CAL settles ticket dispute with customers

CARIBBEAN Airlines (CAL) has agreed to repay the refunds to one Trinidadian family in New York for tickets they bought tickets to visit Trinidad for their grandmother’s 90th birthday in 2021, but were unable to use them after the country’s borders were closed owing to the covid19 pandemic in March 2020.

The airline settled with the family - Pamela Hunt, Fiona Lewis and Jonathan Clarke, of New York and agreed to pay the refunds. The three purchased round trip tickets from New York to Trinidad in March and April 2021. The tickets were worth US$2,255.09.

The airline also promised to reissue the value of tickets, valid until December 31, 2023, to another family who threatened to take the airline to court.

Although the airline did not accept liability, CAL informed Maajida Mohammed of its decision to

reissue the tickets.

Mohammed and her nieces purchased three round trip tickets in February 2020 to travel to New York in August that year.

While the airline said Mohammed and her nieces were not entitled to refund since they had been issued with three vouchers, valid for a year, for future travel on March 2, 2021. The airline said the family did not refuse the three US$278 vouchers nor did they use them before they expired on March 2, 2022.

However, CAL said since it was a “customer-centric” organisation, “without admitting any liability,” it was prepared to reissue tickets to the three for future travel with the airline at the original value.

The tickets are to be used by December 31, 2023, and the family will be responsible for any fare difference that may apply at the time of booking.

Newsday was told the Mohammeds accepted the airline’s offer.

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"CAL settles ticket dispute with customers"

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