Seven years after writing a letter to Delta Airlines, reporting its dissatisfaction with the way Nigerians are treated, the acclaimed novelist Chimamanda Adichie is disappointed that nothing has changed. The policy put in place by the American airline in its attempt to reduce customer fraud is unfair "Although I understand that Delta wants to prevent fraud, and that I appreciate the fraudulent purchases made by Nigerians, Delta MUST also treat each case individually and not group all Nigerian travelers into a group of potential fraudsters," writes she. his Facebook page. In 2010, Chimamanda purchased Lagos-Baltimore round-trip tickets on the airline's website for his parents, using his credit card. Her parents arrived in the United States without a problem, but she had to change their date of return because of family problems.
"A change fee was paid, confirmation emails were sent, and everything else was the same," she wrote. On the day of her parents' departure, Chimamanda was sick, so a family member took her parents to the airport, but Delta officials insisted that the credit card used to pay for the ticket be physically produced and the owner of the credit card otherwise, his parents would not have the right to travel. Chimamanda spoke to the manager but nothing was done until she physically appeared at the airport. His parents ended up missing their flight and were re-booked on the next flight. Disappointed, Chimamanda wrote a letter to the airline, and they promised a review of their policy. "It's been seven years and nothing has changed, you still have to physically present yourself to show your card - no, you can not ask a family member to bring the card - no, you can not ask a family member to bring the card and a matching piece of ID (What are the chances that you will present a stolen credit card and a valid piece of identification?) It seems that the policy is for Nigerians only because he was not asked to be physically present or to extend his credit card before being allowed to fly to other countries. Unfortunately, the airline can not be circumvented because it has the monopoly of direct flights between the United States and Nigeria, which is convenient for the elderly. No matter how frustrated you are, Delta's representatives are indifferent to your fate, until you do what they want with you, which is not practical. Chimamanda also describes their language as unpleasant. She told how an attendant
She wrote,
Nobody deserves this but even in an aviation industry that rewards frequent fliers with privileges, yours don’t count – your platinum frequent flier card means nothing because you are a Nigerian and Nigerians are all a blur of fraudulence. God save you if the only time you can go to the airport to ‘physically present yourself and your card’ happens to be a busy check-in time.
You will stand in the special services line forever, ignored, waiting to convince Delta to take your money. If you do show the card but then need to change your travel to a different date, you must again physically show yourself and your card.
Delta’s policy is crude and contemptuous. Crude because Delta won’t bother to figure out a more sophisticated way to address fraudulent ticket purchases. Contemptuous because Delta is indifferent to the unfair burden that this places on Nigerians.
Some hardworking Nigerians have two jobs, families, responsibilities. They buy tickets for themselves and their families, they pay with their hard-earned money, and Delta asks them to ‘present yourself’ at a Delta Airlines counter which may be twenty or fifty or one hundred miles from where they live.
Delta’s message is this: If you want your family to board their flight then present yourself, and prove to us that you are not a thief because we start with the premise that you are a thief.
Dear Delta Airlines, enough. You must do better.#Africa ... spill TEA.... Easy on Shade #jaiyeorie
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