Taiwan tourist hits HK airline for discrimination

A Taiwanese tourist returning from Hong Kong has accused Dragon Airlines of discrimination against passengers from Taiwan after the carrier let Hong Kong passengers switch flights after their flight was grounded by tire problems but refused the same offer to passengers from other areas.

According to a statement from the woman surnamed Huang, who was to board a Dragon Air flight scheduled to depart at 8:55pm November 22 from Hong Kong, she waited with other passengers at the boarding counter until 9:15pm when the airline announced that their flight had been delayed due to tire problems on the aircraft. Several passengers from Hong Kong protested to the airlines and were allowed to switch to a Cathay Pacific flight about to take off.

The airline, however, rejected Huang’s demand to switch planes reasons, she said, an action she viewed as discriminatory. She and other stranded passengers boarded the original aircraft at about 11 p.m., more than two hours behind schedule.

The carrier compensated the delayed passengers with one Starbucks coupon worth HK$75 (about NT$300) per person, which most found useless as the coffee shop did not have enough food prepared for the unexpected flood of customers.

Huang noted that the airline said that the Hong Kong passengers did not have checked baggage and could more easily make a transfer, a claim that ‘flew in the face of the truth’ as she overheard Hong Kong passengers talking about their checked baggage. The carrier staff conversed with Hong Kong passengers in Cantonese, said Huang, who speaks Cantonese.

In response, Dragon Airlines said that it had not discriminated against any passengers and that all decisions had been made in accordance with regulations. The carrier said in the future it will continue its practice of allowing passengers with no checked baggage to switch planes.

source: http://www.taiwannews.com.tw

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