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| Customers flood Rayani Air office in Shah Alam yesterday to get refunds for their tickets after the airline was suspended on April 12. |
SHAH ALAM: A plan to have a perfect family get-together was dashed for photographer Ahmad Zamzahuri Abas, 30, when his trip with 23 other family members was cancelled due to Rayani Air’s suspension earlier this month.
Zamzahuri, who had planned a four-day trip to Sabah since last year, was supposed to leave with his wife, daughter, uncle, siblings, nephews and nieces in August.
“I was frustrated when I found out about its suspension. We were looking forward to the trip as all my nephews, nieces and 70-year-old uncle had never travelled by plane before. They were all excited because they wanted to experience their first flight.
“It is difficult now to reschedule the trip as the rest have their own commitments like work and school,” he said, adding that his family spent over RM4,000 for their tickets.
Zamzahuri has filed for an reimbursement from the county’s first syariah compliant airline and was told it would be made within 60-90 days.
“This is ridiculous. I understand there are procedures to go through but making us wait for up to three months for our money is just unacceptable,” he said.
The family was considering cancelling their trip altogether even though they had paid RM6,000 to their Sabahan tour guide.
"It's impossible to get tickets from other airlines for the same dates and same rates.
“The RM6,000 cannot be refunded but there is nothing we can do. We might be driving to Johor instead but it would just be like every other road trip,” he said, adding that his older sister and her seven children would not join them for the Johor trip.
Another passenger Siti Nor Dulimani Tan Aton, 32, said she was to have gone to Sarawak with her husband and two children.
Dulimani, or better known as Nani, said her husband had to take a day off from work yesterday to drive from Klang to Rayani Air office here to file for reimbursements.
“I had to come here because my calls went unanswered. They said the reimbursement will take at least 30 days.”
Nani said her husband had to buy new tickets to Sarawak from a different airline and it cost them more than RM900 extra.
Retiree Shaa’ri Embong, 64, and wife Zanifah Zain, 66, were among the distressed passengers who flooded Rayani Air office yesterday.
The duo originally planned to visit their only granddaughter who lives in Kota Bharu next month.
“As senior citizens, we tend to get confused when such things happen. At one point, I thought we were cheated.
“We did not even know that the airline was suspended until our son, who resides in Indonesia, called us last week and told us to demand for a refund,” he said.
Shaa’ri said he was contemplating buying tickets from other airlines “but the fares get higher as the flight date approaches”.
“Now it is too late to get affordable airfares. My wife still wants to go but I don’t know,” he said.
The airline refused to disclose the number of passengers who had filed for refunds, saying no statement would be made during the suspension period.
Its spokesperson, however, said the airline will continue to accept reimbursement requests.
On April 11, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) suspended Rayani Air for three months after the airline failed to meet various requirements.
Zamzahuri, who had planned a four-day trip to Sabah since last year, was supposed to leave with his wife, daughter, uncle, siblings, nephews and nieces in August.
“I was frustrated when I found out about its suspension. We were looking forward to the trip as all my nephews, nieces and 70-year-old uncle had never travelled by plane before. They were all excited because they wanted to experience their first flight.
“It is difficult now to reschedule the trip as the rest have their own commitments like work and school,” he said, adding that his family spent over RM4,000 for their tickets.
Zamzahuri has filed for an reimbursement from the county’s first syariah compliant airline and was told it would be made within 60-90 days.
“This is ridiculous. I understand there are procedures to go through but making us wait for up to three months for our money is just unacceptable,” he said.
The family was considering cancelling their trip altogether even though they had paid RM6,000 to their Sabahan tour guide.
"It's impossible to get tickets from other airlines for the same dates and same rates.
“The RM6,000 cannot be refunded but there is nothing we can do. We might be driving to Johor instead but it would just be like every other road trip,” he said, adding that his older sister and her seven children would not join them for the Johor trip.
Another passenger Siti Nor Dulimani Tan Aton, 32, said she was to have gone to Sarawak with her husband and two children.
Dulimani, or better known as Nani, said her husband had to take a day off from work yesterday to drive from Klang to Rayani Air office here to file for reimbursements.
“I had to come here because my calls went unanswered. They said the reimbursement will take at least 30 days.”
Nani said her husband had to buy new tickets to Sarawak from a different airline and it cost them more than RM900 extra.
Retiree Shaa’ri Embong, 64, and wife Zanifah Zain, 66, were among the distressed passengers who flooded Rayani Air office yesterday.
The duo originally planned to visit their only granddaughter who lives in Kota Bharu next month.
“As senior citizens, we tend to get confused when such things happen. At one point, I thought we were cheated.
“We did not even know that the airline was suspended until our son, who resides in Indonesia, called us last week and told us to demand for a refund,” he said.
Shaa’ri said he was contemplating buying tickets from other airlines “but the fares get higher as the flight date approaches”.
“Now it is too late to get affordable airfares. My wife still wants to go but I don’t know,” he said.
The airline refused to disclose the number of passengers who had filed for refunds, saying no statement would be made during the suspension period.
Its spokesperson, however, said the airline will continue to accept reimbursement requests.
On April 11, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) suspended Rayani Air for three months after the airline failed to meet various requirements.
Source: The Malay Mail Online | 19 Apr. 2016
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