Bassist Claims Instrument Damage on Qantas Airline 

In transit from Melbourne to Perth, Mark Elton claims his handcrafted $13,000 AUD bass was smashed on the flight

On arriving in Perth to begin the musical director role of the Fringe World Festival’s headline show, Melbourne musician Mark Elton found his double bass “smashed beyond repair.”

His hand-crafted $13,000 AUD double bass was checked on to the flight as oversized baggage. On arrival, Elton noticed large cracks in the wood, making the instrument unplayable. 

“After flying Melbourne [to] Perth today, I opened my flight case and found my beautiful Double Bass smashed beyond repair after obviously being dropped from a considerable height by [Qantas’] baggage people,” Elton posted on Facebook. “After many years of being a club member and choosing to fly with Qantas I’m hoping you’ll support me through this major emotional and financial setback.”

According to ABC Radio Perth, Mark contacted the Qantas Airline, which has since reviewed its CCTV footage and reported that there was no mishandling of his baggage during the loading and unloading of the flight.

“This instrument is one of the great loves of my life,” Elton told ABC Radio Perth in an interview. “It’s completely hand-crafted, it’s a culmination of my 30-year career, and it’s irreplaceable. It’s quite emotional.”

Elton states that the response from Qantas has been disappointing and implies the airline is claiming that he caused the damage himself while traveling. He also recognized that while CCTV footage did not show anything amiss, the damage might’ve been done during the flight’s landing. 

To support Elton, Western Australia Symphony Orchestra double bassist and luthier Andrew Tait loaned him a bass so he could play his month of scheduled shows. Qantas also offered a goodwill payment.

“We know how important it is to handle all luggage with care, including musical instruments,” Qantas stated, as reported in The West Australian. “We are concerned to hear that the double bass has been damaged and we have been actively investigating what has happened with our ground handling partners since we were first notified.”