American Airlines passenger kicked off flight after being told her cello was too big

An American Airlines passenger was kicked off her flight due to the size of her cello, despite purchasing an additional seat for the instrument.

In a Facebook post detailing the incident, Jay Tang explained that his wife Jingjing Hu, a music student at DePaul University School of Music in Chicago, was flying to Miami to perform in a music festival.

Tang purchased a return ticket for Hu and her cello and was assured that the instrument was allowed and that she was authorised to travel.

Hu’s outbound journey passed without note and cabin crew even provided her with a special strap to secure the cello, which is worth $30,000.

After Hu was seated on her return leg from Miami to Chicago, however, she was directed to disembark the plane by cabin crew, who insisted that the aircraft was “too small” for the cello.

As Hu was getting off the plane, her cello case touched the pilot, who allegedly claimed he was bleeding, despite Hu being unable to see any blood or injury.

Hu then took a picture of the pilot, who can be seeing holding up two fingers. While Tang believed this was a “victory” sign, other commenters believed this was a signal to airline staff that two seats were now vacant.

This theory was backed up by Hu’s friend, who remained on the flight and confirmed that two passengers were seated in the two spaces reserved by Hu after she departed the flight.

Despite being assured that she could board the next flight to Chicago an hour later, Hu was then informed that the next flight was also too small to accommodate her cello.

Hu was told she should purchase first or business class tickets for her return journey or not fly back on American Airlines.

She and her cello were eventually flown back by American Airlines the following morning.

“They just kick off passengers when they oversell their tickets using FAA regulations as an excuse,” said Tang.

“I could have been told those regulations when purchasing the ticket. My wife could have been told those regulations when flying from Chicago to Miami, at check in counter in Miami International Airport, at the gate or even when boarding the plane. Yet they chose to kick her out last minute after she was seated and her cello safely secured.”

Federal regulations allow passengers to carry instruments such as cellos in the cabin, providing they purchase an additional seat, leading the couple to suspect that Hu was removed because the flight was overbooked.

In a statement to Fox News, American Airlines said: “A passenger on flight 2457 from Miami to Chicago was travelling with her cello.

“Unfortunately, there was a miscommunication about whether the cello she was travelling with met the requirements to fit on-board the particular aircraft she was flying, a Boeing 737.

“We rebooked our passenger on a flight the next morning on a larger aircraft, a Boeing 767. We provided her a hotel and meal accommodations for the inconvenience.

“We apologise for the misunderstanding and customer relations has reached out to her.”