Denied boarding due to unexpected VISA requirement
 

I purchased a ticket that connects to Toronto via London/UK. My return track was connecting via New York/USA and London/UK.

I'm a frequent traveler, and used to connect via other countries, it was obvious that no country would require travelers to obtain a VISA to use their airports for transit.

Unfortunately, American Airlines denied my boarding at the day of traveling back to my country (October 31st), claiming that I need to apply for a VISA to transit via USA airports.

They held me responsible for such a requirement, however they didn't inform me, neither indicated such a requirement upon the time of purchasing the ticket. And they charged me $1280 to change the route to London/UK direct. This penalty was unfair, and was $250 more than the original ticket price.

I contacted AA Customer care, they denied their responsibility, and held me responsible to read about different countries policies regarding transit. Which I believe is unfair, since it's common all over the world that transit does not require VISAs since it doesn't include access to the country's lands.

How can I escalate my issue to decision makers who can take a fair judgement?

You don't say what passport you hold, but the U.S. DOES require a transit visa for many countries. Most, if not all, U.S. airports do not have transit facilities which allow you to transfer from one flight to another without exiting the international arrivals area. Once you leave the international arrivals area, you are, technically, inside the USA.

Very very common for many countries to require transit visas. You didn't do your homework and are now blaming someone else for your error. Typical passenger.....

Not only does UA and every other airline tell you during the booking process that YOU, the passenger, are responsible for making sure you have the correct documents, they also provide a tool to let YOU, the passenger, find what you need to have. Pay special attention to the last part of the "Itinerary Details" that YOU, the passenger, provide where it says, "Transit Point 1"

http://www.united.com/web/en-us/apps...aspx?i=TIMATIC