Bretteee

Anyone who visits Lebanon/Syria with an Israeli stamp is just as dumb as an Israeli who purchases a ticket on Kuwait Airways.

Bretteee

Apirichik you are mistaken. The moment you board a Kuwaiti aircraft you technically are in Kuwait, not in Canada or the UK or the USA etc.

>> Anyone who WILL try to do so is an idiot who should pay for such a stupid act.>.

Thank you for admitting their stupidity!

>>It is the airline responsibily to check the passengers boarding their planes for their eligibility to enter the destination country, and their right to reject passengers if they do not meet these eligibility demands.<<

I really doubt that Kuwait Airways could in their wildest imagination thought it likely that Israelis would attempt to fly with them.

>> However, this is not the case here either as the passengers WERE eligible to leave the departure point and WERE eligible to enter the arrival point.>.

Kuwait Airways is free to deny them boarding and put them onto another flight. And I am sure they lost money on it as their fares are very cheap; cheaper than AA.

The Canadian travel agent can't be expected to know Israeli / Middle Eastern politics. It's the passenger's responsibility.

Bretteee

I don't want to be mean but these Israelis deserved what they got. My cousin flew Kuwait Airways from London to New York because it was cheap but he is not Israeli.However I was shocked how he could do this in view of their attitude vis a vis Israel. Why give them our money? I don't get it.

Shareholder

"The Canadian travel agent can't be expected to know Israeli / Middle Eastern politics. "

**** right they should. What are they paid for if not to advise their customers about such matters. If the TA knew these people held Israeli passports, or even that they were Jewish, s/he should have known there'd be a problem even if the flight was just JFK-LHR.

Equally, if they were Israelis, and/or Jewish, how could they even consider flying on an Arab airline under the circumstances?

UA1K

If my parents were in this situation, I would be relieved that Kuwait Airways even gave them an option of flying AA. Just imagine what would have happened if the passengers were allowed on board and authorities in Kuwait saw the Israeli passports while they were transitting Kuwait!Ouch!!

Thank your lucky stars that your parents got away with AA tickets.Kuwait airways must have lost a bundle.

Babu

This wouldn't have happened. They were on a fifth freedom flight from JFK-LHR. Although the plane continues onto Kuwait after London, the couple in question would have disembarked in LHR.

fastflyer

I'm a little surprised that no one has condemned the rather obvious anti-Semitism of the Kuwaiti Airlines people. This is technically contrary to law in the US and (IIRC) Canada.

Bretteee

I disagree that it has to do with antisemitism. It's due for "political" reasons that they were denied boarding.

However I do know that some Jews do fly Kuwait Airlines due to cheap fares. And it shocks me. We should not help financially countries that wish us harm.

Shareholder

If you looked at my original post you would have seen I suggested they could contact the FAA and make a discrimination complaint. However, in the strictest sense, it was their Israeli passport and not being Jewish [assuming they are], that took them off the flight. It would be up to the FAA to judge if this was discriminatory, or a valid principle of a carrier not flying passengers of a nation their country was at war with. Afterall, the US now has separate standards for travellers from most Arab countries now, distinct from discriminating against Muslims.

Bretteee

Shareholder I agree with you. Had they been denied boarding only because they were Jewish i.e. Jewish but non-Israeli citizens, then I think it would be "antisemitism" and very serious and then they would have a strong discrimination case.

But because they are Israeli's and Kuwait, not having signed a Peace Treaty (for what these Peace Treaties are worth anyway!), is extremely hostile to Israel, it's a political reason. Kuwait is not a front-line State but ranks among the most visciously anti-Israeli countries in the Arab world.

apirchik

For those who care about every dollar spent, cheap is good and the inconvenience resulted from the low price is worth it. For example - if flying a Kuwaity airline is worth $400 (less than any competitor), it is worth the hassle or inconvenience.
What these people do not expect is to be rejected by the airline who accepted their payment.

It's a common Israeli believe that if I paid for it (even the cheapest) I deserve it all. This believe goes a long way with the reputation of Israelis taking "souvenirs" from where they stay - from hotel towels to TV remote controls, curtains, faucets and everything imaginable (after all, the hotel got my money ...).

Of course not all of us are like this, but the few make a mark!

reisevergnuegen

With all the excitement here about a hostile Kuwait, please do not forget that both, Israel and Kuwait, without US protection would long be off the map of any Frequent Flyer.

The latest war in Iraq, which was also very much in Israel's interest, would have been much more difficult if not impossible without Kuwait's assistance. After all, there would probably never have been war by the US in Iraq if there had not been a Kuwait.

Not that I think that time is ripe yet for a codeshare agreement between KU and LY, but let's focus on the miles. Neither KU nor LY have very attractive FF programs, so the guys from Canada should not complain but be very, very happy that they had a chance to collect AAdvantage miles instead .

[This message has been edited by reisevergnuegen (edited 08-01-2003).]

apirchik

This hole discussion is about people who do not travel much and couldn't care less about miles ...

Bretteee

Fortunately I do not know of any Israelis in my family who would be so daft as to book a ticket with Kuwait Airways, no matter what the saving.

Bretteee

Actually LY's Matmid program is not bad. And they participate with AA and Delta.

Good point about Kuwait helping in the war against Iraq but in this case, the enemy of my enemy is "not my friend."