Fiji Airways
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at 14:37 by AMcWhirter.
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tomyam42ParticipantAlex,
Last August I purchased 3 business class tickets on-line from Fiji Airways (FA) to fly HKG/NAN 31 Mar, 2015, return 9 Apr. I exchanged a few email with FA in Fiji to secure 3 select seats each way.
Before going to HKIA on 31 Mar I checked the flight status, only to find no flight. Finally I found a HK tel no for an agent who advised that FA had changed its days of operations and that my booking was “protected” on the previous day. But I had never been advised of this. Then first I was put on Thu flight in eco but the class was not disclosed, although I was offered the chance to defer the return for free. I rejected this for medical reasons. Next I was put on the following Mon flight and allowed to return on Sat but told to pay about US$4K. The local agt said this was not fair and had the charge cancelled.
The result was our planned and booked 9 days in Fiji was reduced to 4 days, as the return flight departures had been changed from 10pm to 8am. Also I had pre-paid the first 4 hotel nights costing about US$900 which I lost. I asked FA for reimbursement of the unused hotel bookings and compensation for the reduced time in Fiji. Their response was that disruptions occur, their resources are often overloaded, sorry if staff were unhelpful, conditions of carriage permit change without notice, and, as far as compensation is concerned: sweet FA.
I suspect that the schedule change was made months earlier and that their chaotic system just did not notify me. Whenever CX changes their schedule, even by 5 minutes, they pursue me with phone calls and an email with a new ticket. I believe that the hotel costs should be reimbursed and, in all fairness, compensation paid for the severe reduction in time in Fiji – perhaps amounting to 5/9 of the total cost of my planned and booked trip, including hotels, in total some HK$50K.
What thinks you?2 May 2015
at 02:45
AMcWhirterParticipantHello tomyam42
Sorry to hear your tale regarding Fiji Airways (FJ).
The problem here is one I received many times when writing my Ask Alex column.
Travellers who book flights many months ahead must always check several times before the flight date(s) to ensure the airline has made no schedule changes.
Why ? Simply because when you book a flight in August for the end of the following March, your trip will be subject to two possible schedule changes. Every year airlines tend to revise schedules towards the end of October and again towards the end of March.
Of course, FJ is obliged to notify you (or the travel agent if you had booked through an agent) about any schedule change(s).
But mistakes can and do happen. For example, it is known for airline schedule alerts to arrive in the traveller’s spam inbox where they may be ignored/deleted.
So that is why I have always advised readers to check schedules well in advance with the carrier so as not to be inconvenienced.
This advice would especially apply in the case of FJ because it only flies twice weekly between Hong Kong and Nadi.
Hong Kong air travellers, to the best of my knowledge, have no “passenger rights” on this route. And it also has a monopoly on the route so there’s no alternative direct carrier to fall back on.
As regards the US$900 loss on the hotel accommodation, I would never recommend booking non-refundable hotels so far in advance and especially when there are so few flights on this one route. In such cases, always choose accommodation that can be changed if necessary.
So I suggest you ask FJ again if it would be prepared to offer some sort of goodwill compensation and if that doesn’t work then seek legal advice.
But I do hope you learn from this experience.
Alex McWhirter
2 May 2015
at 14:37 -
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