Filipino actor Enchong Dee is calling out Air France after a series of incidents during a recent European trip left him stranded, out of pocket, and questioning whether he was treated differently because of his ethnicity.
The trouble began before Dee even reached his destination. Ground staff at the Bangkok airport flagged his itinerary, barring him from boarding a flight to Madrid on the grounds that his visa was issued for France — not Spain. More alarming to Dee was what came next: airline staff allegedly warned him his Schengen visa could be revoked.
“Threatened to revoke my Shengen Visa, mind you these are not immigration officer but rather ground staff of air france in Bangkok,” he wrote in a social media post.
To get his trip back on track, Dee purchased a separate ticket routed through London before continuing to Paris — still choosing to fly with Air France. He said he was willing to let the early mishap go. “Sure, these things happen. It’s part of traveling. I’m chill. I went through my trip peacefully,” he wrote.
That goodwill ran out on the way home. Dee arrived at the Madrid airport for his return flight to Bangkok only to find his boarding pass had been blocked.
“I got my boarding pass from Madrid to Bangkok. When I got to the airport, I found out they blocked my ticket,” he said.
He ultimately booked a last-minute replacement on Etihad Airways. “So what to do? I bought a new ticket with @etihad instead right then and there,” he wrote, adding that he found Middle Eastern carriers more comfortable by comparison. “I honestly enjoyed the food and comfortability of any Middle Eastern airline. @airfrance YOU SUCK!”
Dee also raised the possibility of racial bias, pointing to his experience in business class on the London flight. “Business class service of Air France felt racist. Yes, I was the only Asian during that flight to London,” he wrote.
Air France has not issued a public response to the allegations.
