It seems like airline companies just can’t catch a break these days. However, you’d think they’d learn about customer service or how NOT to treat a passenger, given the fact that everyone has the ability to record on their phones now.
Meet Vicki Russell, she’s got an airline story, too; she missed a $10,000 dream cruise to the Galapagos Islands because she was bumped from an overbooked Air Canada flight.

Russell, a retired lawyer had always wanted to see the unique wildlife in the Galapagos and decided to make her lifelong dream come true. So, she booked a National Geographic tour with New York-based Lindblad Expeditions. Included in the trip was a round-trip Air Canada flight from Toronto to Miami. Once in Miami, she would meet up with the tour group and continue on to the Galapagos, off the coast of Ecuador. Her tickets were booked more than two months in advance.

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A couple hours after checking in for her Air Canada flight, she was informed by a very rude Air Canada agent that the Miami flight was overbooked and she didn’t have a valid ticket. (Even though Air Canada had already issued her a boarding pass and charged her $25 to check her luggage.)

Russell explained to the agent that she had a connecting flight in Miami and a cruise to catch but by then the gate was closed and the plane was full.

The gate agent sent her to Air Canada customer service in another section of the terminal but by the time she spoke with customer service, it was too late to get another Air Canada flight to Miami to make her connection.

According to Air Canada, they had worked hard to help her:

“Our agents worked hard looking for options. This is a very regrettable situation and we are sorry we were unable to do more to help this customer get to her cruise.”

After filing a complaint with Air Canada she received a check for $800 compensation. (Sure, that will cover her $10,000 dollar trip.)

Russell deserves an apology and quite frankly, a $10,000 refund from Air Canada.

Thankfully, after CBC News contacted Lindblad Expeditions, the company agreed to book another trip for Russell and cover all her costs- except the flight to Miami. A trip she plans to take without Air Canada. e she’ll fly to Miami on a different airline.

Let’s see if we can make this thing viral and get Air Canada to do the right thing.

Source: CBC News