Refund, please: Coronavirus panic discourages air travel
Passengers fume over not being paid back for domestic flights’ seat cancellation
PHOTO: FILE
LAHORE:
Passengers travelling from Allama Iqbal Airport to different countries are getting their air tickets refunded due to the coronavirus outbreak across the world.
Passengers are reportedly frustrated over not getting paid back for cancellation of seats in domestic flights. Travel agents say that airlines are also facing financial difficulties as the number of passengers travelling daily is decreasing and difficulties for the staff have also increased.
Many people travelling abroad have cancelled their flight and hotel bookings. Due to this cancellation of tickets in large numbers, travel agents are also facing financial difficulties due to the refunding. As a consequence, travel agents have begun giving people a payment date of one to two weeks. Some airlines have also stopped their flight operations on certain routes.
Fifth coronavirus case confirmed in Pakistan
Details obtained by The Express Tribune show that due to the outbreak of coronavirus in many countries around the world, people travelling from Pakistan to international destinations for tourism and business have cancelled their travel plans. This includes cancellation of bookings of hotel rooms and services included in travel packages.
Due to this situation, airlines around the world are facing financial losses and national and private airlines are facing difficulties in refunding millions of rupees. Arguments have reportedly taken place between passengers and travel agents on the basis of charges, taxation and refund policy of airlines worth thousands of rupees.
The outbreak has affected people’s travel needs, especially the business community.
Over the last few days, there has been a steady increase in the number of people who have cancelled travel to countries in the Middle East, South Asia and Europe, forcing travel agents to refund their tickets all at once.
Travellers with coronavirus symptoms to be ‘quarantined for 15 days’
Travel agents have responded to the situation by giving dates to their customers for the refund of the tickets, some of whom have extended the refund process to about two and a half weeks.
Given the history of this scenario, problems have aggravated not only for the airline passengers but it has also caused a financial crisis for the travel agents and airline administrations. In this regard, officials of Travel Agents Association, Tariq Sheikh, Adil and Faisal said that in view of the current situation, the government should formulate a mechanism by which passengers do not have to face a deduction for a refund of tickets. “The government should also have a policy which states that if a passenger wants to postpone the date of his or her flight, for the next few weeks or months, he or she will not have to pay extra money.”
They added that the number of people travelling overseas has dropped phenomenally in a few days due to the coronavirus epidemic. “People travelling to foreign countries will buy tickets after the elimination of this virus which has increased the difficulties of people associated with the travel industry. They are barely making ends meet.”
Passengers travelling from Allama Iqbal Airport to different countries are getting their air tickets refunded due to the coronavirus outbreak across the world.
Passengers are reportedly frustrated over not getting paid back for cancellation of seats in domestic flights. Travel agents say that airlines are also facing financial difficulties as the number of passengers travelling daily is decreasing and difficulties for the staff have also increased.
Many people travelling abroad have cancelled their flight and hotel bookings. Due to this cancellation of tickets in large numbers, travel agents are also facing financial difficulties due to the refunding. As a consequence, travel agents have begun giving people a payment date of one to two weeks. Some airlines have also stopped their flight operations on certain routes.
Fifth coronavirus case confirmed in Pakistan
Details obtained by The Express Tribune show that due to the outbreak of coronavirus in many countries around the world, people travelling from Pakistan to international destinations for tourism and business have cancelled their travel plans. This includes cancellation of bookings of hotel rooms and services included in travel packages.
Due to this situation, airlines around the world are facing financial losses and national and private airlines are facing difficulties in refunding millions of rupees. Arguments have reportedly taken place between passengers and travel agents on the basis of charges, taxation and refund policy of airlines worth thousands of rupees.
The outbreak has affected people’s travel needs, especially the business community.
Over the last few days, there has been a steady increase in the number of people who have cancelled travel to countries in the Middle East, South Asia and Europe, forcing travel agents to refund their tickets all at once.
Travellers with coronavirus symptoms to be ‘quarantined for 15 days’
Travel agents have responded to the situation by giving dates to their customers for the refund of the tickets, some of whom have extended the refund process to about two and a half weeks.
Given the history of this scenario, problems have aggravated not only for the airline passengers but it has also caused a financial crisis for the travel agents and airline administrations. In this regard, officials of Travel Agents Association, Tariq Sheikh, Adil and Faisal said that in view of the current situation, the government should formulate a mechanism by which passengers do not have to face a deduction for a refund of tickets. “The government should also have a policy which states that if a passenger wants to postpone the date of his or her flight, for the next few weeks or months, he or she will not have to pay extra money.”
They added that the number of people travelling overseas has dropped phenomenally in a few days due to the coronavirus epidemic. “People travelling to foreign countries will buy tickets after the elimination of this virus which has increased the difficulties of people associated with the travel industry. They are barely making ends meet.”