KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A classical musician has accused a United Airlines supervisor of barring her from boarding a plane with her centuries-old violin, sparking a scuffle that caused her to miss her flight and left her worried her hands — and by extension, her livelihood — may have been harmed.
Yennifer Correia's attorney said Tuesday a lawsuit against United is likely on the 33-year-old Memphis woman's behalf after the Sunday confrontation in Houston as she was preparing to fly to Missouri for a symphony rehearsal.
Correia had a discount fare that, according to rules posted on United's website, doesn't let passengers stow luggage in the overhead bin, although an exception is allowed for "small" musical instruments. It was not clear Tuesday why Correia was told to check the violin — made in Italy and believed to date to the late 1700s, her attorney said — instead of being allowed to carry it on board.
Chicago-based United has refunded Correia's airfare, discussed the matter with its Houston employees and has "reached out to Ms. Correia to gain a better understanding of what occurred and to offer assistance," spokesman Charles Hobart said.
"We're disappointed anytime a customer has an experience that does not live up to his or her expectation," he said.
Correia, who was making the trek Tuesday to Missouri on another airline, will have her hands examined next week by a Houston surgeon, attorney Philip MacNaughton told the Associated Press.
While the Venezuelan-born Correia's hands show no immediate bruising or redness, "we're all holding our breath," MacNaughton said. "We think the odds of injury are low, but the stakes are career-killing."
"You don't grab a surgeon's hands, a pitcher's hands or a professional violinist's hands," he added, calling Sunday's dispute "a physical attack" on Correia. "She knows she has to stand up to United and say you can't treat professional musicians this way. I don't understand why airlines, especially United, can't simply deal with an issue and not turn it into a confrontation."
