On February 1, Nigerian journalist Sam Oma (not real name) booked a flight worth N220,000 with Air Peace for a round-trip from Abuja to Akure in Ondo State. The flight was scheduled for February 14.

Just before Oma could travel, the airline cancelled his flight. Now, Oma’s appeals for a refund of his own money have continually fallen on Air Peace’s deaf ears.

Oma told FIJ that he booked the flight for a burial ceremony of the father of a friend and colleague. The burial ceremony would also afford him the opportunity to have meetings that would be beneficial for his organisation.

Oma’s Round-trip Ticket

The cancellation of the flight was so unexpected that not only did they not inform Oma between February 1 and February 13, they contacted him on the eve of the departure day to inform him that the flight had been rescheduled.

“A night before the day to travel, I got a text message from Air Peace that the flight had been rescheduled downwards, that is from 1 pm to 12 pm. I was happy that, at least, we were going to take off on time,” Oma said.

READ ALSO: Air Peace Withholds Kano Resident’s N597,500 Refund for 6 Months

“Unfortunately, in the morning, their text message then woke me up again to the outright cancellation of the flight. I was shocked. How can you cancel someone’s flight the day the person was supposed to travel? With the importance attached to my trip, I was mad.”

Furious, Oma called Air Peace on their customer care line.

“The person I spoke with said it was due to ‘unscheduled maintenance’. No other further explanation was given,” Oma recalled.

When he asked if there were other options to salvage the situation, the airline said there was none. There was no flight on that route for the remainder of the week. The customer care representative then specifically advised Oma to seek a refund. She also gave Oma directives on where to contact.

After making the necessary calls and emails as directed, coupled with the proofs of the flight transaction and the exchange of messages he had had with them prior.

At first, Oma said he did not get a response, prompting him to call the Air Peace customer representative who told him to seek a refund.

“She first told me they didn’t see it. So, when I dropped the call to send another one, I got a response to the earlier one I sent, claiming they saw it and they were processing it,” Oma told FIJ.

Oma had to contact the airline again after 5 days. But this time, they didn’t respond. When he called the line he had earlier spoken with, they only repeated that they were on top of the situation.

From that moment, each time Oma called, they simply assured him that they would refund him.

READ ALSO: Hundreds of Air Peace’s Abuja-Lagos Passengers Sleep at Airport Overnight After Multiple Postponements of 2 Flights

“The problem really is not about the money, it’s about the injustice. The loss of opportunities, the loss of businesses, and again, that they do it constantly to other people,” Oma said.

Oma also recalled a similar situation he suffered from the airline in 2023, when he had to travel to Borno State. He recalled how he was delayed by Air Peace in Gombe State for three days due to how they continuously shifted the flight date.

After the three delays, Air Peace delayed him and other passengers further. They first told them to go to the airport, informing passengers that the plane to convey them was ready. At 11 pm in the night, “they told us the plane could not land due to poor visibility”.

Oma told FIJ he had to take a taxi late in the night to take him back to his hotel room in Gombe. He said Air Peace did nothing to compensate for the delay and inconveniences they caused. As little as an apology, Air Peace did not offer. Each person had to cater for themselves.

When FIJ sent an email to the airline on Monday, they said the complaint had been created with a ticket code. They said nothing after that.
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