A stranded Irish girl and her father have disclosed how an official at the Kotoka International Airport "humiliated" and subjected them to "verbal discrimination".
Michaella Itaire, 23, and her father Michael Itaire were left stranded at the Kotoka International Airport on Saturday after a row over luggage size prevented them from boarding their flight back to Europe.
The pair, who had spent two weeks Christmas holidays in Ghana visiting family, were booked to fly to Brussels via Morocco with Royal Air Maroc on Saturday from the Kotoka International Airport.
However, she said when she arrived with her father at Kotoka international airport in the early hours of Saturday morning, they were told they had too much luggage and would not be able to travel.
“My dad asked to speak to a supervisor and he was told five bags was a violation of their policy. How were we supposed to know that when they let us through in Brussels? He gave us the ultimatum of paying over €100 for the last bag or we couldn’t get on the flight,”she said, reported The Irish Times.
Travel refused
According to Michaella, her father eventually decided to leave one bag behind and made his way through security with his daughter. However, upon arrival at their gate they were told all their bags had been taken off the aircraft and that they would not be allowed travel.
“It was the same woman at the gate who had insulted us before at check-in. I showed her my ticket but she turned her back on me and ignored us. She would not allow me to board and would not speak to me or reply when I asked why. I was so humiliated I wanted to cry.
“I was subjected to verbal discrimination based on being an Irish foreigner. Even when people came to my defense for this ill treatment I felt terrible. I tried not to cry, especially in front of her.”
Once the flight had taken off, the father and daughter made their way to the Royal Air Maroc office outside the airport building where they requested to be put on the next flight but say they were told the cost of a new flight was $400 (€328).
Ms Itaire said she contacted the Irish consulate in Accra where an official took her details but informed her that there would be no staff available to help until Monday. She said they were unable to afford new flights back to Europe and had been left stranded in Ghana.
“This day has been so stressful. It was so humiliating to watch the airline yell at my dad in front of people in the airport. I swear this experience has left a mark, I never would have been treated like this by an Irish airline.”
According to the The Irish Times, it sought a comment from Royal Air Maroc but received no reply.
Source: ghanaguardian.com
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Christmas holidays in November and 100 Euros for extra luggage? Some Airlines charge as much as $20 per kg for extra luggage
This really is about the airline and not Ghana or the airport.Most airlines have a 2 bag per passenger rule so if they had 5 bags , one was definitely extra, which they had to pay for. The official should have just been polite but firm.
somebody should help Ghana employees with good customer service.
Ghanaians are so ***barred word*** ***barred word***, you should had punched the bitch face. they did something similar like that to me at Kenya airways check in. they charged me 250 for a suitcase but i usually paid 150 for extra bags, how the hell are you charging me 250???? i started to scream like crazy and i requested their baggage charge. when they brought it,it was written 150 usd.... sometimes you have to stand up for your rights....
5 luggages and you insulted me? You bet you won't be getting on that flight. This is standard airline rules, you should read the terms before making assumptions.
It wasn't very nice of the staff.they should have attented to them reasonably and listened to whatever ***barred word*** the customer has to say..though in this case I don't think the customer did..because that's why u are working there and serving them.if u don't want to hear ***barred word*** and bulls hit don't go and work there in the first plce. Cuz they u meet a shot lot of people with different race and personality and attitude.not everyone gonna be nice to u Cuz they going to america or wah ever. ***barred word*** happens
I THINK THE AIRPORT STAFF COULD HA E BEEN HAVE HANDLED THE SITUATION IN A MORE MATURED MANNER. AFTER ALL, AT THE END OF THE DAY,"THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT". THAT'S IN ORDER TO MAKE GHANA " A PREFERRED DESTINATION AND THE GATEWAY TO WEST AFRICA" WE DON'T DO THE CUSTOMER A FAVOUR, WE SERVE.
This story isn’t about the country but rather about the service rendered by the airline. No wonder I am always hesitant to fly Air Moroc.
you are simply an idiooott
those airport people need to be checked, they think they are some tin gods. they should wait. they have not met their meter yet