MARIGOT–The father of an Indian student born in French St. Martin and studying in Paris has said Delta Airlines in Atlanta told his son he could not stay in St. Martin longer than three months without a visa, and subsequently changed his ticket to an earlier date before letting him board the plane for St. Maarten.
The student, now in St. Martin, left Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on December 30, 2018, en route for St. Maarten by way of Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and departing Atlanta for St. Maarten the next day.
His return ticket to Paris was on August 17, 2019, on the same itinerary. He was travelling with Delta via Atlanta as it was a cheaper ticket, US $883 compared to $1,700 with Air France.
However, Atlanta airline officials at check-in said he could not stay longer than three months in St. Martin without a visa, as the plane was landing on the Dutch side, and changed his return to March 30, 2019, without charge but with a non-refundable, non-transferable ticket.
“When my son called me from Atlanta, he said he told the officials he didn’t need a visa for St. Martin as he was born on the French side, with a French passport and French-side address, and was not going to be staying on the Dutch side,” Manesh, the father, told The Daily Herald. “He was given the choice to miss the flight and stay in Atlanta or to have the ticket changed.
“They said also he didn’t have enough proof that he was a citizen of St. Martin and asked for ID. He showed them his national French ID card, but they said they needed local ID. They also refused to call St. Maarten Immigration to verify the requirements. But they let him fly after they changed the ticket.”
The father now has to buy a new ticket for his son to travel back to Paris on the original date of August 17, as the university resumes on September 1, 2019. He has tried to seek help from President Daniel Gibbs, but Gibbs was too busy at the time. However, the father has succeeded in making a complaint to Delta Airlines and was given a case number as confirmation and timeframe of two weeks to receive an answer.
Depending on the answer from Delta he has the option to file a complaint with the aviation consumer protection department in the USA and with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“I am afraid for other students coming back from Atlanta, or from other destinations, who might encounter the same problem as my son,” Manesh said. “Most are looking for cheaper tickets that route you through the USA or other destinations.”
Police au Frontières (PAF) Commandant Jean-Luc Deras confirmed that the student did not need a visa for St. Martin. He invited the father and son to come to the PAF on Monday with the passport to see what he could do to help them.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/84237-delta-changes-ticket-of-indian-student-born-in-st-martin-claims-visa-needed
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