UPDATED 9.49am: The campaign for enabling inanimate objects to qualify for airpoints is gaining momentum.

Political commentator Matthew Hooton claims a friend who travels regularly with his cello, wants to know why it doesn't qualify for airpoints when it has its own seat.

He says the cello is an antique, so can't go in the cargo hold.

"I was saying to Air New Zealand equal rights for cellos. The cello has a seat, the cello gets airpoints."

The cello even has a name - Libby.

Meanwhile, promoters for guitarist Slash are calling for the performer's guitar to qualify too when he travels to New Zealand next month.

Promoter Stewart Macpherson says they'll go to the airline today and put the argument ... it shouldn't matter if a person or a guitar is sitting in the seat.