This post is a bit long but I think it's worth the read.

SOURCE: www.aviationplatformnews.com/minister-others-take-to-social-media-to-tackle-arik-air-over-poor-service/

For many air travellers in Nigeria, experiencing flight
delays is the rule rather than the exception. However, it
is not everyday that a Minister of Aviation is subjected
to the same inconvenience. Therefore, when the current
Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, recently took
to micro-blogging platform, Twitter, to protest the delay
of his Arik Air Flight 5N MJK from Abuja to Lagos, it
came as a surprise to many.

The minister who was on his way to Lagos to recieve the
committee report on the Aviation Revenue Automation
Project (ARAP), could not hide his displeasure at the
treatment allegely meeted out to him by the airline. He
said in several tweets from his Twitter handle,
@Benossy, that his appointment was messed up without
forewarning or apology from the airline.

“Am at Abuja Airport waiting for an Arik flight that was
scheduled for 3pm and now changed casually to 5pm. I
have refused to call anybody in Arik. Waiting patiently,
though my appointment at Lagos is messed up. No text.
No warning.

“Announcement made by about 3pm rescheduling a 3pm
flight. Arik have just called for international connecting
passengers to come for a message. Asked all checked in
passengers to come for refreshment after 1hr 30mins of
delay!” Chidoka tweeted.

Perhaps following the minister’s lead, many other air
travellers have also taken to the social media to air
their grieviances. An air traveller who goes by the
handle, “Khaleesi” posting on the Aviation Passengers
Portal set up by the Aviation Ministry complained about
Arik’s excess baggage fees at the Abuja airport.

“According to Arik Air’s customer care, excess baggage
fee is $3 per kg. But, at Abuja airport, they charge
N1000 per kg, and they don’t give receipts. Meanwhile
in Accra, they charge $3 per kg,” the traveller posted.
While also complaining about checks at the Abuja
airport, the traveller said, “I don’t understand why the
customs are stationed before immigration in departures.
A person should be able to walk in and drop off a
check-in baggage. But in Abuja airport, it’s not the case.
They say so many things are prohibited. Even as checked
in baggage.”

Another passenger trended online during the week after
taking to Twitter to complain about the seat in one of
Arik Air’s aircraft. The passenger, who also posted a
picture, alleged that a seat (14F) on Airk Flight W3 721,
has got no upholstery, that the seat was just bare
metal. The passenger said when he asked the air hostess
about it, she shrugged like it was something normal.
Yet, another passenger who was reacting to the issue of
the seats on LindaIkeji blog said he was on the same
flight last December, and was a witness to the
argument between some passengers and the air hostess
concerning the same seats.

“It was a terrible experience for the affected passengers
as they ended up in a heated argument with the air
hostesses. So Arik still dey use this ‘kabu-kabu’
aircraft?? Smh for Nigeria,” he posted.

An Air traveller bemoaned his experience on an airline-
informs.com, “I purchased a one-way ticket from
Nigeria to New York about three months prior for my
wife. She was supposed to fly on the 20th but now Arik
has cancelled the flight and moved the flight date to
25th for no reason. I’m still attempting to contact them
but no one is answering the phone. I woke up this
morning to find out that the date has been moved again
to 26th! Where on earth does this happen in the world?
I have written and called their numbers, no one is
responding.”

Another passenger said, “Recently (March 2015), I
booked and was confirmed on a flight that no longer
operates. I turned up at the airport only to be treated
with disdain by Arik’s staff. Arik Air’s customer service
is an unmitigated shambles.”

A post by a passenger, who simply identified himself
as ‘Dr. Jack’ on airline-informs.com reads: “I booked a
return flight from Heathrow to Owerri and after flying
in from London without getting a blanket despite my
numerous pleas not to talk of the non functional
television screens, we arrived at Sam Mbakwe from
Lagos only to discover that the airline left my luggage
in Lagos thereby making me stay in the airport from
08:45 until 19:30 at night.

“No staff was on hand to talk to the passengers who
were affected and the only one who took our numbers
from us to contact us should our bags arrive, has not
sent me a text, not to talk of a ring concerning this till
this day (4 weeks after).

“On my return trip back to the UK, the airline (Arik)
cancelled our connecting flight to Lagos without
informing any of the passengers thereby making us miss
the flight to Heathrow from Lagos. After all the excuses,
they refused to lodge us into a hotel which even made
the matter worse.

“They came up with a suggestion of flying us into Lagos
and abandoning everyone to their own fate until the
next day, that is only if we will agree to sign an
undertaking which we all rejected. When they agreed to
logde us in an Owerri hotel after we refused their staff
as well as other intending passengers access to the check
in stands, they kept us in the least of rooms and denied
both the kids as well as adults of a single meal.

“We had to unite (together), ate as a group and refused
to pay for our lunch despite all the threats from the
hotel who locked us in during our departure in the
morning because they wanted us pay for our meals of
the previous afternoon.

“(The) commotion ensued once more at the gates before
the Arik manager who has been collaborating with the
hotel rang to agree that Arik will pay for the meals.
Our flight to Lagos onward Heathrow wasn’t the best
but at least finally, I made it home to see my family.”

Contacted for comments on some of the issues raised by
the air travellers, spokesman for Arik Air, Banji Ola, did
not respond to all our enquiries.

SOURCE : www.aviationplatformnews.com/minister-others-take-to-social-media-to-tackle-arik-air-over-poor-service/

Ok

.

I talk am say Arik no be am.

madridguy:
Ok

Holla911:
.

Lol. Una don dey book space already?

Before nko ? Before first class sit finish..lol

oluamid:





Lol. Una don dey book space already?