'Very disappointed': Hollywood actor says sons denied boarding on Air Canada flight at Vancouver airport
Hollywood actor Holly Robinson Peete has raised concerns on social media about how her sons were treated at Vancouver International Airport last week, saying they were barred from boarding an Air Canada flight with tickets she bought for them.
The actor took to Instagram to share her frustration. Peete has been filming a Hallmark Christmas movie in B.C. and her teen sons came to visit.
The actor said in a video that when her sons, who are both Black, went to board a flight using tickets she bought for them, they were denied boarding because the tickets weren't paid for on their credit card.
"I was very, very upset, very disappointed, did not like the way they were treated, especially by that ticket agent and then even some of the customer service people were unnecessarily rude and disrespectful," Peete said in the video. In the video caption, Peete said the boys were asked to produce the credit card used to pay for the seats, adding that she's been flying with the airline for 35 years and has never been asked for this herself.
"One of the things that really bothered me is when the boys were trying to talk to the ticket agent, we were on the phone and I kept saying, 'I want to talk to him,' and he would not talk to me. He would not talk to the parent. That is not cool."
Peete said she had to pay for her sons to stay at a hotel, then paid for another flight in the morning. The two boys were able to board that flight without showing the credit card.
"I feel this is a policy that is selective and really needs to be looked at and they need to do much better," Peete said in the post.
An emailed statement from Air Canada said "this was an unfortunate situation" that came from the company's "credit card security processes."
"Sometimes legitimate transactions require additional verification when the booking is made in an unusual way, such as foreign purchases made outside Canada for last-minute travel and these are identified by our automated anti-fraud systems," Air Canada's statement said.
"In this instance our fraud prevention team, which is not located at the airport and therefore operates impartially by only reviewing the purchase transaction, had a concern with the way in which the tickets were purchased for these customers and it alerted the airport agent."
Air Canada's statement acknowledges the purchase "regrettably was not validated in time for the customers to travel," adding that the company has followed up with Peete because the incident "did cause inconvenience."
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Angela Jung
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.