Is this all part of a scam on PIA's end to make up for the losses they incurred during their strike?
KARACHI: I purchased an air ticket for myself and my infant daughter on December 12, 2015, from PIA’s website. I travelled one way from JFK to Karachi on the scheduled date of December 19, 2015. My husband was to follow me at a later date on February 9, 2016. He also purchased his return ticket online from the PIA website. We were scheduled to return together on February 27, 2016.
However, the PIA strike happened and my husband’s flight was cancelled. My husband called the New York PIA office and the representative, a lady by the name of Marwat, said that there are no alternative flights scheduled and he would get a refund. He called multiple times to make sure that the flight is cancelled and there are no alternative arrangements made. Each time he was given the same response that he would get a refund. Meanwhile, I also called their helpline repeatedly to make sure of the same. I was also given the response that both, my one-way fare and my husband’s full ticket refund would be given. Since we had purchased our tickets online, we were given the email address khiwtpk@piac.areo to claim our refunds.
Accordingly, my husband booked another flight and emailed PIA at the same email address for a refund on February 5, 2016. Since my husband had cancelled his return flight plans, I also sent an email to the same address demanding a refund on February 6, 2016.
When we did not hear from PIA on our emails, we went to the PIA office opposite YMCA in Karachi and once again, we were asked to send emails to the same email address. The representative in the office said that since we had purchased our tickets online, they could not do anything for us. After informing them that we had done our bit, they conveniently asked us to wait for a response to our emails.
Now, the time of our return flight is nearing. Since I had not heard from PIA via email, I called the customer service on February 22, 2016 to get an update on our flight status. To my shock, I learnt that I couldn’t claim a refund since I have already availed part of the ticket. Another shocker — when I asked the update on my husband’s refund status, learnt that without our knowledge, he had been rescheduled for February 13 from JFK to KHI and his status was being shown as a no-show. We have had absolutely no contact from PIA on any reschedules. PIA is now refusing to honour our refunds. Can anyone please help us in this dilemma? Can the PIA management please enlighten us why we were continuously being misled on earlier occasions? Or, is this all part of a scam on their end to make up for the losses they incurred during their strike?
Syeda Faryal Najeeb
Published in The Express Tribune, February 26th, 2016.
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