Airline accused of discrimination vs. Pinay What could have been an inspiring story of a young indigenous Filipina’s first trip abroad has been dampened by what a group said may be a case of discrimination by an airline. Arjean Marie Belco, 18, a member of the Talaandig tribe of Bukidnon, was on her way to Brazil for the World Youth Day, when she was stopped at the Kuala Lumpur Airport. Belco was not allowed to board her KLM Airlines connecting flight to Rio de Janeiro via Amsterdam July 20, at the Kuala Lumpur Airport where she arrived from Manila. “Arjean was denied her right to travel,” Goodxorg, the group which raised funds for her travel abroad, said in a letter of complaint sent to KLM. A KLM employee, whom the group identified as Mr. Shawa, claimed that Belco was “not ready to travel” and that “he was doubtful” despite Belco’s documents. Shawa reportedly asked Belco why her passport was “so new,” why her ticket was “cheap” and purchased the day earlier and how much money she had. He also asked why Belco was flying through Malaysia given direct flights to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil from Manila, Goodxorg said in the letter also posted on Facebook. Belco, as well as Goodxorg, which phoned in, explained that it was her first trip abroad, and that she took a connecting trip because it was cheaper than a direct flight. The 18-year-old also had with her a bank statement from Cartwheel Foundation and $100 and P3,370 in cash for emergency expenses while in transit. “We are concerned that her denial of boarding was based on other factors than just the information provided above,” Goodxorg said, adding that it was “unacceptable.” “This could also be perceived as a possible case of discrimination based on appearance, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age or social status,” it added. The group also claimed that Shawa was “laughing while listening” to Goodxorg’s explanation and said that Belco should “just buy another ticket.” The incident left Belco stranded in Malaysia for two nights. It also prodded a Goodxorg official to fly to Kuala Lumpur from Manila to make sure that Belco will be allowed to fly out and treated properly. “No immediate solution was offered by KLM,” Goodxorg said in a separate post July 23, which said the group met with the KLM Ground Services Regional Station Manager. The group nonetheless announced: “We are happy to share that Arjean finally boarded her flight bound for Amsterdam en route to Rio on the late evening of July 22.” They also thanked netizens for their statements of support, which they said were “positively overwhelming” and which helped Belco “immensely.”
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 05:18:35 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015