Originally Posted by
DrunkCargo
Article does state a FF with AC. That notwithstanding, I suspect someone who tosses 18k without much concern is someone who has bought the privilege to act as a "novice" flyer, and both AC and BA should be so lucky to have customers like this.
A PR nightmare for both, and mud slinging is just immature.
Not a PR nightmare if managed correctly. You have touched on an aspect that must be emphasized. The chap was experienced and if I may, could be politely described as a "jetsetter".
I'm sure some twisted mind here might dream of Air Canada returning the favor. Like to somebody with a BA ticket, stuck in Goose Bay...
Except that the family was not "stuck" in Tehran. They were not confused tourists or backpackers, or a Willy Loman salesman. Nor were they of a background such that they could not fend for themselves. This wasn't the first visit back home and my understanding is that they used Iranian passports when entering. They were on home turf, so there was no worry of them being forced to fend for themselves at Ayotollah Khomeini International airport.
Originally Posted by
warakorn
This -> I cannot believe it.
Its not possible to buy a ticket at the airport or online. Maybe this is an Iran-specific issue, but it sounds very very troubling for me.
You are not far off about the purchase method, but no need to be troubled. Due to the banking regulations that the EU applied for Iran it is difficult for regular folk to transact with Iran. However, the EU airlines get around this by facilitating the purchase of tickets outside of Iran. You can purchase the ticket with a call to the BA call center in the UK. And by that very fact, the transaction could have been effected over the phone with BA. However, I would not be surprised if this was a cash transaction making it difficult.
Originally Posted by
Stranger
With internet access, should even be possible online? But who knows, for departures from Iran, how these things work, what the cutoff would be?Also, it is possible that the infant needed an exit visa.
I would not be surprised if at the end of the day, the mess was the guy's fault really.
And on that, I believe you are correct. The Iranian personnel may have all been following proper protocol that no children are to travel unless the paper work is correct. I have a feeling that the Iranian airport personnel did the right thing.
Originally Posted by
yulred
They got a ticket on EK and had no issues flying out in time to catch their original AC flight out of LHR. That makes it fairly obvious that it isn't an exit visa issue. Your conjecture strikes me as a poorly disguised attempt to obfuscate/deflect blame from AC or BA (as the case may be) to the pax. One can only guess at your motive.
I don't know about his/her motives, but it is indeed plausible it was a ticket related issue that the father didn't resolve. In purchasing with EK, he could start fresh. EK isn't the most detail oriented of airlines in that neck of the woods is it?