Ballerz:
Long Post Alert
I was scheduled to fly with BA on Thursday Sept 14,2017.
Plan was to leave the house 4.30am and get to the airport for 5am unfortunately the cab man did not come on time. I got to the airport with 7 bags.
I had planned to pay for 5 extra bags at the rate of 200 dollars per bag. I got there they said all my bags were over weight. I said proceed I will pay for the charges. (I just wanted to board). She said all my bags were over weight. 7 bags became 8 bags. Split into 2 x 23kg and 6 x32kg. They billed me 1,890 which i paid (they were shocked), me sef was not thinking of the Naira equivalent if not, I for run but because I already had two interviews booked for the next day. BA lands 8.30 Toronto time. I had scheduled one interview for 11am and another for 3pm. So na the appointment dey my mind not the money I was throwing at extra and excess baggages (wasting)
On my way upstairs, NIS said they need to confirm my cash, I brought it out to count because they said they need physical confirmation since it is more than 10k. They told me to come to corner (I knew the implication of corner things, I said no) from there I went upstairs to board that is when they called my name that my attention is needed down stairs
On getting there I realised one of their staff in the course of assisting and commotion of "we need to take off" had removed the wine I wanted to chill and relax with fried chicken had removed it from my hand luggage and kept into a check-in luggage. Dammmmnnnn... It broke and damaged all my clothes in that bag which were mostly whites.
I still said let's take off, I dont mind. I will sort out the damaged bags when I get to destination, then later they said no that I need to sort out the bags and they need to take off. That is how i did not fly o.
First thing I did was to collect my flenty flenty money i had paid as excess and extra luggage. I asked them to put me on the next flight, that was when nightmare started. "You need to get in touch with your agent, since you did not buy directly from us, we cannot reschedule you". Called Travelstart (The worst agent in terms of customer service. They are ever non responsive.) From 8am i kept calling and did not reach them until 10.30am. While waiting for Travelstart, I decided to go the cargo route. Then I was told they will not come until 9.30am. So i became a refugee moving with my loads. Good thing is that the cab man that took me to the airport, i did not dismiss him.
Airfrance finally came and gave me an invoice of 184,000 for 192kg. Did the calculations still better than 1890 USD BA was going to collect. Then they said i will pay some fees - clearing agency, NDLEA, customs etc. Bottom line everything came to about 260k. Which was still acceptable. Meanwhile i was waiting for travelstart to confirm which flight they were putting me on. They came back and said the next available flight is Wednesday 20th. I said ok proceed. Then.... they came back again and said BA put a comment "Partial No show...." and because of this comment they cannot reschedule, that I have to get in touch with BA.
Some1 advised that since they had issued me boarding pass, they are obligated to put me on the next available flight at no extra cost, because it is their headache since i already have a boarding pass. Friday Morning 5am, 15th September, took off to go rake for BA (on what they mean by partial no show). The lady simply said "your agent do not know what they are doing. This was the same comment I put for others that we disembarked and their agents has rebooked them and the ones that bought from us were put on a flight for this morning" The Manager or colleague said, "Just delete all the comment so that they will not have any other excuse"
Waited till 9.30am before travelstart line will get opened, while waiting, I immediately went to same travelstart website and booked another flight on Egypt air for Sunday 17th September. Which was the cheapest i could see (540k). Made payment via bank transfer. So when they came online, they wanted to start stories, I said "for the fact that I have a Boarding pass, it is not my headache put me on the next flight or give me a full refund. Wole was the one that picked the call, later he called his supervisor (Victoria Awo something....) after narrating all that happened she was stammering about full refund but when i imsisted that I have boarding pass and I will shred them on social media and especially twitter. I said i no longer wish to speak to you but your supervisor, She said she is the supervisor. I said, i mean the supervisor's Supervisor and i threatened social media action. She said I should give her some minutes she will revert to me. Then I said please confirm my payment for Egypt. So you have two options now, put me on a BA flight and refund the Egypt or confirm my egypt ticket and refund my BA.
15 mins later she came back that she has spoken to the operations manager who said it is easier for them to put me on BA for Sunday and refund the Egypt and they are forwarding the request to South Africa Office. Thereafter I mailed the interviewers and rescheduled since it was confirmed that Sunday is a Go day either Egypt or BA, I will be airborne.
At 5pm she now came and said they will be refunding BA but will not be giving me my full 530k but 454k and they will confirm the Egypt ticket. Another drama started that i must collect my full refund. They said the 250 dollars penalty is from Air canada. I said you knw what, since I am a Canadian resident, send me a mail and I will sue Aircanada. She ran off the phone again and said I will get back to you.
Now that my Egypt Ticket is confirmed for Sunday. I started planning for Sunday. I had not eaten better food in 48hours. I returned to my house as a refugee since everything was sold and the house stripped. With ticket confirmed, I logged onto Egypt and purchased 4 extra bags which was meant to be 150 Dollars but buying online you get 20% discount. To pay for extra luggage became another nightmare. I really wanted this prepayment because what BA charged 210 USD (Even though on their website it says 200 USD) for is what I am going to get for 120 USD. The portal on egypt was not working, tracked them down on FB, they sent me a mail to send the request to. They responded to the email and gave me a number to call. (Calling Egypt from Nigeria is soooo expensive) I call Canada and US for one hour and i pay like 475 Naira but this egypt was less than 20 minutes and i saw 1635 as call charge.
Bottom line, I was able to make the purchase of 4 extra bags at 490 USD (because they charged in Dirhams) After the payment I was finally at peace. I decided to cargo the remaining 100kg of load from Nigeria to Toronto.
Sunday 17th September, I got to airport very well ahead of time. My scale was now very accurate because I went to purchase a new digital scale to get my readings right as the previous scale was really a deceiver.
Time for check-in started, put my stuffs on the scale, they were quite good. Told the dude to bubble wrap them and paid 1k per Bag. Got to the counter, told them i had paid for 4 extra bags. They asked for receipts and to sight the Credit card, which I presented. They rescaled my loads and were reading 26, 26, 25, 23, 23, 25. I simply told them their scale is faulty and went to call the bubble wrap guy. We confirmed their scale had shifted a bit forward, so they let me pass. Then, they said I should put hand luggage on scale which read 18kg. He said it was high. I told him it is laptop and books in there (Because I had 2 laptops and 1 tablet). I opened it for him and they were so kind and said split it and have a third carry-on which was just meant to be two. It was this same carry on, BA was adamnat that it must not exceed 2 that they messed up my whole trip. Everything work together for Good sha, because i collected my plenty Benjamins back, paid it cheaper on Egyptair and discovered how to do Cargo business. I will soon open my own african shop in Brampton/Missisauga. Please watch out.
On my way to Board, encountered immigration again. First trouble, that I filled the form with green pen. He gave me back the form and a blue pen to start tracing. I said never. Give me a new form to fill. I am not going to retrace anything. He said, He does not have another form, I said I will not retrace since your form did not indicate a particular ink I am at liberty to fill in whatever ink. His supervisor came and started story of can you fill Bank instruments in Green. I said yes, specifically when I was in Zenith Bank 10 years ago, we had a customer whose instruction says, his check must be written in green ink, u honour any other color, he will sue you.
So money matters, since I was travelling with over 10k USD, she said the Bank only gives 4k, I said yes I am at liberty to buy from Black market. She asked for receipt from aboki, I sid i dont have. She now started saying what will she fill on the system bla bla. I said fill whatever you like. I do not have aboki receipts and I have declared my cash. I have offered to show you transactions outflow from my account to aboki. She asked for my business card, I said I do not have. I mentioned i worked with XXXX and we are known globally, she said something, I responded "who knows Nigeria Immigration beyond this country. She said after oil, they generate the highest revenue. I said, na FIRS with over 4trn aanual revenue. She told her otondo colleague not process the form cos i do not have receipt from aboki cos there is nothing for her fill as evidence of funds. That her inputting the details here will reflect in the system in toronto.... For real? like she is talking to a novice. I simply said can I go? She said yes. I said thank you and I left. (All her tactics to make me shake body was checkmated.
I boarded o and it has been smooth.... I am typing this epistle on board enroute to Cairo, after which I am off to prepare for my Toastings with the interviewers.
Lesson point
1.Get an accurate scale and do not exceed your 23kg
Don't be late to the airport. Try get there at least 2 hours before the official check in time. This will give you enough time to catch your breathe after moving plenty bags
2. Do not fly BA if you know you have load because airport purchase was charged 210 dollars even though website said 200
3.Don't buy your ticket from Agents especially travelstart, if you can help it (Though they get you cheap fares and options) because when complications like this arises, carrier, will say get in touch with Agent
4. If you know you will have extra luggage, just buy online, that 20% discount makes alot of sense. 600 Dollars became 490 Dollars.
5. In every situation, always see the good side. Myself and someone I met on this forum are already planning on the implementation of our business line. Watch out.
6. There is a 15k discount code on travelstart TSLIL15000. You can use it if your are yet to book your ticket. Thank me later.
Cheers Folks
Oga stop blaming the airline or the travel agent. the whole problem was caused by you. I always use travelstart and wakanow and they have always been very good. people like you mislead the once who will not read in between the lines. you caused you problem yourself. I will keep using agencies to book flight and get the best deal. BA is a principled airline and don't tolerate this kind of your drama. I thank God you have learnt your lesson. i hope you really have learnt your lessons- if yes, please stop blaming the airline and even the agent. Thank you for this code. it worked like magic. please guys go and try it. i got 15k reduction from the initial fare for real. can i use this more than once? 7 Likes 4 Shares |
Travel / Re: Living In Canada/Life As A Canadian Immigrant by Temeric: 4:21pm On Sep 21, 2017