About one year after cancelling a flight booked by an Abuja-based family, Arik Air has failed to refund their N149,626 ticket fee.
Becky Ajibola told FIJ that she booked an Abuja-Ilorin flight for herself and her two children in August 2022 ahead of the children’s return to school in September.
The flight was scheduled for September 18, 2023, but it got cancelled due to “operational reasons” on the eve of the departure date.
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“I booked the flight on August 23 to take my two children back to school, but I got a message in September that the flight had been cancelled,” Ajibola told FIJ.
The cancellation notification
“The airline has found it difficult to refund our flight ticket fee since then.”
Ajibola said when she first visited the Abuja airport, a female employee said the flight could be rescheduled to Lagos but she turned down the offer as she had no reason to be in Lagos.
“Then, when I said I needed a refund, she said there was a long list of customers waiting for a refund and it would take time before it got to my turn.
“I left and kept calling their refund unit throughout 2022, but there was no response. All the times I called their number, it was either unreachable or they refused to answer.
“I went back to the office this year in March, and someone asked me to fill out a refund form.”
The flight details
Ajibola said when she did not receive any response, she went back in June and was told that the refund was delayed because she had included her bank account statement.
“Right there on that day, I went to print out my account statement and submitted it to them, and they told me they had initiated the process for my refund request.”
However, despite submitting all the requested documents, she still did not receive the money.
Payment receipt
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“I went to the airport in Abuja on August 9, hoping to see if there was any update since they refused to reach out to me. The lady who attended to me called their office in Lagos, but the number did not go through.
“She then told me to go home, and that I would be updated once she got across to them. But I haven’t heard from her since I left the office.”
In response to FIJ’s inquiry on Tuesday, Joy Adimike, Customer Relations Officer, wrote: “We have escalated your request to our refund unit. Be assured that your request is receiving due attention and the account provided will be credited upon completion of the process.”
The post Arik Air Holds on to Family’s N149,600 for 11 Months After Cancelling Flight appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.