gkkoul

My wife and I we 're flying from Varadero to Frankfurt through Montreal with overnight stop. Both check in from Varadero all the way and different tickets. In Montreal I arrived late in the airport with my luggage. In the mean time my wife try to issue tags for my luggage but because I had exceed the time limit to check in luggage she communicates the Air Canada manager on duty who politely try to assist her until the time he received our Greek passports. He start to argue that this is not possible and he can not do anything when two minutes before it was, I will do my best. When I arrived and ask if I can let my luggage behind and just board he threatened me with police, security and prison.
After that he denied boarding to both of us even though we had different tickets. We I have to claim for a refund?

NewbE

Before he saw your Greek passports, did he think you and your wife were traveling on Canadian passports? Because the rules governing late luggage might actually be different.

Also--and, truly, sorry for this, but it must be said -- you are very naive if you think "nationality discrimination" is illegal. Ever see those lines, one set of passport holders in one line (say, EU), everyone else in another? It is the way the world works.

eliztravels2

I’m sorry this happened to you but I think it is misleading to say you experienced “nationality discrimination” You were denied boarding because you were late and missed the deadline for checking baggage. I once saw two Canadian families with several small children denied boarding at a Canadian airport because they missed the check in deadline. Rules are rules and they are there for a reason. For instance, If a plane is held back while late luggage is loaded it inconveniences all the other passengers and could result in them missing a connection on the next leg of the flight.

It may be that the manager was trying to bend the rules but felt for security reasons it couldn’t be done for a foreign national. It also could be that some other consideration , such as your attitude/response convinced them that strict enforcement of the rules was the best policy. And of course there is no way they would allow you to leave your luggage behind. Unattended luggage creates security problems in many public areas, not only airports. The worst act of terrorism in Canadian history, the Air India bombing, occurred because there were not sufficiently strict rules about passengers and luggage travelling together.

What do you expect to get a refund for? Generally speaking if you miss a flight because of your own actions you are only entitled to a refund only if your ticket was purchased in the highest and most expensive fare class.

thursdaysd

If you were checked through to Frankfort from Varadero, why did you have your luggage with you in Montreal? Why did you, but not your wife, arrive late for the flight? If you were too late to check in, what did you expect the airline to do?

kmowatt

You were checked all the way through to Frankfurt with an overnight stop in YUL? How? An overnight stop would require you to collect bags in YUL and then check in again the following day for flight departing - or did I get that wrong?

Sounds like you missed the cut off for luggage and if so that would be your issue not the airline. Can't comment further on the perceived passport discrimination. Would need to have actually overheard the agent on that one.