Experience with DELTA AIRWAYS and the US CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

Experience with DELTA AIRWAYS and the US CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

Written By : Mac-Darling Cobbinah

Experience with DELTA AIRWAYS and the US CUSTOMS AND IMMIGRATION

In God We Trust is the official motto of the United States, the U.S. state of Florida and the Central American nation of Nicaragua. In the United States, the motto first appeared on a coin in 1864 during strong Christian sentiment emerging during the Civil War, but In God We Trust did not become the official U.S. national motto until after the passage of an Act of Congress in 1956. It is codified as federal law in the United States Code at 36 U.S.C. § 302, which provide: ‘”In God we trust” is the national motto[i]. The mission of Delta airways is as follows;

“We—Delta’s employees, customers, and community partners together form a force for positive local and global change, dedicated to bettering standards of living and the environment where we and our customers live and work.“[ii] . If mission statements are the watch word for organizations and groups, the Delta airline which is a “sky team” member with KLM and other airlines is an embarrassment to the airlines industry. My experience in flying with Delta twice has always been disappointments and nightmares all along.

Mexico

The first ever flight on Delta airways was in July, 2008 to Mexico to attend the International AIDS conference with my sister Anita. We started in Accra quite well and headed for the United States (US). Upon reaching the US, our flight via Cincinnati to Mexico was cancelled without any reason given to us as passengers. We were not given accommodation, transport or telephone to contact the people paying for our ticket at the United Nations Development Programs (UNDP).

I felt sick since I was treating malaria from Ghana; I was taken to the Jamaica hospital for treatment of my malaria. Frankly, I felt I was in hell with all these nice and lovely nurses moving around me knowing nothing about malaria. I was kept in an isolation ward for having malaria. Nurses come every hour for blood sample with huge bottles for testing. They claimed they were testing for what is wrong with me but I felt they do not know what they were doing when one of the nurses told me they have sent for a consultant from another hospital to help them treat my malaria.

I decided to leave the next day after reading that I have the right to refuse treatment. Since this article is not about American medical systems, I will go ahead with my experience with Delta.

We got on the next flight the next morning to Mexico without compensation, explanation, and nothing.

Trinidad

Secondly, I have to travel on the 27 October, 2009 from Accra to Trinidad and Tobago to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). I was subjected to search back home in Accra like a criminal and all my ironed clothes was crumpled and I was asked to asked to park my clothes back. These I believe do not happen with other airlines and when this happens, passengers are treated with some respect and courtesy.

On my way back to Ghana, the delta flight from Miami to London was full and so the flight from Trinidad delayed at the tar mark for almost an hour and a half before parking. I immediately run out to catch up to my flight to London only to be told I cannot get access to the flight though the flight will be leaving in an hour time. Though the delay was not a fault of mine, the airline only compensated me with a hotel accommodation close to the airport and a 10 dollar coupon for eating breakfast and 15 dollar for lunch. Nothing for phone calls to my family and friends to inform them about what have happened and they treated me like they are doing me a favor. I had pity on myself that day.

The lady then booked me on the next day’s British airways (BA) flight. I notice from here that she is finding it difficult to get me a flight from London to Accra but she promised me a flight from London because “she finds it difficult to get on the BA system from the US. The next day, I left to the airport in the afternoon and had access to the British airways to London but unfortunately for me, upon arrival, I was told there is no space on any of the flight to Ghana that day and that the next available flight will only be two days’ time. They also said they will not be able to provide me with accommodation, food and nothing can be done about it.

Therefore, I went to their office and pleaded with one of the officer who asked one of the client service officers to book me on another flight to make sure that I get to Ghana that someday due to my ill health. They booked for me a Kenya Airways that took me through Kenya before flying back to Ghana that night. During this process, there was lots of purchasing done from my personal pocket that I didn’t budget for.

TRIP TO CHICOGO

The third and maybe my last experience is my trip from Accra to Chicago via New York on April 9^th 2010. I will not mention what went on in the Accra Kotoka airport which for me is embarrassing. I believe the United States can resource airports in developing countries such as GHANA for their airline to fly to these places knowing that they have put the security measures in place. Why would people go through every piece of ironed clothes and after pack them anyhow just for the sake of security of people who keep making enemies instead of friends? These searches never happened with the other airlines; why Delta airline? Maybe America should sit up and draw lessons from their past and present and draw a good and human right friendly plan for the future of the United States businesses.

Surprisingly, we got on the flight after several delays and frustration. Upon arrival, there was a huge queue due the numbers of flight arriving on the delta terminal. The flight from Accra to New York was 11 hours and so most of us were very tired and stressed out. The immigration officer when it got to my turn took my passport and asked me several questions and then asked me to follow him to the custom offices, which I did happily knowing I have nothing to hide. I was made to look like a fool not knowing my rights. I was asked to leave my bags outside, walked inside and made to sit on a kind of bench with lots of other Africans and Asians.

After sitting for an hour, knowing that my flight will be leaving in two hours’ time, I walked up to ask the officer why I am sitting and what is my crime or charge but he claimed “you documents are not good and we are looking into them”. They kept me for more than two hours only to be told at the end “We suspect you are into drugs for coming to the United States of America three times in the year already”

They then ask me to go to the airline for the connection flight to Chicago knowing very well that the flights have already left. The delta staffs never gave me access to phone when I requested to call people around to enable me find a place to sleep. They directed me to a nearby airport where I can sleep at the airport. There was no sorry from them, no accommodation, no transport, and no food…nothing from the airlines.

The next morning after getting to the airport with a taxi from a friend’s house in New York, the flight delayed for an hour and a half before setting off. Funnily enough, the flight was so booked that there were two more people who walked into the flight and were asked to go back because there is no empty space in the connecting flight for them. This shows how delta always book more and keep lots of people on the waiting list denying other travellers the rights to enjoy their booked flights and go through the challenges of either paying more to sleep in the hotel or sleeping on the chairs of the airport till when delta finds space for them.

In conclusion

I think the US Immigration officers are too powerful and using their powers to abuse people unjustly. People perceived to be drugs dealers or carrying illegal documents are not treated with any respect or their human rights not considered. People from Africa are perceived as poor and weak to the extent that we cannot work and get money to purchase our own ticket to travel and if African young man like myself travel frequently, then he/she might be dealing in drugs or a terrorist. This perception and attitude toward people from Islamic countries and Africa at the US borders makes it difficult to see fairness. There should be a way to get redress for these issues and an investigation should be conducted into issues raised to strengthen America’s image and relations with others, making friends and avoiding enemies.

Secondly, the US Customs should be able to let people know why they are been kept, instead of people asked to sit without knowing why they are waiting.

Thirdly, Delta airways management need to sit up and do the right things since there are several other airlines flying through the US offering luxury services and minimized tension. America is a nice country with nice people and need to make friends instead of enemies. America trusting in God will not save itself but, building human rights principles and practicing equal rights and justice. No selective justices.

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[i] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_God_We_Trust

[ii] http://www.company-statements-slogans.info/list-of-companies-d/delta-air-lines.htm