On December 21, passengers who bought Air Peace tickets for a Lagos-Kingston, Jamaica, flight were shocked to learn only at the airport that the airline would no longer be flying to Jamaica but to Barbados.
According to the three passengers who spoke with FIJ, the sudden diversion was announced at the check-in point without prior notice, with refunds denied, while those who protested were pressured to board the aircraft or risk losing their money. What followed was a trail of dumping, detention, deportation and significant financial loss.
‘AIR PEACE ASSURED ME KINGSTON WAS THE FINAL DESTINATION’
While speaking with FIJ on Thursday, Joseph Owoyemi (not real name), an Abuja resident and one of the victims, told FIJ he had booked the flight after Air Peace publicly advertised the Lagos–Kingston route on its social media platforms and website.
“I booked a direct Air Peace flight ticket from Lagos to Kingston, Jamaica, scheduled to depart on December 21. Air Peace had publicly advertised and announced on their social media platforms that a direct Lagos–Kingston flight would be available,” Owoyemi told FIJ.
“To verify the authenticity of this information, we took steps to confirm the details with the airline. We contacted Udoka Abalihi, an Air Peace business executive, who confirmed that Kingston would indeed be the final destination.
Air Peace official announcement on their Facebook on December 11
“Following this confirmation, we decided to book the flight tickets, having initially considered booking to Barbados before being informed by an Air Peace customer service assistant that Kingston would be the final destination.“After I completed the booking, Air Peace confirmed the flight details. My subsequent inquiries about luggage were also answered professionally.
Owoyemi’s flight ticket
Owoyemi’s receipt
“We did not receive any further updates regarding changes to the flight schedule. The only email we received was from the customer centre requesting passengers’ data, which we duly provided.”‘PASSENGERS FORCED TO CHANGE DESTINATION DURING CHECK-IN’
Owoyemi told FIJ that Air Peace compelled passengers to change their destination at check-in. Passengers who resisted the change were threatened.
“When check-in commenced around 1 am on Sunday, December 21, all Jamaican passengers, including myself, were coerced into changing our tickets from Lagos–Kingston to Lagos–Barbados,” he said.
“Despite holding a valid Jamaican visa, I was forced to travel to a country with which I had no prior connection or arrangements. When I attempted to resist this sudden change of destination, I was threatened with a no-refund policy, leaving me with little choice.
“In the end, my original ticket to Kingston was replaced with one to Barbados, and under duress, I boarded the plane, which subsequently took off.”
DETENTION AND DEPORTATION IN BARBADOS
Owoyemi told FIJ that passengers were detained upon arrival in Barbados by the Barbadian immigration officers.
“Upon arrival in Barbados, a country that was not our intended destination, we were subjected to rigorous immigration checks, which resulted in my detention along with several other passengers,” he said.
“We were confined to a detention area without access to basic necessities like water and food, and we were treated with contempt. Even criminals would not have been treated like that. Despite our attempts to explain our situation to the Barbadian immigration officers, our pleas fell on deaf ears.
“After being detained for an extended period, we were eventually deported back to Nigeria on December 23. We left Barbados on December 22, but we arrived in Nigeria on December 23, a situation that was both distressing and avoidable.”
‘NON-REFUNDABLE POLICY CANNOT APPLY HERE’
Owoyemi faulted Air Peace’s reliance on its non-refundable policy, stating that all that happened was due to Air Peace’s poor management.“Everything that happened was entirely Air Peace’s decision and not my fault. It was due to their poor management,” he said.
“Air Peace advertised this flight for over a month, accepted payments, and then unilaterally altered the destination. The abrupt change in route was in no way my fault, but rather a consequence of their inadequate planning and management.
“I believe they should either provide a full refund or arrange for me to continue my journey to my original destination, Kingston, Jamaica, as initially intended.”
TAKEN ABACK
Owoyemi’s experience, however, was not isolated. Glory Oloitie Adoga, a public servant based in Ibadan, was another passenger on the same flight. She told FIJ that she went through a similar ordeal.“I booked a flight from Nigeria to Kingston in response to Air Peace’s announcement of a direct Lagos–Kingston service,” she stated.
“On December 21, the scheduled departure date, Air Peace made a surprising declaration at the check-in counter, stating that the final destination had been changed from Kingston, Jamaica, to Barbados. I was taken aback by this announcement. I brought out my flight ticket to verify the details.
“Upon reviewing the ticket, I confirmed that I had indeed booked a flight from Lagos, Nigeria, to Kingston, Jamaica, as originally intended.”
Adoga’s flight ticket
Adoga’s receipt
NO ENTRY, NO REFUND
Adoga told FIJ that when she demanded a refund due to the sudden route change, an Air Peace official told her that if she refused to board the plane despite the sudden change of destination, she would not be refunded.READ ALSO: Air Peace Fails to Notify Passengers of NiMet Strike, Leaves Them Stranded in Rivers
“I approached an Air Peace official and pointed out the discrepancy between the announcement and the information on my ticket. The official informed me that the airline would no longer be flying to Jamaica, but rather to Barbados. I was shocked by that unexpected change,” she said.
“So, I questioned the official, asking why they had sold tickets for the Lagos-Kingston route if they had no intention of flying to Jamaica. I demanded a refund, but the official dismissed my concerns and walked away without providing a response.
“He came back again and presented me with an ultimatum: either I board the plane or forfeit my ticket. He said that it would be in my best interest to change my ticket from Kingston to Barbados, but I firmly refused to do so. When I reiterated my request for a refund, the official dismissed it with a sarcastic remark, saying that I was joking.
“As a first-time traveller, I was uncertain about the course of action to take. Feeling pressured and intimidated, I was coerced into boarding the plane, as the official repeatedly stated that I would not receive a refund under any circumstances.
“They even forced me to enter the plane, saying that Barbados is visa-free for Nigerians, and that I would not have stress booking another flight ticket from there to Jamaica. Since there was no refund, and I didn’t want to lose my money, I had to go with them.”
‘AIR PEACE LEFT US ON OUR OWN IN BARBADOS’
Adoga further told FIJ that after they landed in Barbados, Air Peace left them to their fate without rendering any assistance to them.
“Upon arrival in Barbados, Air Peace failed to provide any assistance to us. After we alighted from the plane, they left us to our fate,” she said.
“The Barbadian immigration officers began questioning me, and I responded truthfully to their inquiries. However, I was suddenly taken into custody and escorted to a detention room, where I was held for over 24 hours without access to food or water. Other passengers were detained, too.
“When a Barbadian immigration officer entered the room, he asked me to provide a factual account of events, which I did. Initially, he was sceptical, but my explanation, corroborated by my flight ticket, eventually convinced him of the airline’s wrongdoing. He then said that Air Peace should have arranged alternative travel arrangements for us, rather than abandoning us in Barbados.”
DIALOGUE BEFORE DEPORTATION
Adoga further told FIJ that while in her detention room, she saw some Air Peace officials engaging in a dialogue with the Barbadian immigration officers — A dialogue that preceded their deportation.READ ALSO: Air Peace Yet to Take Responsibility for Passenger’s Damaged Suitcase 4 Months After Complaint
“While still in detention, one of the immigration officers suggested that I book an alternative flight to Jamaica. I searched online and managed to secure a seat on an Inter-Caribbean flight scheduled for December 25, which I promptly paid for,” she said.
“However, on Tuesday, while still in detention, I glanced through the window and spotted Air Peace officials conversing with the immigration officers in their office. I didn’t know the nature of their discussion. Shortly thereafter, we were informed that we would be sent back to Nigeria without any explanation regarding the circumstances of our deportation.
“As a result, the connecting flight I had booked in Barbados was rendered useless, and the accommodation reservation I had paid for, which was supposed to cover my stay until the flight’s departure on December 25, was also wasted.
“I incurred significant financial losses, amounting to millions of Naira due to Air Peace’s reckless and poorly managed operations. In the end, we were repatriated to Nigeria.”
‘THE BARBADIAN IMMIGRATION OFFICERS MISTREATED ME’
Adoga told FIJ that the Barbadian immigration officers mistreated her, and the experience has left her psychologically devastated and emotionally drained.
“The ordeal was profoundly distressing, leaving me emotionally drained and psychologically devastated. I was rendered almost immobile, struggling to even move my feet,” she said.
“The Barbadian immigration officers’ treatment of me was harsh, involving persistent pushing and dragging, until they ultimately forced me into the plane.
“The experience was appalling, terrible, inhumane.
“Even upon our return to Nigeria, we faced further difficulties with the Nigerian immigration officers, who initially attempted to classify us as deportees and asked us to fill in a deportee’s form. However, after we explained the circumstances surrounding our repatriation, they advised us to even seek legal recourse and pursue justice for the mistreatment we had suffered.”
‘IT ALL SEEMED LIKE A RUMOUR’
Chinanza Ebuka (not real name), a Delta resident, was another victim of Air Peace’s sudden route change.While speaking with FIJ on December 25, she recounted her depressing experience, confirming that Air Peace had announced on their platforms that there would be a direct Lagos–Kingston flight. She said that was what made her book the flight.
“Honestly, Air Peace announced on their platforms on December 11 that there would be a direct Lagos–Kingston flight, and everyone knows this is a fact,” she said.
“Subsequently, I booked the flight from Lagos to Jamaica. However, upon our arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos, we were told at check-in, without prior notice, that the flight’s destination had been altered, and we would instead be flown to Barbados. What initially seemed like a rumour ultimately proved to be our unfortunate reality.
Ebuka’s flight ticket
“Initially, while still at the airport, we requested a refund, but Air Peace invoked their ‘no-refund policy’, leaving us with limited options. We had specifically booked the direct flight to avoid the inconvenience of booking connecting flights. So, why did they have to disembark us in Barbados?“The next thing we saw was that they asked people to start writing their names down, those that agreed to alight at Barbados. Since I didn’t have any other option, I had to comply.
“Air Peace persuaded us into boarding their plane, telling us that Barbados is visa-free for Nigerians, and that when we arrived in Barbados, we would easily be able to book another flight to Jamaica.
“So, they eventually disembarked us in Barbados, where we had no contacts or relatives. Shortly after our arrival, we were detained by Barbadian immigration officers. We were held in custody, and the officers treated us like hardened criminals. We were denied water and food and were subjected to inhumane treatment.”
An email from Air Peace Showing that the flight booked was from Lagos to Kingston
‘I AM HYPERTENSIVE’
Ebuka told FIJ that despite being hypertensive, the Barbadian immigration officers denied her access to her medications until a later time.“I have high blood pressure, but they didn’t let me go get my medicine from where our bags were kept. It was until a later time that another security officer helped me get my medication,” she said
“After we were released, I made several phone calls and managed to gather sufficient funds, enabling me to secure an alternative flight ticket through a different agent.
“However, the Barbadian immigration authorities refused to allow me to proceed. I am exhausted about the situation. The agent who assisted me with booking the flight has informed me that I would need to pay an additional $200 to reschedule the flight.
‘WE WERE HANDED DEPORTEE FORMS TO FILL OUT’
Ebuka told FIJ that upon their arrival at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, they were taken to the Nigerian immigration office where they were almost compelled to fill in a deportee’s form.
“When we returned to Nigeria from Barbados on December 23, we were taken to the immigration office at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, where we were handed a deportee’s form. The officials were insisting that we had been deported, until I clarified that this was not the case,” she said.
“Many of my fellow passengers were exhausted and failed to notice the nature of the document, but my prompt explanation prevented us from inadvertently signing a form that would have labelled or classified us as deportees.
“The physical strain of carrying my luggage to the car upon arrival in Lagos, coupled with the stress of preparing to travel onwards to Delta State, exacerbated my existing muscle pain, making the journey extremely arduous.
“Also, as a hypertensive individual, I was particularly vulnerable to the ordeal. The extent of my suffering defies verbal expression. Basic comforts, such as taking a bath, were denied to us.
“Air Peace should either provide a full refund or honour the original booking by transporting us directly to Kingston, the intended destination for which we paid.”
On Thursday, at exactly 6:34 pm, FIJ called Air Peace to comment on the mistreatment suffered by its passengers. Oluwatoyin, an Air Peace representative, answered the call and requested that an email be sent so that they could provide detailed information on the incident.
FIJ sent three different emails, but Air Peace did not respond.
Subsequently, on Saturday at 5:34 pm, FIJ called Air Peace again. They apologised for not responding and also admitted that they had received all three emails sent. They promised to escalate the issue to the management and resolve it.
“I’m so sorry for not replying to your emails,” Osas, an Air Peace representative, told FIJ on the phone.
“We also apologise for the inconvenience caused to all the passengers. I’ll forward this case to my supervisor, and he will escalate it to management. After that, everything will be resolved. Thank you so much.”
Source: https://fij.ng/article/air-peace-sells-jamaica-tickets-but-dumps-passengers-in-barbados/
