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More Customer Horror Stories About Arik Airline

September 1, 2010

Dear Sir: I am sorry for using this medium to contact you. I searched in vain on your website for a U.K address to make my complaints but there was none. In the process I realised that your website has no link to formally make complaints about services received from your airline.

Dear Sir: I am sorry for using this medium to contact you. I searched in vain on your website for a U.K address to make my complaints but there was none. In the process I realised that your website has no link to formally make complaints about services received from your airline.

I presume Arik Air was developed in such a way that 100 percent of your passengers will always be 100 percent satisfied whenever they use your services.

I am sorry to disappoint you Sir, but I was not satisfied when I flew your airline for the following reasons:

On the 24th of June 2010 I had cause to fly to Nigeria at very short notice. A quick search for flights for the 25th of June 2010 to Abuja, Nigeria from London Heathrow showed only Arik Air and British Airways direct flights.

I then visited your website and was really impressed by the pictures you showed of your business class. I reproduce same for you to see:

 Without thinking twice Sir, I immediately reserved a flight online. Then the horrors started.

First, I was sent an email and told you do not accept payment online and I will have to go to the ticket office to pay, but on one condition, if I didn’t pay within the hour the reservation would be cancelled. I called your London office and was told they could hold the ticket for me to pay at the airport at an extra charge of £25 and I will have to pay with cash or else I will be charged a further 3 percent of the ticket sum if I paid with a card. I asked even with my debit card and was told as long as I used a card-credit or debit- a 3 percent surcharge would apply. I am only aware of surcharges when paying with a credit card.

Anyway I got to the airport and payed.

As I walked into the plane I was ushered into a seat by your air hostess. And trust me Sir; it was not what was on your website-no flat beds, no reserved bar. Just a reclining seat!!!! When someone pays five times the price of economy seat to fly business class he wants exactly that, Sir. It only dawned on me that I had been hoodwinked when I realised I was the only passenger flying business class. Only one passenger flying business class in peak season from London to Abuja? Then I realised what the problem was-others who had fallen for this scam before me just didn’t turn up again.

Obviously at this stage I had no choice but to settle into the flight. I was then given a menu and with a wine list. I was first served cold chicken pepper soup. The chicken was diced and you could see the ingredients settled at the bottom of the plate with clear water on top. I asked for it to be warmed and your kind and efficient hostess attempted to do that. For my main meal I asked for eba with okra. I swear to God who made me when the eba arrived I almost asked the captain to stop let me come down. I was served two pieces of eba both the size of a bazooka chewing gum (for those of who don’t know bazooka chewing gum-the eba could not have been more than the size of a Wrigley’s airwaves chewing gum),the meat was about the size of my thumb,2 pieces. And once again it was cold. I gave up at this stage and just asked to be given champagne. I was given a long list and when I ordered the reply was-“we don’t have that one”. You didn’t have any of the brands I chose. You had only one brand and I had to stick to it. Why has a list when you know you have no intention of serving what is on it?

Then came time for shopping. As this was an impromptu trip I had no time to buy little gifts for my siblings. I looked through your duty free magazine and saw some lovely items at good prices.Sir, this one is even more ridiculous and seriously it is not a joke. When I called the hostess to request some duty free items to purchase I was told once again-“We don’t stock duty free items on the plane”. So what is the magazine doing here, I asked? I was met with a wonderful smile and no answers. At this stage I realised something Sir, your staff had been instructed to smile to whatever was said to them. “Just smile”

Please can you also take off the only two songs you have on your in flight entertainment system if you can’t add more. While I love Fela, I just couldn’t bear listening to only one track all through the flight. The other track was some rap by Run DMC.If I may ask-Why Run DMC? And add more movies to the four you have as well.

My return flight on the 27th of June saw only two of us in business class. My fellow passenger walked up to me and said “this is a scam”. We could barely eat the food. You did not have a dedicated check in for business class and once again we were offered recliner seats. Do everyone a favour please, take off the pictures you advertise for business class if you know you cannot offer your customers just that. Business class travellers are usually premium customers and they know what service to expect. You can’t excuse bad service and expect them to return

This is a clear case of mis-selling and it is not surprising you are flying empty planes to Abuja from London.

I mean this letter in good faith. For every business it is important they get feedback. If you only you had provided avenue for feedback and complaint or even a U.K based address, I would not have used this method to reach you, Sir.

Forgive me if you find this embarrassing. But if you correct some of the anomalies I listed above I can assure you with good advertisement your business class will never be empty. I am in no way trying to pull down your airline. I am just complaining about services rendered to me.

I have for obvious reasons declined to put my name to this letter, but, Sir,I  can be contacted from the details I gave your airline when I made my reservation. As the only passenger who flew business class to Abuja from London Heathrow Terminal 4 on the 25th of June 2010 with ticket number 7252416201438 it will be quite easy contacting me.

Thank you for reading my letter.




To: Dr. Michael Aruremi-Ikhide
Chief Executive Officer
Arik Air Limited
To: Dr. Michael Aruremi-Ikhide
Chief Executive Officer
Arik Air Limited

 

 






 

 





 

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