[wgarira]

My son, Richard Garira, who studies in Russia was supposed to board flight ET-761 Ethiopian Air (details of ticket are attached) at Moscow, Russia Domodedovo Airport to Ethiopia on Thursday night (27-06-2019) and then board ET-809 Ethiopian Air, from Ethiopia to come here to South Africa where I work. He was declined to board the flight ET-761 Ethiopian Air, by immigration officials at Moscow, Russia Domodedovo Airport. He was told he can only board the plane on either of two conditions: Either (1) he produces a VISA to South Africa, or (2) he buys a ticket for a connecting flight from South Africa, Johannesburg to Zimbabwe since he holds a Zimbabwean passport. The immigration officials were told by my son that he does not require a VISA to go to South Africa and he has no plans to go to Zimbabwe at this stage. Then they went on to decline him boarding flight ET-761 Ethiopian Air. The following morning (28-06-2019), we both contacted Ethiopian Air, and a representative of Ethiopian Air, by the name Svetlana Stikhno, told us that we must pay a Penalty for change is 150 USD, penalty for refund – 200 USD and that my son cannot enter South Africa without a VISA or if he wants to enter South Africa, the passenger must be holding the onward ticket from South. We told Svetlana Stikhno, that Richard has an outward ticket (since the ticket he bought with Ethiopian Air is a return ticket back to Russia) and that my son does not require a VISA to come to South Africa Since Zimbabwean not require a VISA to come to South Africa. Svetlana Stikhno told me that because the return ticket was not produced at the time of boarding, I must pay penalties and first fly my son to Zimbabwe if I want him to come to South Africa. Out of desperation, I ended up paying the penalty of 150 USD, together with additional charges for my son to buy an additional ticket to go to Zimbabwe so that from Zimbabwe he can then come to south Africa. The Journey to Zimbabwe is a destination only prescribed by Ethiopian Air. The VISA for my son to come to South Africa is also not a requirement by the South African Government, but just by Ethiopian Air. As we speak, I am paying for additional charges for my Son to stay in Russia until Tuesday (02-07-2019) when a flight to Zimbabwe is found. I feel that it is grossly unfair for the Ethiopian Air to prescribe VISA requirements between Zimbabwe and South Africa when the two countries have no VISA requirements for their nationalities. This has cost me a lot of money. Efforts to get Ethiopian Air refund me penalties and additional charges I have incurred were also declined by the airline although it was clearly a mistake of the Ethiopian Air to decline my son to board flight ET-761 Ethiopian Air.