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Mar 31, 2010
Offloaded despite confirmed SIA tickets
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ON FEB 13, my travel companions and I joined a long queue to check in for flight SQ972 to Bangkok at 9.40am, and this was when our ordeal began with Singapore Airlines.
Upon checking in, a counter staff member told us that the flight was overbooked and requested that we volunteer to be offloaded. We told him that as we had paid for our golfing package we would lose money and the game if we opted to be offloaded.
He then replied that since our booking was confirmed we were sure to get our seats and told us to come back 10 minutes later while he prepared the tickets.
When we returned, we were told the flight was full. We were offered tickets on flight SQ976, which was departing at 4pm. We did not want to take this flight, so the staff member advised us to wait for the passenger services manager to assist us. Unfortunately, we had to wait for more than an hour for him. By this time, flight SQ972 had departed.
Left with no choice, we took the later flight.
Each of us was compensated $150 and given an in-flight voucher worth US$50 (S$70). The compensation could not make up for the loss of time, the frustration and anxiety we had gone through.
We were exasperated that although we had fully paid and confirmed our booking many months ahead, Singapore Airlines could not guarantee our seats and spare us the ordeal of offloading.
It was also dismaying that while clarifying the offloading situation, SIA wrote that its clarification was no way an indication of any liability on the company's part.
Singapore Airlines should not make a passenger pay upon booking a ticket when it cannot guarantee him a seat. This would at least give the passenger the option to decide whether to travel with the airline or not.
Roger Sim
Offloaded despite confirmed SIA tickets
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<!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
ON FEB 13, my travel companions and I joined a long queue to check in for flight SQ972 to Bangkok at 9.40am, and this was when our ordeal began with Singapore Airlines.
Upon checking in, a counter staff member told us that the flight was overbooked and requested that we volunteer to be offloaded. We told him that as we had paid for our golfing package we would lose money and the game if we opted to be offloaded.
He then replied that since our booking was confirmed we were sure to get our seats and told us to come back 10 minutes later while he prepared the tickets.
When we returned, we were told the flight was full. We were offered tickets on flight SQ976, which was departing at 4pm. We did not want to take this flight, so the staff member advised us to wait for the passenger services manager to assist us. Unfortunately, we had to wait for more than an hour for him. By this time, flight SQ972 had departed.
Left with no choice, we took the later flight.
Each of us was compensated $150 and given an in-flight voucher worth US$50 (S$70). The compensation could not make up for the loss of time, the frustration and anxiety we had gone through.
We were exasperated that although we had fully paid and confirmed our booking many months ahead, Singapore Airlines could not guarantee our seats and spare us the ordeal of offloading.
It was also dismaying that while clarifying the offloading situation, SIA wrote that its clarification was no way an indication of any liability on the company's part.
Singapore Airlines should not make a passenger pay upon booking a ticket when it cannot guarantee him a seat. This would at least give the passenger the option to decide whether to travel with the airline or not.
Roger Sim
