Sunday, January 30, 2005

Adopted doesn't count?

Passports, but no pass

A couple traveling with their daughter is denied admission to their airplane by an agent working for a Northwest Airlines affiliate. The agent's manager also denies admission

Their crime? Their adopted daughter does not resemble them. Her passport, which proves both identity and nationality, is not considered sufficient proof of family affiliation.

The family misses their flight. Later the airline is apparently rather contrite. My suspicion is that the agent didn't much like the idea of adoption, much less inter-ethnic adoption. The rules are sufficiently ambiguous that the agent was able to exercise his/her prejudices. Astoundingly, however, the manager didn't catch the problem.

Northwest needs an aggressive re-education program, preferably administered by a senior executive and his adopted children.

If this were to happen to my family, they'd need a heck of a lot more than an apology to avoid litigation.

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