Customers chasing refunds from shutdown Indochina Airlines

Passengers who booked flights with Indochina Airlines have so far failed to receive refunds.

Many customers, who were planning to travel with the airline, which has now had its licensed revoked,  during the Tet holiday, have been trying to contact the airlines’ office in HCM City looking for refunds.

Unfortunately the offices are closed.

Pham Duc Duy, a client of Indochina Airlines, said that he purchased seven tickets to fly from HCM City to Hanoi on February 18, last year on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. However, as soon as he heard that Indochina Airlines could no longer meet requirements to provide flights, Duy on December 10, 2009 tried to contact the booking agent for a refund.

However, according to Duy, Indochina Airlines, while taking his booking code and phone number, have so far failed to contact him.

Duy said he tried to call, but no one answered his calls. On January 25, Duy visited to Indochina Airlines’ office but it wasn’t open.

“I still do not know whom I should contact to return the tickets too. Meanwhile, I cannot purchase air tickets from other airlines, because air tickets are in short supply  in Tet season,” he complained.

Thanh An, another passenger said that she booked seven tickets from October 2009 to fly from HCM City to Hanoi on February 3. However, she later felt insecure when the airline regularly changed the flight schedule and she tried to get a refund. However, the booking agent, said that it could not do anything for An until there was a clear policy from the airline.

However, An said, she was luckier than others, because the booking agent agreed to allow An to book tickets with Vietnam Airlines, instead with only a small additional fee.

A VnExpress reporter, who came to Indochina Airlines’ office in Tan Binh District in HCM City on January 26, reported that there were no staff on duty. The doors were closed.

One of the two said that the office has been closed for the last three days.

“A lot of passengers came here yesterday, January 25, to pay back tickets. However, they could not meet the leaders of the company,” he said

Meanwhile, Le Hong Pho, managing director of Indochina Airlines told VnExpress that the airline informed to passengers about the delay to flight resumption half a month ago. “We will take back all the tickets and pay back money as soon as we can,” Pho said.

VietNamNet/VNE

Tags: Indochina Airlines, Vietnam aviation