Funny how I sympathised with the OP until he brought up that *discrimination" thing...

There are policies that we don't like, and there are airline/airport agents that wrongly interpret rules so that you'll still end up not liking the result, even if they are wrong.

But that has to do with either (i) the rules being what they are or (ii) those agents being stupid, ignorant of the rules, rude or just having a bad day.

I don't accuse people of racism either when I don't get the upgrade in a hotel in Singapore even if I think that my program "entitles" me to it (maybe there is something in the small print that I missed? Maybe they are full?), or the nice table in a restaurant in Shanghai (maybe they keep it for the couple who has booked three weeks ago for their wedding anniversary?). And that despite me being Caucasian, tall and blue-eyed, which could make me think that any decision by an Asian that I don't like must have to do with my ethnicity. Ridiculous.