Exclusionist
WHAT WAS KLM thinking? The Dutch airline came under fire recently for having barred an 18-yearold indigenous Filipino woman from flying to Rio de Janeiro for the flimsiest but most outrageous of reasons: She was tagged as “not ready to travel” despite the full documentation she presented to airline personnel. Arjean Marie Belco of Bukidnon’s Talaandig tribe, whose trip was sponsored by the nonprofit group GoodX.org and its partner Cartwheel Foundation.org., was at the Kuala Lumpur airport on July 20, en route to Brazil to take part in the World Youth Day celebrations, when a KLM employee identified as a Mr. Shawa stopped her at the check-in counter. The man was “doubtful” about the validity of Belco’s trip—and would not let her on the flight even after he was shown valid travel and supplementary documents.
According to the complaint posted by Belco and her sponsors on Facebook, Shawa also let loose with disparaging comments and questions—about why her ticket was “too cheap ... and was just purchased yesterday,” why her passport looked new, and how much money she had, among other things. Belco was able to present bank documentation that she had sufficient travel funds; she also requested the airline to call her sponsors to confirm the trip. But she was still barred from flying.
GoodX.org said it had contacted KLM before Belco’s ticket was bought, to confirm her flight details. So what would account for the airline’s action? GoodX.org thinks it was because a high-handed KLM employee profiled Belco and decided she didn’t fit his idea of a typical international traveler. “Arjean was denied her right to travel. This could also be perceived as a possible case of discrimination based on appearance, gender, ethnicity, nationality, age or social status,” GoodX.org said in its FB post.
Belco, a BS Education student whowas on her very first trip outside of the Philippines, was eventually allowed to fly and is now in Rio. In a subsequent statement, KLM said it had gotten in touch with GoodX.org and had “made all arrangements needed to bring this to a good end.” It also said it “values all of its passengers,” does not distinguish “between age, gender, race, religion or lifestyle,” and accepts “passengers in possession of valid travel documents.”
But there was no explanation whatsoever for its exclusionist behavior toward the young woman, who was not only carrying valid travel papers but was also fully backed by her sponsors. Worse, there was no hint of remorse in KLM’s statement, or a smidgen of acknowledgment that it had made a regrettable mistake.
The absence of apology is appalling. This airline’s display of disregard for the rights of customers deserves the strongest rebuke. Travellers are also hereby forewarned.