SkyWest Airlines has a policy of giving free air fares to spouses of employees, but it would seem that the same rules are not applied equally to all spouses; one passenger claiming that his legalized same-sex union was not recognized by the airline.
Gilbert Caldwell, 56 and David Farrell, 72 were among the approximately 18,000 couples that married after the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex unions and before they were banned by Proposition 8. The state of California has since ruled that the marriages that were granted in that time are legal.
Caldwell has worked for SkyWest since September 2004. Farrell has been his registered domestic partner since 2002, a status which entitles them to the same rights as a heterosexual couple in relation to employment, housing, insurance and commerce. However, when he attempted to use the free fare spouse discount Farrell, Caldwell’s partner of 34 years, was classed as a “travel companion” and told that he was eligible for a discount but not a free fare.
Caldwell’s lawyer has said that he will sue unless the SkyWest policy changes.
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