Musician Refused Violin Case Boarding on Lufthansa Flight, Carries Historic Instrument by Hand

Written by Chantal Gapato  |  December 12, 2025

Violinist Carolin Widmann was forced to fly from Helsinki to Frankfurt while holding her 1782 Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin in her arms after Lufthansa staff refused to allow her violin case into the cabin.

Widmann, a Senator-status frequent flyer with Lufthansa, described the incident on social media. She had performed with the Tapiola Sinfonietta in Espoo on 27 November and arrived at Helsinki Vantaa Airport the next morning for her return trip to Leipzig. At the check-in counter, a Lufthansa representative informed her that her standard violin case exceeded the airline’s cabin baggage measurements.

A supervisor from Airpro, the airport handling company, told Widmann that she would need to purchase an additional seat for the violin. Widmann agreed, but the connecting flight from Frankfurt to Leipzig was fully booked and there were no seats available. She was then told she could not purchase a separate seat for only one leg of the journey and that the “instrument ticket” had to follow the exact routing of her passenger ticket. Her last option was to check the violin and its case into the hold as ordinary luggage.

Widmann refused, stating that checking the instrument was impossible. With no other solution offered, she checked in the empty violin case as luggage and carried the bare instrument in her arms on both flights. She informed the owner of the violin, which is on loan from a charitable trust in London, and said the owner was supportive. She later described the Lufthansa cabin crew as “extremely friendly” and helpful once she was on board.

Widmann highlighted inconsistencies between the strict enforcement at the Helsinki check-in counter and the treatment she received on the aircraft. She noted that a standard violin case measures 80 cm by 27 cm by 16 cm. Lufthansa’s cabin baggage allowance is normally 55 cm by 40 cm by 25 cm. She argued that although the case is longer, its total volume is smaller than many suitcases commonly accepted as cabin baggage.

The violinist called for updated and consistent rules for musicians travelling with valuable instruments. She stated that violinists depend on safe transport and need clear guidelines that are respected globally.

Several musicians responded to Widmann’s post with similar experiences. Violist Jennifer Stumm said this issue has been occurring regularly in Helsinki for Lufthansa passengers. Violist Nils Mönkemeyer reported repeated problems at the same airport with both Lufthansa and Eurowings. Violinist Alena Baeva expressed disappointment and said the airline’s frequent flyer status had previously given her confidence when travelling.

Widmann said she hopes her experience will lead to improvements in the treatment of musical instruments during air travel.

Photo courtesy of Carolin Widmann's Instagram