A family of four was removed from an Alaska Airlines flight after the airline’s reservation system incorrectly identified them as requiring a Canadian visa.
The incident occurred on June 23 during the family’s journey from Missoula Airport to Vancouver via Seattle. Although the Swiss family are lawful permanent residents of the United States and met Canada’s entry requirements, the system repeatedly flagged them as needing a visa.
Unable to resolve the issue before departure, the airline denied the family boarding on their connecting flight in Seattle.
Alaska Airlines later confirmed that the issue resulted from a system error, apologized to the family for the disruption, and said it had launched an investigation into the incident.
