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The Case for a Boycott of Delta Airlines (UPDATED)
Pajamas Media ^ | June 24, 2011 | Ron Radosh

Posted on 06/25/2011 10:02:06 AM PDT by Kaslin

A day ago, after a story in USA Today that has since been taken off its website, the Jewish community in the United States was enraged to evidently learn that Delta Airlines, which made Saudi Arabian Airlines one of its partner airlines, would not let Jewish passengers fly on Delta to Saudi Arabia.

As the newspaper noted, Delta immediately offered its own explanation written by Delta spokesman Trebor Banstetter. His statement proclaimed that “Delta does not discriminate,” but that questions had been raised “about whether Saudi Arabian Airlines’ membership in SkyTeam means Delta is adopting any type of policies that could present barriers to travel for some passengers, including Jewish customers.” Banstetter then noted that all restrictions to admission to any country are set by that country’s authorities, not by any airline, and that they apply to anyone entering the country in question, regardless of how they come. Any airline, he noted, has to comply by law with the constraints imposed upon it by a country, including Saudi Arabia.

Religion News Service noted that “Saudi Arabia bans anyone with an Israeli stamp in their passport from entering the country, even in transit. Many Jews believe the kingdom has also withheld visas from travelers with Jewish-sounding names.” The USA Today story notes that one rabbi informed them that many Jewish professionals engaged in business with the Saudis do go there regularly. (This is certainly true. I myself know many Jewish journalists and writers who have gone to Saudi Arabia on trips approved by the Saudi regime.)

Is Delta therefore off the hook? Not according to Rabbi Jason Miller, who aptly points out that the real issue is that Delta has added Saudi Arabian Airlines to its Sky Team Alliance of partner airlines — a step that obviously it did not have to take. This action means, in effect, that Jews who seek to fly there will in fact be taken off the plane. Delta says that if it did bring someone with an Israeli stamp in his or her passport or a Jewish American to Saudi Arabia on one of its flights, it could be fined a stiff penalty.

As Rabbi Miller correctly writes:

The issue here is one of principle. Delta isn’t being forced to include Saudi Arabian Airlines into its Sky Team Alliance. In fact, Delta could stand on principle and refuse to include Saudi Arabian Airlines based on its discriminatory policy. No, it’s not Delta’s fault that the Saudi government is anti-Semitic, but it doesn’t have to go along with it. It’s as if the Saudis are telling Delta that when it comes to Jewish passengers it’s name should become an acronym: “Don’t Even Let Them Aboard.”

All airlines tell passengers when they depart: “You have a choice, and we thank you for flying” United, or American, or Delta. In some major cities that are hubs, like Atlanta or now evidently Michigan, it’s hard not to get a flight other than Delta. So, as long as Delta allows an airline into its partnership alliance that does discriminate — even though Delta itself does not — I would suggest an appropriate measure.

Until Delta drops Saudi Arabian Airlines from its roster of partners, let’s circulate a pledge that we will not fly Delta and will always seek other airlines first before going on Delta. And for those who have Delta cards for point accumulation, a nice letter to their management informing them of this would create a great deal of pressure for them to drop Saudi Arabian Airlines as a partner.

Update: 2:30 pm est

Our friends at National Review Online have received a further clarification, that you can read about here. They report that many other airlines have codeshare arrangements with Saudi Arabian Airlines. Moreover, Delta has now responded that it has only what it calls “a standard industry interline agreement,” which means that passengers can book tickets on multiple carriers. It is evidently similar to the arrangement of Alaska Airlines, American Airlines and United, all of which have partners that fly to Saudi Arabia.

So, a boycott of Delta will not do the job. Delta got the bad publicity, but clearly, most of our major airlines have the same policy and alliances with the Saudi airline as some form of partner. Perhaps all of our airlines should reevaluate any kind of such alliance. Hasn’t the coddling of the Saudis gone on far too long?


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Religion
KEYWORDS: airlineantisemitism; antisemitism; delta; deltaantisemitism; hatecrime
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To: Kaslin

Delta will cancel flights if flights aren’t full. They shuffle passengers, often within 15 minutes of scheduled take-off, to later flights. Their only concern is the bottom line, with no concern for passengers’ family issues, urgent business commitments, etc.

DH had scheduled an 11 am takeoff from TN, a plane change in Atlanta, then on to LAX, scheduled to land in LA at 3 p.m. His TN flight was cancelled, as were two later flights. He landed in LA at 11 pm. The trip involved 1+ hour sitting on the Atlanta tarmac in 95-degree heat with AC turned off. His mother had just had a stroke in Calif., so the waiting was stressful. In an attempt to smooth things over, they sent us a $50 credit for a future flight on Delta. As if...

My sister has had similar horror stories with Delta, and will never use them again.

Their customer service sucks; they need to fail based on a piss-poor business model and let the free market work.


21 posted on 06/25/2011 11:58:59 AM PDT by MayflowerMadam
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To: Emperor Palpatine

The problem isn’t Delta, its Saudi.


22 posted on 06/25/2011 12:10:09 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: driftdiver

Yes, but Delta’s in bed with them. They’re FRATERNIZING with the ENEMY.

You are known by the company you keep.


23 posted on 06/25/2011 12:15:12 PM PDT by Emperor Palpatine (Can you afford to board the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?)
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To: Emperor Palpatine

“Yes, but Delta’s in bed with them. They’re FRATERNIZING with the ENEMY.”

Fly into Dulles any day of the week. Most of the time there is a Saudi 747 sitting on the tarmac. Saudi has bought and paid for many many politicians.

Its not just Delta, there are plenty of hypocrits willing to sell their soul.

So the question is why do you have such a double standard?


24 posted on 06/25/2011 12:17:46 PM PDT by driftdiver (I could eat it raw, but why do that when I have a fire.)
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To: Emperor Palpatine

PS any US airline - no make that ANY American company that has these deals with the Saudis or amy other Islamic nation needs to abrogate them or face boycotts by patriotic Christian Americans.

I’m sick and tired of unpatriotic companies selling out this nation to make an extra freaking nickel.


25 posted on 06/25/2011 12:21:24 PM PDT by Emperor Palpatine (Can you afford to board the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?)
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To: driftdiver

See post 25


26 posted on 06/25/2011 12:22:23 PM PDT by Emperor Palpatine (Can you afford to board the Chattanooga Choo-Choo?)
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To: CodeToad
“What needs to happen is the U.S. government telling Saudi Arabia that its planes may not land in U.S. airports as long as the Saudis have a policy that discriminates against U.S. citizens”

As long as the Saudis sell oil while we buy it we're in no position to demand anything from them.

27 posted on 06/25/2011 12:25:46 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
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To: Kaslin

This is not the only reason. I use to use delta for incoming freight collect shipments. This means no payment no freight.

Delta must have made a mistake and gave me the freight with out asking for payment (I always ask if I owe something so they must have said no)

about 6 weeks later I get a very nasty BILL COLLECTOR calling me about my late delta cargo account.

I straightened it out with Delta directly, but they never once tried to contact me directly. they just sent the nastiest bill collector I have ever dealt with.

I now use sun county.


28 posted on 06/25/2011 12:47:28 PM PDT by cableguymn
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To: driftdiver

Saudi Arabian flies four flights per week into and out of Dulles—two are non-stop to Jeddah; the other two are non-stop to Riyadh.


29 posted on 06/25/2011 12:49:40 PM PDT by nd76
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To: Doe Eyes

If one of the reasons you can’t get a visa to Saudi Arabia is because your passport has a stamp that you’ve been to Israel,

I do think that is real news story, and it is a real problem.

And if other carriers are doing the same thing by partnering with Saudi airlines, I certainly think that should be noted and put out there, and people can decide if they want to fly those carriers or not. Or ask they drop Saudi airlines as a partner.


30 posted on 06/25/2011 12:55:22 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Seeing More Clearly Now

After 2012 this might be possible.


31 posted on 06/25/2011 12:56:08 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Doe Eyes; Kaslin
This is a non story pumped up into something it isn't.

No, you are wrong!

From the article:

As Rabbi Miller correctly writes:

The issue here is one of principle. Delta isn’t being forced to include Saudi Arabian Airlines into its Sky Team Alliance. In fact, Delta could stand on principle and refuse to include Saudi Arabian Airlines based on its discriminatory policy. No, it’s not Delta’s fault that the Saudi government is anti-Semitic, but it doesn’t have to go along with it. It’s as if the Saudis are telling Delta that when it comes to Jewish passengers it’s name should become an acronym: “Don’t Even Let Them Aboard.”

32 posted on 06/25/2011 1:31:47 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
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To: Venturer

Exactly. Saudi Arabia does not allow any bible into their country. I can’t wait until those bastards run out of oil and try to sell anything else to anybody.


33 posted on 06/25/2011 1:32:54 PM PDT by winner3000 (ss)
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To: SoConPubbie
The story misses the point.

Saudi Arabia does not give Visas to those with Israeli passports, those with entry or exit stamps to Israel, or those known to be Jewish. They are the racist ones.

The fact is, no airline will board a person without a Visa for their destination. This is not isolated to Delta or even Saudi Arabian Airlines. The article is just another attack on an American business.

I was once denied boarding on a flight from Austin to Los Angeles because my Passport expired in 2 months, and did not meet the entry requirements for Singapore. Does this mean the airline was discriminating against me because I am an American trying to travel to Singapore?

34 posted on 06/25/2011 1:50:10 PM PDT by Doe Eyes
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To: Secret Agent Man
If one of the reasons you can’t get a visa to Saudi Arabia is because your passport has a stamp that you’ve been to Israel,

I do think that is real news story, and it is a real problem.

Valid points. Pointing out that the problem is the Saudi Government, not Delta.

35 posted on 06/25/2011 1:54:05 PM PDT by Doe Eyes
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To: Oshkalaboomboom

You have that backwards. We are the customer with the cash they want.


36 posted on 06/25/2011 3:52:59 PM PDT by CodeToad (Islam needs to be banned in the US and treated as a criminal enterprise.)
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To: Doe Eyes

Delta made it their problem voluntarily partnering with Saudi airlines. And any other carrier that partners with Saudi airlines.


37 posted on 06/25/2011 5:26:45 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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To: Secret Agent Man
Delta made it their problem voluntarily partnering with Saudi airlines. And any other carrier that partners with Saudi airlines.

When I was a youngster, it was Liberals (the anti-war movement) that hated corporate American.

Now its Freepers.

38 posted on 06/25/2011 6:15:17 PM PDT by Doe Eyes
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To: Doe Eyes

HA! You sound like a liberal yourself.

All I am saying is that actions have consequences. Delta can do whatever the hell it wants. If the flying public doesn’t think it’s cool to partner with a Saudi (Kingdom) racist airline and wants to fly other airlines that don’t do this, fine.

If you want to keep flying Delta, fine. But I sure the heck know something pretty ugly about you, then.


39 posted on 06/25/2011 9:12:39 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (I'd like to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.)
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