process using the CEB mobile app, after guests input their personal information.”
Cebu Pacific further reminded the public that any musical instruments processed as checked luggage must meet strict packaging requirements.
“Instruments placed in soft cases or gig bags cannot be accepted for check-in,” Cebu Pacific said, adding that only hard-shell cases are accepted to help prevent damage during transport.
The airline issued the statement after the production manager of the Manila Symphony Orchestra posted online on Wednesday, revealing that several violins were barred from the cabin as carry-on items. The post noted that these instruments had been permitted on previous flights with Cebu Pacific and other carriers.
Images of the orchestra members holding their violins inside the plane cabin quickly spread across social media, drawing widespread public attention.
Addressing the specific situation, Cebu Pacific stated that all affected passengers were ultimately able to board their flights and reach their destinations.
The airline noted that some of the violins actually fit within the standard cabin size limit of 56 centimeters by 36 centimeters by 23 centimeters.
“As for the violins that exceeded the limit, we advised them to remove the instruments from their cases. The case was checked through for free, and the passengers handcarried the instruments,” the airline said.
“We hope this incident sheds light on the need for passengers to check the size limit of bags, instruments or sport equipment that they are bringing with them for their trip.”