Russian roulette: how to exclude tourists with a Russian passport from international flights?

In the last two years, the trips of Russian tourists abroad have turned into a real lottery. And as it turns out, the main problem is not even getting a Schengen visa or buying a ticket for an international flight – visa centers that can quickly adapt to the new reality are now doing an excellent job with this. “How do you fly away if you have a Russian passport?” – that’s the real question.

Last year, there were reports that Russian passengers were not allowed on European airlines’ flights. And most such cases have happened with the German airline Lufthansa. And now a quick note on that: experienced tourists know that Lufthansa is one of the most popular airlines in Europe. And most importantly, if you are flying with transfer in EU countries, it is one of the few flights to South and North American countries.

The first worrying news that Russians were not allowed to fly with European airlines appeared in Telegram travel chats in March 2022. “Passengers flying from Istanbul with stopovers in European cities report a large number of boarding refusals. In particular, there are reports that flights from Istanbul to Mexico via Amsterdam and to the Dominican Republic via Frankfurt are not accepted,” they wrote on the Pro Visa channel. Hundreds of comments have accumulated under this post, confirming that Russian citizens have a return ticket but were turned away at passport control without any explanation.

Then, after numerous complaints, Lufthansa representatives made an official statement stating that the reason for the company’s exclusion from transit flights was the lack of visa documents.

But the main discrepancy is that all Russian tourists who are denied check-in for the flight have visa-free transit transfers.

We’ve collected real stories of people who were taken off international flights by European airlines. They also asked a lawyer how you would protect your rights if you find yourself in a similar situation.

“How will you be deployed?” Tatiana’s story

I flew from Moscow to Cancun with a change of transfer in Frankfurt. First of all, before the flight, I got to know all the reliable sources in advance. And on the official website of German airlines it is not stated that you need to have a Schengen visa or electronic transit visa with you during the transit transfer. So, by all law, I have the right to transplant if it takes less than 24 hours.

As it turns out in practice: I passed the registration normally. I was asked to show a ticket, Mexican visa and hotel reservation confirmation. But on the descent began the most interesting. The man at the passport control tells me, “You are only flying with Turkish Airlines tomorrow”. And let me remind you, I’m waiting in line to land on a Lufthansa plane. My question is “what is the problem?” I was briefly answered: “We cannot imprison you, because in any case you will be stationed in Frankfurt.”

While we were handling it, the plane took off without me. After waiting a few hours it turned out that this was an order from the German government and that there was nothing the airline representatives could do about it. And when I opened the official website for them, where not a word was said about Russian tourists, they said that it was all “notes from the Internet”.

There was no other choice, I had to stay in a hotel in Istanbul for a day at my own expense to wait for my new flight. I will not write an angry letter to Lufthansa because they gave me a direct ticket from Turkish Airlines at their own expense.

“Why are you selling tickets if you know in advance that you won’t get the Russians on the plane?” Igor’s story

The most important thing to remember for anyone trying to travel even in turbulent times is that not all Russians are allowed on planes transiting through Frankfurt anymore.

We had a transit ticket from Kazakhstan to Mexico via Frankfurt without going to the city. As we heard so many different stories, we decided to call Lufthansa to ask about the restrictions ourselves. Airline representatives said there would be no problems. Looking ahead, I will of course say that we were not allowed to board the plane. True, they explained all this by saying that we flew to Mexico to cross the US border and stay there to live. I am no longer surprised by anything in this world, but one question still haunts me today – why sell tickets if you already know that the Russians will not be allowed to board the plane? Germany proclaims its tolerance to the whole world, but in fact, this is pure hypocrisy. As a result, money was spent on tickets, housing in anticipation of departure, and tickets for another airline. Now my wife and I are seeking compensation from them through the Magistrates’ Court.

“I have a Russian passport – goodbye.” History of Mary

My boyfriend and I flew to Rome with two transfers, one in transit via Helsinki. I heard about the accidents with Lufthansa, so I decided to fly with another airline, FinnAir. Maybe it’s worth noting that my boyfriend and I have a residence permit in Germany. Therefore, I was confident that we would not have any problems.

Spoiler: FinnAir turned out to be much more aggressive towards the Russians than anyone else. We flew to Helsinki with Turkish Airlines, and when we checked in for a FinnAir flight to Rome, we immediately noticed that airline employees were looking sideways. They were very suspicious of our hand luggage. They started scrutinizing us like we looked like terrorists. Sorry for the comparison but I don’t know how else to describe it. At first they looked at everything, organized my cosmetic bag, forced me to open my laptop and show all the programs in it. All this confused us, but we decided not to attach any importance to it.

We were told at passport control that they could not allow us to pass due to Russian citizenship. The presence of a residence permit meant absolutely nothing to them, they have Russian passports – goodbye. No alternative was offered to us. To be honest, they didn’t even engage in a constructive dialogue with us. No way. I had to buy a return ticket to Istanbul with my own money.

“They won’t refund the money, claiming it’s not their problem,” he said. Victor’s History

My wife and I were not boarded a Ryanair flight from Frankfurt to Cancun. And before that we called several times and wrote to the airline where we were told not to worry. As a result, they were deployed just before landing, provided that we are Russian and even without a transit visa. Although Frankfurt is a transit zone where we have the right to stay visa-free for 24 hours.

They will not refund the money citing the fact that this is not their problem. For example, you have to apply to the ticket office. The ticket office says they need to get information from the airline.

“They said that according to the new law, Russians are not imprisoned. For what, they did not specify. Olga’s story

The stories of Lufthansa not allowing passengers from the Russian Federation to board a plane flying to Frankfurt am Main seemed like fairy tales from the internet until I became the hero of one of them. They didn’t give me a clear explanation and just turned me around just before boarding the plane. They said that according to the new law, Russians are not imprisoned. For what, he did not specify.

After an hour of litigation, we were able to agree that the Lufthansa representatives would arrange comfortable conditions for me to wait for the next flight. I stayed at a hotel at the airport for a day and my ticket was exchanged for another airline’s flight free of charge.

What does the lawyer say?

Maxim Andreev, lawyer

Are there international laws that prevent airlines from refusing to fly people by nationality?

Discrimination based on nationality is prohibited in all EU countries; this is legally sanctioned by the United Nations’ International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). As a third-generation human rights document, the Convention compels its members to eliminate racial discrimination and promote understanding among all races.

The main reason for rejection at border control is called “illegal immigration”. What does this term mean, and to whom would it be more appropriate to speak of it?

Illegal immigration is the illegal entry into a foreign country for the purpose of work and temporary or permanent residence. The term is more appropriate to refer to the increased flow of refugees and illegal immigrants to the European Union (EU) from North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, which has resulted in the European migration crisis since 2015.

How can people who are caught in a situation where they are not allowed to board a plane in a foreign country protect themselves?

Consumers of air transport services can apply for the protection of their rights in Russia or protect their rights in accordance with the laws of the country in which the carrier is registered and under its jurisdiction. Passengers can defend their rights in case of denial of transport due to Russian citizenship.

Due to the current situation, cases of discrimination against Russians by airlines may become more frequent and citizens going to EU countries should be prepared for this.

What do tourists say?