Originally Posted by
mtkeller
Non-English speakers transiting US airports really should be given guidance to take extra care, so I don't place all the blame on the GA here. I know I've had times when my BP doesn't scan and the GA boards me by entering my seat number. I'm not sure of all the logistics behind that, but it seems within the realm of possibility that the system allowed the GA to board the passenger that way. The passenger can presumably read Arabic numerals, so he should have compared his BP against the display at the gate. I've never flown between two countries where English is not the predominant language on a carrier that doesn't primarily operate in English, so I can't imagine what this guy was feeling like on board a JFK-FRA flight, where presumably the announcements were made in English and German.
Agreed....not OK that the airline let him board, but the man needs to take personal responsibility. As you mention, he should be able to read Arabic numbers and if you can't read Latin characters you should study what the word SEATTLE looks like so you can ensure you are boarding the right plane.