"Looking up to Whites" Mindset

I have accumulated some frequent flyer points with Singapore Airlines over the years. Singapore Airlines has the policy of deducting your points every year – if you don’t use them. My wife and I decided to use these points to visit Macau, which we had never been before, even though it is just a ferry away from Hong Kong. We flew through Hong Kong.

Something quite “un-Hong Kong” happened when we were about to board our flight at the Hong Kong airport, which prompted me to write this feedback to Singapore Airlines:

“My wife and I were on this flight from Hong Kong to Singapore on 4 November 2014. When we were about to board the aircraft at Gate 19, we experienced something that was very bizarre.

Being a holder of the Krisflyer XXX Card, we naturally wanted to take advantage of the priority lane accorded to this class of travelers and duly took our place there. We were the first two in the queue. The couple behind us were Caucasian. When the gate opened, the officer - apparently a young man of Chinese descent - instead of clearing us according to the queue status, reached out to the Caucasian man behind me and my wife to scan their passes first - as if we were invisible or not worthy to be XXX members! I naturally protested and although this male officer immediately to scan our passes to scan, I really felt slighted. Moreover, there was not even a word of apology.

This "looking up to the whites" mentally is most unbecoming and indeed disgraceful for a person of his age and colour. I do know that this particular officer is not a member of your staff, however, I urge you to help eliminate this discriminatory mind-set, since he was acting on your behalf at the material time.”