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The Indians, flying to Mumbai from Washington via Paris, complained that they were confined to the lounge on Monday with just some water and a sandwich after their plane reached Paris late from Washington and they could not board the connecting flight to Mumbai.
The passengers of the flight AF025 alleged that while they had to remain at the airport, people with American passports were given transit visas, provided accommodation and taken care of.
Complaining of discrimination and insensitivity towards them, a passenger Gwyneth Alphonso said, "We were not put on the immediate connecting flight on the same day. We were told that we have to just adjust within the environment. (Those) who held American passports were given visas and accommodation and were taken care of. But we who had Indian passports were the only ones to be denied any kind of help at that place".
The passengers said the airline extended an apology to the passengers through an SMS.
Over 50 Indian passengers had on May 12 accused Air France of 'racial' profiling at Paris airport where they were stuck while in transit after their aircraft developed a technical problem, a charge denied by the airline.
The passengers said their plane had left Washington three hours behind schedule due to a technical problem and that they had barely 20 minutes in hand after arrival in Paris to take their connecting flight to Mumbai. They said they just could not make it to the connecting flight.
Another passenger Jagdish Patankar, who had to spent the night in the 'sanitised' area at the airport, said, "It shows total insensitivity towards the incidence. For six hours, we were in that area. We were provided with water, were not provided with juice or food or anything. We were all there just stranded."
The passengers said they were finally put on a flight to Mumbai after they protested.
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NOT JUST Air France, dark skinned Indians are hated. I traveled to France and in Dubai-Paris flight, requested for some driking water (I was not well and getting dehydrated fast) and had to wait for half hour each time I asked for it. The whites were getting beer and wine in seconds after they ask. After landing in Paris, I was asked to pass my baggage through X-Ray again and questioned about my purpose of visit and if I was carrying things I should declare in customs. I am sophisticated, wear expensive perfume and well behaved (I dont even ogle at white girls in short dress). I have understood one thing .. US is a much better place with logical people and comfortable environment
We see discrimination too( i am not indian), from KLM,Luftansa, British Airways all airlines are the same. My last fligt was frankfurt to toronto, and there was a person I belive he worked for Luftansa asking questions to one passanger regarding his post code. I did not understand why he was asking because the person who questioned was Canadian citizen. Just for harassing the person. You can see how he was enjoying doing this. when you come to pearson airport you can see that people are working there treats how bad, insensitive,and humiliating discriminative.Canada is multiculture contry sure lol.People are respected here these are only stories you can hear. IN real life you are immigrant and you will discriminated .. that is realty, unfortunately. I wish my country has better living conditions and not have to come here.
okeyit might have been a matter of papers to some extentbut isnt it included in the services provided by the airliners to let them stay in some kinda airport hotel or atleast take them to a hotel and not necessrly OUT!if they are without a visa.2ndlyif they wanted them to stay at the airport then y not provide them comfortable lounges good food and service form time to timethe passengers were actuallt threatened to be handed over to the police if they complainedyes it happens and its not if it matter sin air India or air France but in genral discrimination.just because u are not the so called 'white skinned'doesnt mean u can be discriminated like tisblaming the system would be no goodall we all can prove is behave nicely wherevr we go,give due respect to every perosn b it black brown or whiteand hence reduce these kind off incidents and in general the perception people have for all of usI AM PROUD TO B BORN IN INDIA!
Why blame Air France? Almost all airlines have a similar attitude towards in Indians in general. We have only ourselves and our country man/women to blame for it. If we get transit visa we don’t go back-we stay over beyond our welcome. We make travelling extremely unpleasant with our insensitive behaviour and total lack of etiquette for our fellow passengers-we are noisy, messy and greedy when it comes to food and freebies in the airline. Last but not the least the silly people who man the Indian representative missions abroad really do not care about you if you are stuck anywhere nor are they willing to help you unlike their US/UK or French counterparts.
Why blame Air France? Almost all airlines have a similar attitude towards in Indians in general. We have only ourselves and our country man/women to blame for it. If we get transit visa we don’t go back-we stay over beyond our welcome. We make travelling extremely unpleasant with our insensitive behaviour and total lack of etiquette for our fellow passengers-we are noisy, messy and greedy when it comes to food and freebies in the airline. Last but not the least the silly people who man the Indian representative missions abroad really do not care about you if you are stuck anywhere nor are they willing to help you unlike their US/UK or French counterparts.
OF ALL THE INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES I HAVE TRAVELLED BY, AIR FRANCE AND FRENCH PEOPLE WERE THE MOST BIASED AND RACIST. I SAY THIS FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I MHOPE THAT ALL INDIANS STOP TRAVELLING BY THE AIR FRANCE.
New found recongnition as a world power has gone into Indians overseas more than that is actually eventiated in real terms in world economics and world politics. This is evident in the way just portray themselves above others in foriegn countries. In Melboune, I just do not take cabs with Indian drivers. They just love to talk themselves up and compare evrything on the road to what's in India and say its better there. WHo are they talking to.. If its so better why don't they go back enjoy that, rather than being pests to all others around them in these countries. Take Air India
"Simple solution is-- Fly Air India, and Feel at home. " What a raicst statement
As others have said, US passpoty holders are allowed to enter France without a Schengen visa. If there was an Indian with a US passport or an Indian Passport with a Schengen Visa in it, they would be allowed entry. On the same note, if a US passport holder had this siuation in Mumbai airport, they would not be allwoed into India unless they had an Indian visa.
The pressure on French officials should be built up at various levels. for one thing, if there were a threat to stop French arms sales it might make French officials at various levels less rude. I have faced insolent treatment from French consular officials on more than one occasion. Our Foreign Ministry is apparently incapable of taking up issues of Indians being harrassed and insulted but perhaps the media should help build up the pressure.
Funny thing is any airport you walk into, there will be hundreds of Indians going to India. The demand is great and airlines know this, so they would be stupid to mistreat Indians who are keeping the airline business afloat by going back and forth from India. Air France better shape up.
Indian National carrier "Air India" has improved a lot and is serving much better than many european airlines but still some Indians prefer and feel proud to fly European or other airlines why? to satisfy their ego that they were served wine and meals by a blonde? simple solution is to fly air india wherever possible and feel at home.
The airline has nothing to do with government entry requirements. If you don't have visa for that country don't take the risk of transiting and getting stuck in a room. The airline has nothing to do with the way the passengers are held at the airport. It's time people took responsibility for their own decisions and not blame others.
It looks pretty clear to me, there was no rasicm. "American passport" holder are allowed to enter in EU without visa thats why they got accomodation in hotels. I am sure Indian with American passport would be given that facility too. Unfortunatly, "Indian passport" holders need Schengen Transit visa to leave airport area.
It is quite common for Indian to treat white skinned people in a special way. Air India staff always do the same. Some of the ladies in Lodon Air India office are vicious and speak very rudely to their fellow Indians. The problem is we do't have a system to complain and get compensation. Our police, judges, lawyers are so corrupt you wonder where you start.We as passengers also have to behave in a civilised way when we travel. We need to be considerate about our fellow passengers. Talking about Embassy staff. You should go to them last if you are abroad and run into problem. They will dig money from your pocket.
I have made more than 50,000 residents of the country named in my remarks SAY - WE LOVE INDIA and INDIANS. Because I fought where it was needed and not emotionaly writing articles in IE. I am proud of being an Indian. In number of my interviews with state tv channels, through local news papers I have highlighted - if America is money power of the world, Russia the military power, then "India" is is the heart of the world. "IF YOU HAVE A HEART YOU WILL LOVE INDIA". You will be surprised at my ways of protests against discrimination and I do not give up till the miscreant is brought down to knees. DO NOT EXPECT OUR GOVT. TO DO ANYTHING,but in MEA I have seen officers who have risked their lives for Pride of India. They are few but exist.
If Air France is so bad and so racist why don't you fly Air India,I am sure they will treat you much better since you are one of their own. And while you are at it, why don't you also fight against discrimination within your own country against people of different castes and religions. Discrimination is discrimination whether it is the French against Indians or Indian Brahmins against Indian Untouchables. Get real before crying discrimination. Indians are the most racist group of people in the world. As A great man once said...BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE...NOO!!! I am not talking about Obama who plagiarized these words and never gave credit where it was due...I am talking about Mahatma Ghandhi!!!May he rest in eternal peace!!
Dear all Please stop blaming the Air France for the low class treatment,they might have mistaken the so called rich and high as low caste Dalits of India.please stay back and protest against the divine caste discrimination against the fellow Indians.cheers to Air FranceRaju charles
Another solution to Indians getting a raw deal from Western airlines : Government of India should allow forthwith ALL ASEAN countries' airlines to fly to India from third countries / also allow them to fly to third countries from India if they give same rights to India's airlines.Problem solved.But I know our BABUDOM will not allow this as this is a public service and we get service only when they decide it is in their interest to do so.Will the new UPA government be any better ?Let us see.
The blame should be squarely placed at Government of India and its Ministry of External Affairs ( MEA ).MEA works like a mafia.May I tell you young Indians our own Indian embassy in Singapore grabbed my passport while interviewing me in a meeting room at the Singapore High Commission for renewal of my private passport without giving a valid reason even while my previous PSU bank gave NOC for renewal of passport ? My crime was I surrendered my Official Passport in Singapore instead of in India and returned to Singapore on that 1 year valid passport.Before hurling abuse at others,our young upper class Indians should look at how we treat our own poor cousins in India :servants are treated like dirt,bulky goods are not allowed to be delivered through passenger lifts.MEA's overseas embassies have to be seen to be believed : MEA takes ages to implement any visa rules even after announcement.Credit cards are NOT allowed.MEA outsources but its own charges remain unchanged.Look at India first.
Vic,It is not about karma, it is about equal right. We are paying equal amount of money just like anybody else, there is no discount for those with Indian passport. Regardless, no airline should treat its passengers diffrently, unless they asked and pay for it.
Solution: Just avoid Air France and ParisI had always gone through London and used British Airways and had very good treatment (other than things not under their control)
All Indians as wee Friend and well wishers should boycott the Air France and Stop Visiting France.We all should come out openly against any kind of ill-treatment and discrimination by these Airlines. Hope we learn some lesson.
I strongly believe that this is not any kind of racial discrimination. This is the matter of having right papers to enter a foreign country. It has nothing to do with color and has everything to do with Passport/Paper works. If any of those Indian travelers were holding an American Passport I bet they would have let them out of the airport since people with the US passport doesn’t require a visa to enter the EU nations and vice versa. How do you expect a country to let a foreigner in without proper papers? That is just ridiculous that most of you are even thinking that way. I am sure if any of the French or American or anyone who comes to any Indian airports without any paper work they will be treated the exact same way. NO DOUBT. If Air France did show any racial discrimination they are not alone, even Air India does that to Indians. I have seen it with my own eyes.
Both airlines i.e.AIR FRANCE and KLM the partner are bad air lines. Air France staff are rude and aggressive and do not provide the facilities the passangers are entitled to. Indian looking face whether Indian or British passport holders are badly treated. Air France staff have no manners when it comes to dealing with Indian origin. KLM staff are equally bad. My Mrs who travelled by KLM missed KLM flight because of KLM mistakes and was forced to stay in a hotel overnight paying from her own pocket. These airlines are overbooked and the connecting flight passangers mainly Indian looking have to pay the price. We have stopped flying by Air France and try not to to use KLM if I am going to India.I think all Indian should stop flying AIR FRANCE to teach them a hard lesson.