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The Spectacle Blog
Religion News Service (syndicated to the Huffington Post) reports:
JERUSALEM (RNS) Jews and Israelis, or passengers carrying any non-Islamic article of faith, will not be able to fly code-share flights from the U.S. to Saudi Arabia under Delta Air Line’s new partnership with Saudi Arabian Airlines that is set to begin in 2012.
Although Delta announced in January that the Saudi airline would join its SkyTeam network next year, the implications of the deal only came to light recently, according to people who have scrutinized the details.
Saudi Arabia, which is governed by strict Islamic law, requires citizens of almost every country to obtain a visa. People who wish to enter the country must have a sponsor; women, who must be dressed according to Saudi standards of modesty, must be met at the Saudi airport by a man who will act as a chaperone.
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.
Religious items such as Bibles that are not related to Islam may be confiscated at the airport.
This report (which HuffPo has headlined “U.S. Jews Not Able To Fly On Delta Flights To Saudi Arabia”) may be overstating things a bit — a USA Today blogger cites a rabbi who says “he knows many professionals who are very open about their Jewish religious identity who fly to Saudi Arabia all the time for business” — but the broad outlines are basically correct: Saudi Arabia’s visa requirements are extremely illiberal, and those who don’t meet those requirements are not allowed to board an SAA flight to Saudi Arabia. Under the code-sharing deal, SAA will be operating flights under the Delta brand as it enforces those illiberal requirements.
A blogger for Delta.com addresses the controversy like this:
First and foremost, I think one of the most important things to mention here is that Delta does not discriminate nor do we condone discrimination against anyone in regards to age, race, nationality, religion, or gender.
That said, some have raised questions 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. For this particular concern, it’s important to realize that visa requirements to enter any country are dictated by that nation’s government, not the airlines, and they apply to anyone entering the country regardless of whether it’s by plane, bus or train.
We, like all international airlines, are required to comply with all applicable laws governing entry into every country we serve. You as passengers are responsible for obtaining the necessary travel documents, such as visas and certification of required vaccinations, and we’re responsible for making sure that you have the proper documentation before you board.
In short: It’s not our fault, it’s the Saudi government’s fault and we have to follow the law.
But there’s a gaping hole in this defense: Saudia Arabia Airlines is owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If Delta doesn’t condone the discrimination that the Saudi government practices, it shouldn’t be partnering with that government. And as long as it does partner with that government, I think that I’ll be traveling with Delta’s competitors whenever it’s at all convenient.
UPDATE 6/24: Delta has announced that, unlike other SkyTeam member airlines, Saudi Arabia Airlines will be excluded from sharing frequent flier benefits.
View all comments (25) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by John Tabin
http://spectator.org/blog/2011/06/23/delta-and-saudi-discrimination
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RT| 6.23.11 @ 11:30PM
"I think that I'll be traveling with Delta's competitors whenever it's at all convenient."
When Conservatives are outraged, they have the principles and steely resolve needed to ACT on those principles.
I will join you in this commitment. What's the best way to let Delta know that until they change this policy, we will only fly on Delta when it would be inconvenient to fly on a competing airline?
lydia | 6.24.11 @ 8:54AM
A sponsor, which is your employer, is required to get the visa the first time, but that is it, and yes, more modest dress is typical here than what one might find in say, San Francisco, but abayas are not required at all.
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Occam's Tool| 6.24.11 @ 12:57AM
Hmm. The Saudi are scum. Gee, that's unexpected.
PCC| 6.24.11 @ 1:51AM
The hell with Delta Airlines. They're saying they'd partner with Hitler Airlines if the terms were right.
Charles Martel| 6.24.11 @ 1:55AM
So long as Saudi Arabia retains such discriminatory practices, and so long as Saudi Arabian Airlines is a member company of SkyTeam, I will not fly on any SkyTeam carrier. This includes not just Delta, but also Air France, KLM, Alitalia, AeroMexico, and Korean Air, among others.
This sort of behavior is unacceptable. Acceptance of such behavior is unacceptable.
+++
martin j smith| 6.24.11 @ 8:08AM
Where is ADL ?--or do they get special dispensation ?
Beyond that I think someone ought to sue DELTA --I hope someone does.
And oh yes, do not fly them or any of their affliliates.
Jim Hester| 6.24.11 @ 8:09AM
I'm an American living and working in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. So much of this article is just wrong. Women with entry visas do not require a male to meet them at the airport. A sponsor, which is your employer, is required to get the visa the first time, but that is it, and yes, more modest dress is typical here than what one might find in say, San Francisco, but abayas are not required at all. As for Delta, isn't an airline a transportation company? What is wrong with Delta providing transportation to those who want it and who can legally enter the destination country? Why is no one complaining about BA or KLM or Lufthansa, who all fly into Saudi? What about United flying into Kuwait and Bahrain? So people are now claiming they won't use Delta on their next vacation trip to the beach because Delta has a codeshare agreement with Saudia - ridiculous!
CalMark| 6.24.11 @ 12:16PM
You were on Neville Chamberlain's staff at Munich, weren't you?
Sean| 6.24.11 @ 10:04AM
Why doesn't our country have policies like this? Most of the 9/11 terrorist were from Saudi Arabia. Why don't we ban Saudi's from coming here? Saudi Arabia can make their own policies. We would be smart to start making policies in our own interest.
Charles Martel| 6.24.11 @ 1:20PM
Banning Saudis wouldn't be fair to the rest of them. Ban all God-cursed mohammedans, and eject the ones already here.
+++
Jeannie Mancuso| 6.24.11 @ 10:22AM
I WON'T BE FLYING DELTA ANYMORE---EVEN IF I HAVE TO PAY MORE ON ANOTHER
AIRLINE--OR BE INCONVENIENCED. MY VALUES ARE WORTH IT.
PattyMor| 6.24.11 @ 10:32AM
I won't be flying Delta Muslim Airlines if I can help it. Too many other competitors that I don't need to support this crap. I also told Habitat for Humanity not to send me fund rasing stuff as long as Jimaah Carter is on their board.
RNB| 6.24.11 @ 11:13AM
Delta does not fly into Saudia Arabia. There is not going to be some sort of screening of Jewish passengers or confiscation of Bibles and crucifixes on Delta flights. The HuffPo article does not 'overstat[e] things a bit,' it's mostly wrong (as you should have expected from HuffPo. And WorldNetDaily.)
And I will respect your statements of principle (whether you are SHOUTING them or not) when you start refusing to buy gasoline that contains one drop of Saudi oil.
CalMark| 6.24.11 @ 12:20PM
I betcha you'd be playing a MUCH different tune if Saudi-style restrictions were placed on Arabs and Muslims entering the USA.
As for the "you only care about oil!" argument, it's the tired leftist playbook: irrelevant, outrageous straw man to smear an opponent with fact.
CalMark| 6.24.11 @ 12:20PM
Correct typo:
...an opponent who has the facts on his side.
martin j smith| 6.24.11 @ 12:07PM
Jim Hester, Delta is a US based Airline --as US citizens we have every right to object to their policies--don't like it--too bad.
Steve S| 6.24.11 @ 2:00PM
This is why Pres Obama needs to open oil drilling in the U.S. Let the Saudi's government hit bottom. We are sending our dollars to Saudi to allow them to control us. The Pres will never allow us to drill so his his close friend George Soros and the Saudi's will be in power.
Gerry Shuller| 6.29.11 @ 6:42PM
Just calling the liar out again - this "story" has been exposed as a hoax.
Is Tobin man enough to admit it and apologize?
weddingdress | 7.8.11 @ 4:55AM
Jim Hester, Delta is a US based Airline --as US citizens we have every right to object to their policies--don't like it--too bad.
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double-row reducing ball type slewing bearing. http://www.1stbearing.com