I-797 (for I-751) rejected by Air Canada, Ignored by Delta and United Airlines

[sadgemoon 0]

This is a copy of a complaint I just submitted through the DHS TRIP (One-Stop Travelers' Redress Process) system:

I am filing this complaint on behalf of my wife. On Saturday, January 12, 2013, at Logan International Airport in Boston, MA, my wife was denied a boarding pass by three separate airlines, despite having and presenting identification documents valid for air travel. The incidents occurred approximately between 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM.

My wife is a Canadian citizen and a U.S. Permanent Resident. We reside in Massachusetts. On January 11, 2013, my wife received news that her mother, who resides in Edmonton, Alberta, had been diagnosed with a terminal cancer. My wife needed to get there as soon as possible. She was flying one-way, as she did not know how much time she would need to spend there.

My wife had sent away her Canadian passport to be renewed some months ago. She had not yet received the new one. We were also in the I-751 application process, for removal of conditions on her U.S. residency. Her conditional green card expired November 10, 2012. We had filed the I-751 at the appropriate time, and we received the I-797 Notice of Action letter, extending Lisa's lawful U.S. resident status for a year, while our I-751 application is being reviewed.

At Logan Airport, Delta Airlines and United Airlines refused to issue my wife a boarding pass without a passport or NEXUS card. They did not consider any other documents. We were going through the list of all carriers with a flight to Edmonton that day.

Air Canada acknowledged that all my wife needed was a valid U.S. permanent resident card and Canadian birth certificate, but refused to recognize the I-797 extension letter. We presented the original, watermarked document, along with the expired green card. The Air Canada agents at the counter, and their station manager on the phone, insisted my wife needed some unspecified additional travel document from the USCIS.

The next carrier we tried was Alaska Airlines. My wife presented the same documents as above. The counter agent consulted with another agent on the phone, verified what documents were necessary, and carefully reviewed what we presented. My wife was able to successfully book and board a flight on Alaska Airlines to Edmonton, Alberta. She is there now.

I want to know why Delta and United Airlines have different information than Alaska Airlines as to what a Canadian citizen needs to fly into Canada from the U.S. I want this problem fixed, and I want to be informed of exactly what has been done to fix it. I want the strongest possible action taken against Air Canada for refusing to recognize valid USCIS-issued documents.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

This site and the information its members provide have been invaluable throughout my wife's immigration process. Thank you all.

My question about the above situation is: who else should I complain to about it?

I want the most effective action taken to ensure this never happens again to anyone in my wife's situation.

[Cathi 5,783]

Who was the letter sent to? Sounds like it was a horrible situation for your wife. Glad to hear she finally made it back to her Mom. My husband and I fly in and out of Boston and Manchester NH(MHT is now owned by Logan) all the time. After United and Continental merged, United has by far the worst customer service, horribly rude employees, filthy planes and flights that rarely run on time. I flew with United the day they merged in March 2012 and I assumed it was just horrible that particular day because of the merger, so I booked another flight with them in May of 2012, it was just as bad. I figured I would give them one more chance and flew with them again in July of 2012, the terrible service, delays and deplorable conditions on the plane(I was given a pillow that still had wet drool on it from the passenger prior to me), and employees who were less than knowledgeable convinced me to never fly with them again, even though they by far have the lowest rates. But as they say, you get what you pay for, and I would rather spend a few extra dollars then ever fly with them again.

Edited January 14, 2013 by mimolicious

[hmh33 117]

That's a very legitimate complaint, but you sent it to the wrong place. DHS TRIP has nothing to do with it, and won't help. You should complain directly to the senior management of the airlines concerned.

[chitowncanuck 0]

You should go Tweet about it on the Air Canada Twitter feed. I'm serious - I always get a response trying to apologize

Also - you probably should have taken photocopies of the passport before sending it off to be renewed - it's very uncommon to not allow Canadians back into Canada so I'm not sure why they refused.

Several months for passport renewal through mail - there is something wrong I think. I got mine back in 20 days (as specified on their website)...you may want to look into that.

That's a very legitimate complaint, but you sent it to the wrong place. DHS TRIP has nothing to do with it, and won't help. You should complain directly to the senior management of the airlines concerned.

Edited January 14, 2013 by chitowncanuck

[sadgemoon 0]

That's a very legitimate complaint, but you sent it to the wrong place. DHS TRIP has nothing to do with it, and won't help. You should complain directly to the senior management of the airlines concerned.

From the DHS TRIP website:

When Should You Use DHS TRIP?

DHS TRIP can help you work to resolve travel-related issues when

• You were not able to print a boarding pass from an airline ticketing kiosk or from the Internet
  
• You were denied or delayed boarding
  
• A ticket agent “called someone” before handing you a boarding pass
  

My wife was denied boarding.

It is true that this case is the opposite of what people would normally complain about through DHS TRIP. Instead of a traveler being denied boarding because of the DHS (e.g., the TSA thought my wife looked like Mullah Omar), a traveler was denied boarding despite the DHS(-issued identity documents).

It should be a matter of concern for the DHS that valid identity documents issued by one of their agencies, the USCIS, were rejected. Will the DHS TRIP agent who reviews my complaint understand this? I don't know. TRIP is the only avenue of complaint for a DHS-related travel issue, which this was.

Alternate take: Alaska Airlines committed a serious breach of air security by issuing my wife a boarding pass without her presenting proper identity documents. Again: a matter for the Department of Homeland Security.

Neither me, nor the airlines' senior management, and certainly not their snotty, pig-ignorant counter monkeys at Logan are the authority on what a valid identity document is. The U.S. and Canadian governments are, and that is who I contacted, in the hope they will refresh these airlines' memories.

[sadgemoon 0]

You should go Tweet about it on the Air Canada Twitter feed. I'm serious - I always get a response trying to apologize

Also - you probably should have taken photocopies of the passport before sending it off to be renewed - it's very uncommon to not allow Canadians back into Canada so I'm not sure why they refused.

Several months for passport renewal through mail - there is something wrong I think. I got mine back in 20 days (as specified on their website)...you may want to look into that.

I did not go into detail, because it was not material to my complaint.

My wife's passport renewal was held up by generic submission problems--photo not acceptable, payment method not acceptable, etcetera; no fault of Passport Canada. They have their rules.

Twitter, bah. I am not complaining my wife's complimentary in-flight ration of peanuts was over-salted. It's more along the line of: they violated her human and constitutional rights.

6. (1) Every citizen of Canada has the right to enter, remain in and leave Canada.--Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

[DC85 113]

I think most likely, your wife had that problem because she didn't have a passport. maybe Delta airlines & UA don't know about the full Canadian entry law. and the entry procedure at airport is more strict than crossing the borders. you can cross the borders using Enhanced DL but you can't use it to travel to Canada by Air. Even, I remember that I read somewhere that you can't use ur US passport card to travel by air to any country and I didn't remember there was any exception. if I were in your place I would be happy that at least she was able to fly without a passport book. and sorry for what happened with you.

[TBoneTX 45,969]

Neither me, nor the airlines' senior management, and certainly not their snotty, pig-ignorant counter monkeys at Logan are the authority on what a valid identity document is.

Your literacy throughout this thread, and especially your turn of phrase above, is magnificent, si man. Let us know the outcome of your situation.

[B & G 200]

From the DHS TRIP website:

My wife was denied boarding.

It is true that this case is the opposite of what people would normally complain about through DHS TRIP. Instead of a traveler being denied boarding because of the DHS (e.g., the TSA thought my wife looked like Mullah Omar), a traveler was denied boarding despite the DHS(-issued identity documents).

It should be a matter of concern for the DHS that valid identity documents issued by one of their agencies, the USCIS, were rejected. Will the DHS TRIP agent who reviews my complaint understand this? I don't know. TRIP is the only avenue of complaint for a DHS-related travel issue, which this was.

Alternate take: Alaska Airlines committed a serious breach of air security by issuing my wife a boarding pass without her presenting proper identity documents. Again: a matter for the Department of Homeland Security.

Neither me, nor the airlines' senior management, and certainly not their snotty, pig-ignorant counter monkeys at Logan are the authority on what a valid identity document is. The U.S. and Canadian governments are, and that is who I contacted, in the hope they will refresh these airlines' memories.

Alaska Airlines didn't committ any kind of immigration breach, if they had, your wife would not having been allowed to enter Canada by Canadian Immigration.

What Alaska Airlines did was just search alil deeper in what the exemptions are for entering Canada without a valid passport. Your wife's Canadian Birth Certificate allowed her entry with just that document.

I would go ahead and write complaint letters to the airlines that refused you travel as well as to DHS TRIP.

[B & G 200]

I think most likely, your wife had that problem because she didn't have a passport. maybe Delta airlines & UA don't know about the full Canadian entry law. and the entry procedure at airport is more strict than crossing the borders. you can cross the borders using Enhanced DL but you can't use it to travel to Canada by Air. Even, I remember that I read somewhere that you can't use ur US passport card to travel by air to any country and I didn't remember there was any exception. if I were in your place I would be happy that at least she was able to fly without a passport book. and sorry for what happened with you.

As an airline flying to Canada, it is their responsibility to know Canadian Immigration law, and if they don't know it by heart, trust me, they have the tools and information available to them to find out. They just have to spend an extra 5 mins making a call or reading immigration information for entry into Canada.