Iberia forbidden word
Many years ago, I read the book from Kafka: “The Trial“. I loved it.
Suddenly it happened to me, and I could understand it fully, deep under my skin.
1/3/24 San Jose Airport Costa Rica, flying back to Europe, Seville.
IBERIA (counter): Could someone have interfered with your luggage?
ME: No.… well the truth is that I left my suitcase at the hotel, to spend half a day of turism in San Jose, before taking the plane. But I don’t think anyone placed anything, a bomb…
IBERIA (counter): (in short ) You said a forbidden word. So we prohibit you from taking your flight. You have to buy a new flight on your own.
ME: If you forbid me to fly, you should propose an alternative.
IBERIA (counter): No
Then came the police,three men. Iberia staff explained them the conversation we had. Police checked the bag, and nothing was wrong. They told to Iberia that they don´t see any problem for me to fly.
But the Iberia employee didn’t want to change his mind. “You won´t take this plane – he told turning to me – and you will have to arrange a flight by yourself”.
I tried my best to be reasonable with him, but the only I could get was a phone number to call Iberia (+506 4036 0069).
I call (1st call) . The lady tells me that they can’t do anything about it. The only who should solve it is the responsible at the counter.
I start to contact various instances (travel agency, insurance, lawyer…..) . But it looks like that I need a report in order to start something. Some people don’t even believes me about the prohibited word.
I go back to the counter. I explain what they told me on the phone, that they have to solve it. But the Iberia responsible just clean his hands. I need to solve it myself.
So I am asking for the file, that I need it for the insurance and other instances . He tells me that there is no problem, it’s all written in the reservation from line 29 to 47. To receive it I just have to request it at the phone number he already gave me.
I call again (2nd call). The person, a man, tells me he will send me the text. And he asks for my email.
But I don’t get any mail. So I call again (3d call). This time a lady. She ends up cutting off my call and placing an automatic text (all phone calls start with a declaration from Iberia that they might record the conversation).
I call again (4th call). This time the lady says that they are not going to send me the file, contrary to what two persons from Iberia previously told me. She tells me that the only way is to request it through the website. I explain to her that this is going to last days, or weeks. While I’m stacked in San Jose and need to go back to Europe. I’m not able to arrange a solution without the report. She won´t care about me stucked in that airport , and she keeps repeating that the only thing I could do is requesting it through the website. She suggested me to add “urgent” so they would speed up the process.
I fill in the form. It gives several problems and finally, after more than an hour, it works. After a couple of hours, I phone to Iberia, to remind about my trouble and the urgency (I don´t evne have a place to sleep, but the stone floor of the airport). This time the lady tells me that they would take 21 days to answer me.
I cannot believe it.
So far I know, in all constitutions of a democratic nations, it’s granted the right for any accused person to receive an appropriate charge. It looks like Iberia feels above these issues. They accuse, judge, and punish without even informing properly- And the unfortunate person cannot defend himself. Or at least not for the first 21 days.
It’s already night. I’m exhausted. Not only for so much talking and repeating. I get a feeling of overbearing and power pretensions that I don’t recognize in my usual world. Once in a while, I ask myself if it’s just a nightmare. Bot no, there I am in an empty airport hall, far from home .
I go and look for a place to sleep in the airport. Cold black stone. At least it’s clean. Before laying, I write a short description of what happened and attach it to my standing luggage.
______________
Sincerly I can hardly belive what´s happening to me in the XXI century.
If you feel some empathy for my situation or want to give me some suggestions, please leave a comment here and/or on my Facebook page.
