[lan_airlines_victim]

Booking reservation # 5ZTQMZ Ticket # 045-2148472474
We had purchased a round trip ticket to visit Chile for 3 months. (we do each year)
On return trip, There was no problem UNTIL the change of planes in Lima.
The 2nd check-in LAN employee decided they did not like my paperwork. They denied access to continue the trip home. They said I could not get on a plane, & my only option was to leave airport with luggage in country never visited at 24:00 on Friday night on a major holiday weekend, & find US Embassy which was described as being far away. All while carrying my luggage? That was not a realistic option.
I requested they allow me to call my husband in the US or my sister in Chile. They refused to do that. They claimed they had no telephones.
After I complained a lot that I will NOT leave the airport in a foreign country. The option to be sent back to Chile was given. I then had to wait at the airport until 8:00 am to return to Chile.
My husband not notified in any way by Lan Airlines of any of these issues. He repeatably called LAN phone # & they said I arrived in Los Angeles 3 hours prior to him calling say no wife at airport at 10:00am. Even late that night, Lan employees at their customer support department were unaware Lidia Gonzalez had not arrived in Los Angeles
I would also like to state my luggage was searched through. All gels, lotions, soaps & makeup containers were opened with the lids left off, making contents leak out onto my cloths. One of the wheels of my suitcase was also broken. I view this entire incident as an attack upon me.
I view it as discrimination due to my latin american origin.

Currently I am stuck in Chile South America with no way back due to this company's actions.

I need the Airline to reissue passage so I can return home. And Lan Airline still has not responded and it is over a week since the incident happened.

[jimworcs]

You are missing some crucial detail. Have you been in touch with the US Embassy to confirm that your paperwork is in order?

Airlines are under an obligation in some countries to ensure that all documentation is in order, and can be fined large sums if it is not. They in turn place you under an obligation to ensure this. Therefore, you must establish if the paperwork was correct.

So, you need to establish

1. What exactly was wrong with the paperwork
2. Get the US Embassy to confirm that that you in possession of correct paperwork and were at the time of the incident.

If you can establish this, you have a good case for LAN to make good their error by flying you to the US.

One more question. What on earth makes you think you have been discriminated against on the grounds that you are South American? LAN is a South American Airline and you were denied boarding in a South American country, presumeably by an employee who would be dealing with predominantly South American passengers. There is absolutely nothing in your complaint to suggest that you have been discriminated against and I would be cautious about making such an allegation. You may have been treated badly and received poor customer service, but discrimination is a serious allegation and not one to made frivolously.

I am puzzled as to why you were going through check-in twice. Did you not buy a through ticket to the US?

[NewJerseyDevils]

It's too bad the OP didn't stay in Lima because the very embassy that was described as being far away was in that very city.
http://lima.usembassy.gov/