Aeroflot Deported US Citizens — To India, Because Racism?

Aeroflot cancelled flight SU102 from Moscow to New York JFK on January 7. They offer 3 flights a day on the route, this is the second one, but they reported to passengers that flights were full.

Transit without visa through the Moscow airport is only permitted for 24 hours.

In many countries the period of allowable transit can be extended in the event of irregular airline operations. However Aeroflot proceeded to deport passengers to avoid their overstaying allowing time in transit.

And some passengers report that “many US citizens (white in color) come by and get their tickets for later flights or be told to wait in lounge and will be called once the details are ready” while Indian American passengers (who were US citizens on US passports) flying from Delhi to New York via Moscow were deported back to India.

The passengers asked to be sent anywhere in their home country or even anywhere in Europe. The Aeroflot agent, videotaped, says they must go back to India and refers to the American couple as Indian.

Aeroflot, for its part, says that “an internal investigation is underway as the airline strives towards providing ‘the highest standards of customer service, even in the midst of major travel disruptions due to weather, and we regret the tremendous inconvenience caused to passengers in this case.'”

Fortunately Indian tourist (and business) e-visas allow double entry — and the passengers hadn’t already used that privilege — or else they’d presumably have been deported from India upon their return.

Unfortunately once back in India Aeroflot was offering re-accommodation on January 13, departing India six days after they were supposed to arrive back in the U.S.

(HT: One Mile at a Time)

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. Aeroflot is pathetic. I don’t care how low their prices are, they are an airline of a “shithole” country! Avoid them like plague…

  2. Strange. Typically KGB agent is always good informed who is visiting their country. But in any case, SU should be held responsible. It’s clearly their fault, the passengers have shown their US passport but that redneck dude was insisting they’re Indian citizen.

  3. Ok, I’ll go political here: It’s shameful what these (American) passengers have gone through. This is an example of the kind of country where some ethnicities and nationalities are welcomed and valued more than others, a place where ignorance and bigotry prevail over diversity and equality. Then again, at least when it comes to our nation’s leader, who are we to talk?

  4. @Steve: That syphilis infection has wreaked havoc in that pointy little noggin of yours. Take your antibiotics before flapping your gums.

  5. Moral: don’t be cheap and try to save money by connecting thru Russia. Also, general advice in life, be rich.

  6. They guy is not holding an US passport, so maybe the couple used their Indian passport to enter/exit from India (to avoid paying paying for the Indian eVisa when they use a US passport) and probably that didn’t help? or the guy just grab any passport he had on hand…

  7. @Federico: You don’t know what yo are talking about, the passport in the video is clearly a US passport.

  8. Trump is being conflated with irregular operations at Aeroflot. I needed a good laugh.

  9. The real story here that both sides on this comment thread keep forgetting is that Russia is famous for squashing minorities and religions they don’t like. Even white opposition. What you snowflakes forget is that not only do they do it, try and call Putin the same names you call Trump here and see what happens. Go take your #metoo movement to Russia, China, or Iran where it’s really needed and you’ll gain my respect. I’m not a Trump guy but my god the majority of this county is acting like he’s Hitler when he’s more like my drunk 95 year old grandfather there are real threats in the world. These folks were sent back to their country or travel origin, I’m not saying it was right but it could have been worse too.

  10. @Frederico
    You are being nominated for the Most Ignorant post of the year.

    India requires surrender of Indian passport if one obtains another country’s citizenship.

  11. @Norita: You are nominated for Most Retarded Poster. There are tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Indian citizens with dual nationality where the Indian government is none the wiser.

  12. Try to avoid Russia and Aeroflot if you are not white ( blond hairs, blue eyes) even if you look like Silvester Stallone can be a problem for black hair and dark eyes. Russians are extremely racists. They even hate their own citizens, who are Asian or Muslim minorities .

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