Dear Michael (CEO Air Canada),
I would like to bring to your attention customer service refusal to compensate for Reference # 23NP2F, ticket # [protected] of Zarin Rahman.
I was unable to check-in my sister, Dr. Zarin Rahman (LNU), for her return flight to Toronto from Halifax (AC 617, Aug 28, 2023). Upon calling Air Canada, I was told that her booking was cancelled as she was listed as a no-show on her Aug 22 flight from Toronto (AC 600). This was shocking as she boarded the flight with myself and our party of 9 adults, 2 children and 2 infants. We were denied a re-instatement of her ticket and had to pay $690.14 out of pocket for a new ticket. Air Canada's service desk was not helpful in providing assistance for ensuring her a seat on the plane, despite the fault being entirely Air Canada's.
We demand an investigation and resolutions for the following:
Firstly, into how this unbelievable incident even occurred - that a passenger who boarded the flight was listed as a no-show. This is a major security concern and negatively impacts our confidence in Air Canada.
Secondly, the customer service desk was lacking in the ability to aid us with the urgent concern. As passengers flying in less than 24 hours, we were left in the lurch and unable to speak with any senior members of your team to aid us. We were told that our only option was to buy a new ticket, which would not be reimbursed. Moreover, one of your help desk agents said he could no longer re-issue the ticket when I asked for next steps to have it reimbursed, such as going through Air Canada, insurance or TICO; he then proceeded to hang up. This shows a lack of knowledge, honesty and professionalism.
Thirdly, we demand a more transparent and accessible avenue for customers to be able to reach someone who is capable of providing assistance. Our flight was the next day and our only option was to purchase a new ticket. Your agents said we could submit an email to customer relations (as we are doing now), but there was no guarantee that we would receive a response before our flight the next day. There was no one we could speak with directly who had the authority to address our concern. Moreover, this online portal does not even list a category of "other" in case one's concerns do not fall into your currently predefined categories. Instead, your airline should have urgently resolved the issue by reviewing security footage if necessary to confirm she had boarded the plane (given the notes your agents quoted regarding boarding were not factual), apologized for the error, and reinstated her ticket. At no point did we receive any apologies, acknowledgement or meaningful assistance in how to proceed.
We hope an agreeable resolution can be reached, including reimbursement for the ticket we had to purchase (Reference # 23NP2F, ticket # [protected]), as well as compensation for the inconvenience caused by this situation. I am looking for a full refund of $690.14 plus financial compensation of US$50,000/ as our family vacation of nine adults, two children, and two infants was fully disturbed due to tension and turmoil after the occurrence of such uncertainties.
We urgently await your response.
Sincerely,
Syed Eqbalur Rahman
Ph:[protected]
email:rahmans.[protected]@gmail.com
Desired outcome: I am looking for a full refund of $690.14 plus financial compensation of US$50,000/