Peru's Prez gets down-graded
Jun 10, 1999, 9:25 pm
#1
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Peru's Prez gets down-graded
News
June 10, 1999 22:26
Peru leader says U.S. airline downgraded his seat LIMA, June 10 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on Thursday slammed a major U.S. airline for showing him and his country a lack of respect by downgrading him from first class to economy in a saga which has gripped the nation.
Fujimori discarded diplomatic niceties for a second day when he criticized American Airlines for the downgrade on a personal trip from Kansas City to Dallas last week, which he had already likened on Wednesday to a "minibus trip".
The president, who often travels in his own presidential plane, originally said his economy class trip was due to a ticket mix-up. However, he accused the airline of "impertinence" on Thursday after determining that the airline had in fact downgraded his first class ticket when he was traveling incognito on a family visit.
"In spite of my diplomatic passport, American Airlines employees assigned me an economy class seat. This is a little more serious than I first thought," Fujimori said.
The case has received widespread media coverage in this poor Andean nation, traditionally sensitive to how its citizens are treated by the world's economic powerhouse.
"You are right," trumpeted the headline on a front page editorial in the leading El Comercio daily, which has recently criticized the president for alleged rights abuses by the government. "We know you are a normally austere person and that your criticism comes as the nation's figurehead," it said.
For Peru's political opposition, the economy class trip was a lesson for a president they say has become too accustomed to power after nine years in government. He is now learning what it is like to be a Peruvian, they added.
"Now he only needs to travel in a minibus, queue up for social security ... live on a teacher's salary," a column in opposition daily La Republica said on Thursday.
American said it was investigating the incident and did not say if the downgrade stemmed from overbooking the first class section or some other complication.
"American Airlines expresses our deepest apology for any inconvenience we may have caused the president. The matter is being investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken," the company said in a statement.
June 10, 1999 22:26
Peru leader says U.S. airline downgraded his seat LIMA, June 10 (Reuters) - Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on Thursday slammed a major U.S. airline for showing him and his country a lack of respect by downgrading him from first class to economy in a saga which has gripped the nation.
Fujimori discarded diplomatic niceties for a second day when he criticized American Airlines for the downgrade on a personal trip from Kansas City to Dallas last week, which he had already likened on Wednesday to a "minibus trip".
The president, who often travels in his own presidential plane, originally said his economy class trip was due to a ticket mix-up. However, he accused the airline of "impertinence" on Thursday after determining that the airline had in fact downgraded his first class ticket when he was traveling incognito on a family visit.
"In spite of my diplomatic passport, American Airlines employees assigned me an economy class seat. This is a little more serious than I first thought," Fujimori said.
The case has received widespread media coverage in this poor Andean nation, traditionally sensitive to how its citizens are treated by the world's economic powerhouse.
"You are right," trumpeted the headline on a front page editorial in the leading El Comercio daily, which has recently criticized the president for alleged rights abuses by the government. "We know you are a normally austere person and that your criticism comes as the nation's figurehead," it said.
For Peru's political opposition, the economy class trip was a lesson for a president they say has become too accustomed to power after nine years in government. He is now learning what it is like to be a Peruvian, they added.
"Now he only needs to travel in a minibus, queue up for social security ... live on a teacher's salary," a column in opposition daily La Republica said on Thursday.
American said it was investigating the incident and did not say if the downgrade stemmed from overbooking the first class section or some other complication.
"American Airlines expresses our deepest apology for any inconvenience we may have caused the president. The matter is being investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken," the company said in a statement.
Jun 10, 1999, 10:24 pm
#3
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My AA story:
Once I had to make a last minute business trip and because of time constraints the only flight I could take was an AA flight. Needless to say, the ticket was a very expensive ticket. I had an upgrade voucher (from Sheraton Club Intl.) for AA which I tried to use. There was space in the first class cabin, but the agent said that my ticket was ineligible because my travel agency got a 10% discount (of a super expensive ticket) from AA. Fortunately I read the fine print on the back of the certificate and showed the agent that the booking class of my ticket was listed as eligible, so she reluctantly upgraded me.
Once I had to make a last minute business trip and because of time constraints the only flight I could take was an AA flight. Needless to say, the ticket was a very expensive ticket. I had an upgrade voucher (from Sheraton Club Intl.) for AA which I tried to use. There was space in the first class cabin, but the agent said that my ticket was ineligible because my travel agency got a 10% discount (of a super expensive ticket) from AA. Fortunately I read the fine print on the back of the certificate and showed the agent that the booking class of my ticket was listed as eligible, so she reluctantly upgraded me.
Jun 11, 1999, 6:19 am
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That is bad press for AA. Regardless of what his constituents in Peru think about him, c'mon, we're talking about a head of state of an ally.
Jun 11, 1999, 8:21 am
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If he had an economy class ticket, then that is were he should have been! Too many free ride up front already. If he is unhappy, give him a $25 certificate good on his next full fare ticket!
If he had a first class ticket, then he should have been given a free ticket in 1st on a future rt flight.
That's my opinion. He normally flies another plane! He doesn't belong to AA's programs. How would an elite member of AA feel about being bumped out of first by such a coach vip class. Think about it, with you in mind as one who did not get upgraded because some diplomat had Ka Ka!
If he had a first class ticket, then he should have been given a free ticket in 1st on a future rt flight.
That's my opinion. He normally flies another plane! He doesn't belong to AA's programs. How would an elite member of AA feel about being bumped out of first by such a coach vip class. Think about it, with you in mind as one who did not get upgraded because some diplomat had Ka Ka!
Jun 11, 1999, 8:51 am
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It was a paid first class ticket, he was traveling incognito, so he was not getting VIP treatment for who he was.
Jun 11, 1999, 10:24 am
#8
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A few years ago when I was trying to leave Toronto, AA, or at least an AA agent would not let me board on an earlier flight than the one I was ticketed for. She wouldn't give me the time of day, and the outgoing plane had space galore. She insisted I wait for over three hours for the next plane to Dallas. I just went to the phone accross the hall to phone AA and ask for help and the phone agent kept asking me what the problem was. She didn't see any problem. "You're going to have to ask her, I don't know!" I asked her to please note the change in the record for me. Finally, the local AA agent allowed me to board after checking the record and she said only "I don't have the authority to do that!" Not even an apology!
Jun 11, 1999, 10:48 am
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The article doesn't really confirm that it was a paid first class ticket. If it was, and there was an upgraded or non-rev passenger in first, whoever did the bumping should be shot. However, if they'd simply overbooked first, and everyone in there was paid first, he should know better than to travel incognito. Who in the world (except a confirmed current events buff) would look at Fujimori and realize that he might be the president of Peru, especially if that's what he claimed. I'd call a funny farm if I didn't know better.
BTW: I've travelled a lot on a diplomatic passport, and I've found that it gets you through customs a bit faster (outside the US only) but that it also attracts a lot of extra attention from security folks (the old KGB and their brethren). It doesn't get you many perks. In this situation, if he remained "incognito" and tried to rely on his diplomatic passport, he'd probably have gone to the bottom of the list.
[This message has been edited by philforest (edited 06-11-1999).]
BTW: I've travelled a lot on a diplomatic passport, and I've found that it gets you through customs a bit faster (outside the US only) but that it also attracts a lot of extra attention from security folks (the old KGB and their brethren). It doesn't get you many perks. In this situation, if he remained "incognito" and tried to rely on his diplomatic passport, he'd probably have gone to the bottom of the list.
[This message has been edited by philforest (edited 06-11-1999).]
Jun 12, 1999, 6:58 am
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What some newspaper article did not mention was that he was on a full fare ticket, was downgraded, and had his baggage searched by a "lowly" airline employee as if he was looking for drugs. The Peruvian president also noted that he wished that airline employees themselves would be subjected to the same security measures after he noticed that crew for his flight were waved through security without a proper search.
Now which report would you rather believe?
Now which report would you rather believe?
Jun 12, 1999, 7:00 am
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This incident goes to show that that Presidents, PMs and Royalty also sometimes gets the everyday person's dilemma!
Reminded me of an incident about 4 weeks ago when I was stuck on the M4 in London enroute to Heathrow airport. Guess who was in the Jaguar next to me, also stuck in traffic?
None other than QE...along with her 2 corgis! She didn't see me though but her corgi did when I waved to it!
[This message has been edited by Celestar340 (edited 06-12-1999).]
Reminded me of an incident about 4 weeks ago when I was stuck on the M4 in London enroute to Heathrow airport. Guess who was in the Jaguar next to me, also stuck in traffic?
None other than QE...along with her 2 corgis! She didn't see me though but her corgi did when I waved to it!
[This message has been edited by Celestar340 (edited 06-12-1999).]
Jun 12, 1999, 1:19 pm
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Celestar, interesting in that at the Kansas City airport all security is done airline by airline, so the security there is contracted specifically by AA. (MCI was designed in appx 1970 as a "no walk" airport--you can park within 50 feet of the planes, and dropoffs for rental cars etc are within 30 feet) which are parked outside of 3 semicircular terminals. Unfortunately, security has to be done at (nearly) every gate. Extremely convenient airport to fly in and out of, except for distance from downtown, but extremely inappropriate for a hub airport.
Jun 12, 1999, 7:58 pm
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I was just in Lima yesterday, and this story for clearly being given a lot of press and TV airtime. As for the agent not knowing that Fujimori is president of Peru, he did present his diplomatic passport when asked for ID.
Jun 13, 1999, 2:10 pm
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My passport doesn't state my occupation, and my recollection of when I caried a diplomatic one is that they didn't either. So he's a diplomat. They're a dime a dozen and are accorded immunity from a bunch of local laws, but not assured priveleged treatment on airlines. Again, if he chose to travel incognito, then he deserved to be treated like any other diplomat - which means just like anyone else, except at Immigration and Customs. Even if he had decided to give up his anonymity, I think I'd have been sceptical about an Asian claiming to be president of a South American country. I don't think the airline was disrespectful of his office. I do think they were disrespectful of a paying passenger. In fact, if the president of the US decided to fly commercial, I'd expect him to be treated the same as any other passenger paying the same fare. Peanuts, Bill? No, that's Jimmy.
[This message has been edited by philforest (edited 06-13-1999).]
[This message has been edited by philforest (edited 06-13-1999).]
Jun 14, 1999, 10:10 am
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Perhaps he is just angry that the airline did not provide a complimentary intern?
Bottom line, I have three questions.
1) Why isn't he on his country's version of "Air Force One" for most trips? Our President ties up LAX to get $200 haircuts, so it isn't unprecedented. Besides, I'd imagine that ATC gives pretty high priority to heads of state.
2) If he was TRYING to fly incognito, why on earth should he be surprised to be treated as just another passenger? Isn't that the entire POINT of flying incognito?
3) Is this guy a former professional athlete? This is the kind of whining you'd expect from Dennis Rodman.
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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."
Bottom line, I have three questions.
1) Why isn't he on his country's version of "Air Force One" for most trips? Our President ties up LAX to get $200 haircuts, so it isn't unprecedented. Besides, I'd imagine that ATC gives pretty high priority to heads of state.
2) If he was TRYING to fly incognito, why on earth should he be surprised to be treated as just another passenger? Isn't that the entire POINT of flying incognito?
3) Is this guy a former professional athlete? This is the kind of whining you'd expect from Dennis Rodman.
------------------
"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."