Originally Posted by
bmwe92fan
I think you are missing the bigger picture.... The airlines don't make immigration law - nor do they enforce it.... They try their best to comply with the myriad of regulations around the world -- sometimes they do it well, sometimes they don't.... My point was very simple -- it is THEIR airline -- and they make the rules if you can get on the plane -- right or wrong, like it or not -- as travelers we therefore have a choice -- do we follow their rules or not? Right or wrong is not part of the equation -- getting to our destination is -- which is presumably why we bought a ticket.... We can argue right or wrong until pigs fly -- until then those that make the rules hold the position of "gatekeeper" -- sorry if using that particular word caused all this unnecessary banter....
I refuse to use the word "gatekeeper" for airlines. Gatekeeper has a nice ring to it, like someone who has a noble purpose. Airlines don't.
The issue is that airlines incorrectly deny passengers boarding and there is no disincentive for them to do that, because there is no punishment or penalty. It all falls on the passenger.
Even in the UK (in the Guardian article) the passengers got nowhere, only by contacting the media and giving the airlines bad press did they get somewhere.
It seems budget/low-cost (whatever term you want to use) airlines deny boarding more, and it makes sense. But the 2 instances reported on the Guardian were mistakes. And the airline's response initially was to deny it, until it got escalated to upper management, who finally admitted it. Is that appropriate? Where is the accountability? It seems like there is none.
(and no, the airlines don't make the rules. I don't know why you think that. Nobody thinks that, not even the airlines)
This is just another way of abusing passengers, and the government really needs to step in and do something about it.