U.S.-bound trip fiasco

Many U.S.-bound passengers were not able to leave Manila airports because of an October 30 letter from the U.S. Embassy in Manila to all airlines with flights bound for the U.S.A. The letter instructed the airlines to ask their passengers with green cards that do not bear expiration dates to go to the embassy and get a new one with expiration dates before allowing them to leave. This letter came from an embassy official working under the Department of Homeland Security.

My uncle came home to see my grandmother about two weeks ago. Early morning just this Wednesday, I accompanied him to the airport for his return flight. We gave farewells and went our separate ways at the departure are of the airport.

While I was relaxing at home, he called me up and told me that he was held from leaving because he failed to comply with the aforementioned requirement to get a new green card. He had to carry his luggage back to my aunt's condo in Taguig where we stayed. He went to the embassy that same morning.

When we met again in the evening, he told me that he was not the only one who got held back. There is a long line of unfortunate balik-bayans who were also held back. Some old and have no other place to stay in Manila.

Since October 30, only a few US-based Filipinos knew about the regulation resulting in cancelled or re-booked flights, waste of time and money, and the feeling that you have been let down by the airline.

My uncle pointed out that he gave all available information to the airline from his mobile numbers, our home number in the Province of Iloilo, and his email address. For the last two weeks since the embassy letter, he never received any advise from the airline. Although he was fortunate to be given a booking for the following day and was able to process his papers within the one day, what about those who were not so lucky?

Businesses like the airline business earn income from their clients. No client, no money. Why did they not take care of their clients? Are they comfortable enough that they have other clients elsewhere? Or is this racial in nature?

Racism aside, if you do not take care of your source of income, you will run dry. And when you run dry, to go out of business.

May be they are complacent because they can take the risk of aggravating a minor percentage of their clients. May be it is because their services are better than others that they are sure their clients will come back to them.

This is business, but where is honest business?