Australian musicians last week said they had scored a victory against Qantas after a Facebook campaign helped persuade the airline to scrap a ban on carrying instruments as cabin luggage.
Jazz saxophonist Jamie Oehlers started the online protest when Qantas introduced a policy requiring all musical instruments except violins and violas to be checked in and stored in the cargo hold.
“After travelling with them for 20 years, I was made to check my saxophone in for the first time a few weeks ago, causing US$1,200 worth of damage,” Oehlers wrote, laun-ching the Facebook campaign last month.
PHOTO: EPA 照片：歐新社
“I want to get a boycott of Qantas by musicians in place until they reverse this ridiculous policy.”
More than 8,700 people joined the group, including members of the country’s symphony orchestras, posting stories and pictures of instruments that had been damaged in the cargo hold.
Qantas confirmed it had reversed the policy from Dec. 24.
“In this situation we were able to listen to our customers and we were able to provide a change in our policy,” a Qantas spokeswoman told AFP.
She said Qantas was aware of the Facebook group and had spoken to Oehlers, but the policy change followed a wide range of “feedback received directly by our customer care team.”
Oehlers, about to depart for a gig in New York, said it was a victory for the Australian musical community, an “inspiring group of people”.
“I’m sure we’ll be crossing paths or bumping into each other at the airports with our instruments on our shoulders,” he wrote on the Facebook site.
The new policy allows small musical instruments as carry-on baggage, provided they are no longer than 81cm, higher than 30cm or more than 19cm deep.
(AFP)
在臉書上成立一個社團，協助說服澳洲航空取消以隨身行李攜帶樂器上機的禁令後，澳洲一位樂師上週表示，他們對澳航的行動獲得勝利。
爵士樂薩克斯風手傑米‧俄勒在澳航規定所有樂器，除了小提琴與中提琴以外，都得登記並以貨倉運載後，率先在網路上發起這個活動。
俄勒上個月在網路上發起這個社團後寫道，「在搭乘澳航二十年後，我數個星期前首次登記我的薩克斯風託運行李，造成高達一千二百美元的損失。」
「我希望舉辦個樂師抵制澳航活動，直到它們取消這個可笑的政策。」
超過八千七百個人加入這個活動的粉絲，包括澳洲各個交響樂團成員，他們在活動網頁上傳樂器因託運而損毀的文章與照片。
澳航於十二月二十四日宣布已經取消該規定。
一位澳航女性發言人告訴法新社，「在這種情況下，我們能夠傾聽顧客，並且改變公司政策。」
她表示澳航知道臉書上的這個社團，並也曾與俄勒談話，但政策的改變是基於「我們公司顧客服務部門的直接反應」。
即將出發前往紐約表演爵士樂的俄勒表示，這項改變對於澳洲音樂界這「一群啟發人心的人」是個勝利
他於臉書上寫道，「我相信我們應該會在機場背著樂器相見或擦肩而過。」
新政策允許小型樂器以隨身行李上機，只要它們長度、高度，與深度分別不超過八十一公分、三十公分，與十九公分。
（法新社／翻譯：吳岱璟）
The phenomenon of being “tea drunk” is a unique experience often associated with this popular beverage, especially when consuming brews that are particularly high-quality or strong. Unlike being drunk on alcohol, the effects of tea drunkenness stem from various compounds found in tea leaves. __1__ These substances can have a synergistic effect on the brain, resulting in a state of euphoria, relaxation, or heightened sensory awareness. __2__ One of the most obvious is the caffeine present in tea. It acts as a stimulant that increases alertness and cognitive function. Unlike coffee, however, tea also contains L-theanine, an amino acid
A: Taiwan has won three golds at the BWF World Tour Finals in the past. B: Cool, who were the gold medalists? A: Badminton queen Tai Tzu-ying won gold in 2020 and 2023, and men’s double, Lee Yang and Wang Chi-lin, won the title in 2020 as well. B: It’s too bad that both Tai and Lee announced their retirement from badminton. A: Hopefully, Wang and his new partner — the 21-year-old, 189cm-tall Chiu Hsiang-chieh — can also perform well in the future. A: 台灣在「BWF年終總決賽」，曾3度奪金耶。 B: 真酷耶，是誰啊？ A: 戴資穎在2020、2023年度的女單，李洋、王齊麟在2020年的男雙都曾奪金！ B: 不過小戴、李洋已宣布，要從羽壇退休。 A: 希望王齊麟和新搭檔—21歲189公分的邱相榤—未來也能打出好成績。 （By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times／台北時報張聖恩）
Global coffee prices have soared to their highest in nearly 50 years due to poor weather in Brazil and Vietnam, forcing roasters such as Nestle to raise prices and consumers to hunt for cheaper brews amid the cost of living crisis. Spiking prices will benefit farmers with the crop this year, but challenge traders who face crippling hedging costs on exchanges and a scramble to receive the beans they pre-bought. WHAT DRIVES PRICES? Production problems linked to bad weather in Brazil and Vietnam have seen global supplies lagging demand for three years. That has left stocks depleted and driven benchmark ICE exchange prices
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang __3__ These generally include a sense of calm, mental clarity and a mild feeling of euphoria. Some people may also experience a light-headedness, giddiness, or a heightened appreciation for the flavors and aromas of the tea they are drinking. __4__ All these are signs that one should reduce their tea intake. It is essential to understand the balance between the beneficial and adverse effects of tea. Becoming tea drunk shows the potency of the natural compounds in tea and their impact on human physiology. Moreover, it highlights the complicated relationship between what we consume and how it
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