Emmanuel Uzodimma (not real name), a Lagos State resident, has narrated how Dana Air held on to his daughter’s N259,200 after the airline cancelled an Abuja to Lagos round-trip flight she booked for two.
Uzodimma told FIJ that his daughter, a graduate trainee in a commercial bank, made the booking for him and his wife on April 22.
“After she made the booking, I suddenly received an email from Dana Air on April 25 and it stated that the flight had been cancelled,” Uzodimma said on Wednesday.
“The reason they gave was that their flight operations had been cancelled due to an operational audit carried out by the NCAA.
READ ALSO: 4 Months After Cancelling Lagos-Abuja Flight, Dana Air Yet to Refund Customer’s N131,544
The Cancellation Notifications Uzodimma Received From Dana Air.
“Ideally, myself and my wife were supposed to travel with the airline between May 9 and 13 after the booking was made. As a result of the cancellation, however, we had to look for alternative means of getting to our destination. Our daughter actually booked two separate tickets at the rate of N129,600 each for us.
READ MORE: How Dana Air Held Nigerians to Ransom After 2 Safety Suspensions in 2 Years
Flight Tickets Booked for Uzodimma and His Wife
“After the cancellation, Dana Air sent my daughter a refund form to fill and she did and returned it to them on the same day. This happened in early May. Since then, we have not heard from the airline.”
Uzodimma further told FIJ that he had since made several phone calls and sent many emails to the airline, but its officials would only acknowledge them without telling him when he would get his money back.
“You know, my daughter was only trying to take care of us and make us happy by booking the flights,” said Uzodimma.
“It’s not as if she has made it in life. She is just a graduate trainee who is trying to make ends meet.
“It’s been well over four months since the flight was cancelled. Dana Air should please refund the N259,200 to her.”
READ ALSO: Dana Air Fails to Make N224,170 Refund to Lagos Resident Since 2022
When FIJ sent an email to Dana Air for a reaction to the passenger’s complaint on Wednesday morning, the airline issued no response.
However, when the airline’s WhatsApp customer service line was then contacted on the same issue, and on the same day, an official of the airline, who would not state his or her name, told FIJ that the complaint was being worked on and would be resolved soon.
On Tuesday morning, FIJ phoned Uzodimma to find out if Dana Air had finally made the refund to his daughter.
“Nothing o. Dana Air has still not made the refund,” said Uzodimma.
Michael Achimugu, NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection told FIJ on August 20 that the agency had issued Dana Air an ultimatum to refund all its customers’ money.
Dana Air has till the first week in September to resolve a long list of travellers’ refunds held up for months.
The post Amid Dana Air’s Passenger Refund Woes, Graduate Trainee’s N259,200 Is Still Hanging appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.