There’s a optimistic replace relating to a narrative involving LOT Polish Airways in Beijing…
LOT reimburses buyer for Beijing denied boarding
A couple of days in the past I wrote about how an OMAAT reader was denied boarding on a LOT flight from Beijing to Warsaw whereas touring on an Air Canada Aeroplan enterprise class award ticket. In the event you haven’t learn the publish but, I’d suggest checking it out.
Lengthy story quick, it appears that evidently a LOT worker (or contractor) in Beijing unilaterally determined that associate award tickets are fraudulent, and canceled them on the spot on the airport, leaving a number of vacationers stranded. Amongst these folks was an OMAAT reader, who then bought a final minute enterprise class ticket on Korean Air to get again to the USA.
The reader had tried to achieve out to LOT for months, however didn’t get any form of decision. Thankfully inside 48 hours of the publish referenced above, LOT has reached out to me, confirming that the airline shall be reimbursing the passenger for the ticket he needed to buy. Right here’s the assertion that LOT issued to me:
To begin with, we want to sincerely apologize for the scenario that occurred, which was a misunderstanding and shouldn’t have occurred. Our workforce members has already contacted the passenger and knowledgeable him that we’ve decided to totally refund the Korean Air ticket.
I reached out to the reader to ask him about what LOT informed him, so right here’s the e-mail he obtained from the airline:
From the outset please settle for our apologies for the delay in addressing your question.
We sincerely remorse the circumstances surrounding your grievance. At LOT Polish Airways we’re all the time disillusioned if a buyer of ours needs to be in anyway disillusioned.
Relaxation assured that at LOT and related firms every worker is anticipated to show impeccable manners and most consideration of passengers, in addition to strictly adhere to the present rules and procedures. Please settle for our apologies if the employees’s conduct was in any approach inappropriate.
Bearing in mind all of the circumstances associated to your journey, the service determined to reimburse the newly bought ticket and improve within the whole quantity of CNY 40044 diminished by the already refunded sum out of your authentic ticket.
Please full the shape connected under with essential checking account particulars.
We hope that we are going to have the chance to welcome you on board of our flights once more sooner or later below extra favorable circumstances.
Okay, frankly this e-mail feels a bit canned — “please settle for our apologies if the employees’s conduct was in any approach inappropriate.” Yeah, this shouldn’t be a “sorry if you happen to’re offended” apology, this needs to be a “sorry we royally screwed up” apology. Most significantly, although, the airline is making the reader entire.
The reader’s solely concern is strictly how a lot he’ll be reimbursed, since LOT states that the corporate will reimburse him for the price of his ticket diminished by the “refunded sum” from his authentic ticket. Since that was an award, I’m curious how precisely that works.
I’m completely satisfied LOT did the fitting factor, however…
I’m happy that I used to be capable of give this story somewhat publicity, in order that this reader was contacted inside 48 hours, with a promise to be made entire. On the similar time, isn’t it unhappy that previous to this he has spent months making an attempt to achieve out to LOT and not using a decision?
It’s fairly wild which you could enter right into a contract for a ticket, an airline then unilaterally cancels your ticket and leaves you stranded, after which any try to achieve out to the airline is a lifeless finish. Your solely possibility is to attempt to take them to courtroom, or I assume on this case, attain out to somebody who may be capable to assist.
In fact this isn’t restricted to LOT, as many airways would act this fashion. And in equity to airways, the business is complicated, they usually take care of loads of suggestions from clients, which might be overwhelming. However nonetheless, for one thing this excessive, airways have to do higher.
Backside line
LOT Polish Airways is doing the fitting factor, and reimbursing an OMAAT reader who was baselessly denied boarding at Beijing Airport. I’m completely satisfied to see the airline reached out to the client so rapidly, it’s simply unlucky that this solely occurred after this case was publicly uncovered, after months of the particular person making an attempt to achieve out on to the airline.
What do you make of this LOT scenario?
