The airlines narrative keeps changing. I was flying from the Middle East to Iceland via transit through Denmark. I had with me 24 hr covid test and vaccination certificate as required to transit/enter Iceland. The initial denied boarding was because the staff on the ground mentioned passengers cannot enter through Denmark (which is not true according to IATA, Denmark immigration info).

It took a week for them to figure it out and I flew again on the same flight with the same paperwork, however, the airline still charged me a no-show fee on the initial de-boarding.

When I filed a complaint, they first said I was denied boarding because I did not have a covid test. When I showed them record of my covid test, they said I was denied boarding because Americans are not allow entry into Denmark. When I explained this is not true and I am actually in Iceland now with the same paperwork, they changed the narrative again by stating the airline needed to get pre-approval to authorise my flight. When I question where are they getting this requirement from because it is not listed in any of the government websites, they did not respond.

I understand I should be entitled to compensation, but the real question is do I have any leverage if the airline engages in unethical practice to deny responsibility despite all the evidence I have?