Have you ever had an experience of changing or cancelling your PIA ticket? The customer service of PIA is more than poor. Here I list some of the pathetic, unethical , unprofessional attitude of PIA staff all over Pakistan, in dealing with its customers...
No Attention
If you go to a PIA office, no customer service officer at the counter will offer to help you, you will have to try, go forward and ask the guy what you need. You will never be able to talk to the guy at counter easily. Why? The guys there are talking, chit-chatting with each other, or even if sitting free, knowing the customer is standing at the counter, yet will not offer to help. You will have to interfere with their gossips, or office-time dreaming and napping, wake them up and tell them what you need - that you have come for a ticket change and want to change dates of your PIA ticket or cancel it.
One you get a chance to talk to the person at PIA counter, he won't bother help you completely. He will tell you to go to the other person or other counter for the problem. Note there is no mention on counters that which counter is for booking, which one is for ticket changes, and which one is for refunds, and which one is for other purpose. You will have to enquire about it (if you get a chance to ask!!) .. So the person asks you to go to the other counter, and then what happens next?
You Go To the Other Counter, What Happens There?
So now you are at another counter, you handover your ticket, tells the guy you want to change or cancel it. he will take 5-10 minutes inputting lots of text into his computer, and takes out a big print out of his printer and gives to you and say the ticket has been changed/cancelled, and to pay the change fee or get the cancellation refund, go to of the other counters. So you go there, what next?
Now You Go to The Payment/Refunds Window, How You Are Treated There?
You tell the person that you have got your ticket changed or cancelled from the previous PIA ticketing window. Note if you are lucky you will be entertained, or if this is a shift change time, you will be asked to wait around 30 minutes until the new staff settles and their computers are ready to work again.
So now you handover the ticket change/cancel receipt to the guy at the refunds/payment counter. He will ask you to wait while he takes out a calculator and makes some calculation of money, taxes and other charges that will be deducted. Note that PIA does not have an automated, computerized system like Airblue or other airlines have, which will quickly tell how much money to deduct and list the charges, etc. The PIA guy will start calculating on his calculator (Maybe the calculator is not there; there is only one calculator in the office, he will tap the other guy to lend him the calculator first). So calculations starts, you will also see the guy making calculations on a piece of a paper and on his fingers as well! Eventually he will tell you what amount will be deducted, and that his ticket can be changed.
But that is not it, another problem starts. What is it , read on to find out.
Bring Your ID Card Copy
Now the PIA staff will tell you that before he can confirm ticket change or cancellation, he needs your NIC copy. Where does PIA write (website, outside PIA office, or any other place) that NIC copy or any other document is required for ticket change or cancellation? Now you will be forced to leave the counter and find a photo copier, get your NIC copied and then go back to the same PIA counter.
Now you are back to the counter, there you find another person standing at the counter. You wait again for your turn, and eventually hands over the NIC copy to the PIA staff. He cancels or changes your ticket.
So Much Time Spent!
By the time you get your ticket changed or cancelled at a PIA counter, whether it is Islamamabad or Karachi airport office. I have experience with both the offices so I am mentioning. The time you will need for a ticket change is about 20 to 50 minutes. It can take anywhere between this range, depending on how much the PIA ticketing officer was awake, cooperative and helpful to you. This is awful! Airblue on the other hand only takes your 4 - 5 minutes for all this process.
That is not it that you have finally got your ticket changed/cancelled at a PIA counter. A serious problem now starts. Read on and discover what it is...
So Much Money Deduction!!
The PIA staff will give you a receipt of ticket change or cancellation but you will be shocked to find out that too much amount has been deducted from the ticket fare. What can be more worst than this that even if you didn't travel, and cancelling the ticket, PIA will charge cancellation fee + all flight taxes (air travel taxes when you didn't even fly)
If you will ask the PIA officer to explain the taxes and other deductions, he will say he doesn't have time for explaining. If you try hard, he will tell you to go to the other member of PIA staff for explanation. No one there will be willing to guide you, help you on those charges.
What Does the Office Manager Say?
I had a chance to pressurizing one of the PIA staff members to let me meet the most senior officer. He let me enter his office. That most senior officer in that office told me that it is true that :
1. The PIA website only tells the amount to be deducted on ticket cancellation, changes, and it does not include taxes and other charges.
2. He will also tell you that the charge mentioned on the PIA website is basic, or maybe if you are cancelling more than 24 hours departure or 48 hours departure, the charges are different. The point to note here is that what the PIA website shows and what the PIA staff will tell will differ significantly. I asked that guy to explain this. He said the website is not updated, and when charges and rules are revised, they are not corrected on the website.
3. He will explain you the charges. Interestingly the charges he calculated for my ticket cancellation were also different than of the charges the other PIA staff told me earlier. I asked him why is this. He said because the guys use calculators, etc, there is no computerized system so mistakes are very very likely to occur. Imagine!!
Note an Environmental Issue Also
In the whole process of getting your ticket changed or cancelled, too much paper will be used. You will notice that a big change/cancel receipt will be issued to you. PIA will print 2 or 3 A4 size or larger size papers with details of your ticket change, for keeping with them. Moreover, they will also use a register to record details on that also. They will also use rough papers to make calculations, etc. - That's too much of paper use and wastage!! If you go to Airblue or any other airline for a ticket change, they will print one piece of paper, with all the details on it, and that's it. Rest of the information is stored in their computer systems.
Imagine thousands of PIA customers get thier tickets changed/cancelled in a month, how much paper is wasted by PIA!!!
Your Experience !
- Have you ever travelled with PIA, have you ever encountered with PIA customer service, what your experience has been with PIA customer service, please leave a comment in the comments section below, letting us know your experience.
No Attention
If you go to a PIA office, no customer service officer at the counter will offer to help you, you will have to try, go forward and ask the guy what you need. You will never be able to talk to the guy at counter easily. Why? The guys there are talking, chit-chatting with each other, or even if sitting free, knowing the customer is standing at the counter, yet will not offer to help. You will have to interfere with their gossips, or office-time dreaming and napping, wake them up and tell them what you need - that you have come for a ticket change and want to change dates of your PIA ticket or cancel it.
One you get a chance to talk to the person at PIA counter, he won't bother help you completely. He will tell you to go to the other person or other counter for the problem. Note there is no mention on counters that which counter is for booking, which one is for ticket changes, and which one is for refunds, and which one is for other purpose. You will have to enquire about it (if you get a chance to ask!!) .. So the person asks you to go to the other counter, and then what happens next?
You Go To the Other Counter, What Happens There?
So now you are at another counter, you handover your ticket, tells the guy you want to change or cancel it. he will take 5-10 minutes inputting lots of text into his computer, and takes out a big print out of his printer and gives to you and say the ticket has been changed/cancelled, and to pay the change fee or get the cancellation refund, go to of the other counters. So you go there, what next?
Now You Go to The Payment/Refunds Window, How You Are Treated There?
You tell the person that you have got your ticket changed or cancelled from the previous PIA ticketing window. Note if you are lucky you will be entertained, or if this is a shift change time, you will be asked to wait around 30 minutes until the new staff settles and their computers are ready to work again.
So now you handover the ticket change/cancel receipt to the guy at the refunds/payment counter. He will ask you to wait while he takes out a calculator and makes some calculation of money, taxes and other charges that will be deducted. Note that PIA does not have an automated, computerized system like Airblue or other airlines have, which will quickly tell how much money to deduct and list the charges, etc. The PIA guy will start calculating on his calculator (Maybe the calculator is not there; there is only one calculator in the office, he will tap the other guy to lend him the calculator first). So calculations starts, you will also see the guy making calculations on a piece of a paper and on his fingers as well! Eventually he will tell you what amount will be deducted, and that his ticket can be changed.
But that is not it, another problem starts. What is it , read on to find out.
Bring Your ID Card Copy
Now the PIA staff will tell you that before he can confirm ticket change or cancellation, he needs your NIC copy. Where does PIA write (website, outside PIA office, or any other place) that NIC copy or any other document is required for ticket change or cancellation? Now you will be forced to leave the counter and find a photo copier, get your NIC copied and then go back to the same PIA counter.
Now you are back to the counter, there you find another person standing at the counter. You wait again for your turn, and eventually hands over the NIC copy to the PIA staff. He cancels or changes your ticket.
So Much Time Spent!
By the time you get your ticket changed or cancelled at a PIA counter, whether it is Islamamabad or Karachi airport office. I have experience with both the offices so I am mentioning. The time you will need for a ticket change is about 20 to 50 minutes. It can take anywhere between this range, depending on how much the PIA ticketing officer was awake, cooperative and helpful to you. This is awful! Airblue on the other hand only takes your 4 - 5 minutes for all this process.
That is not it that you have finally got your ticket changed/cancelled at a PIA counter. A serious problem now starts. Read on and discover what it is...
So Much Money Deduction!!
The PIA staff will give you a receipt of ticket change or cancellation but you will be shocked to find out that too much amount has been deducted from the ticket fare. What can be more worst than this that even if you didn't travel, and cancelling the ticket, PIA will charge cancellation fee + all flight taxes (air travel taxes when you didn't even fly)
If you will ask the PIA officer to explain the taxes and other deductions, he will say he doesn't have time for explaining. If you try hard, he will tell you to go to the other member of PIA staff for explanation. No one there will be willing to guide you, help you on those charges.
What Does the Office Manager Say?
I had a chance to pressurizing one of the PIA staff members to let me meet the most senior officer. He let me enter his office. That most senior officer in that office told me that it is true that :
1. The PIA website only tells the amount to be deducted on ticket cancellation, changes, and it does not include taxes and other charges.
2. He will also tell you that the charge mentioned on the PIA website is basic, or maybe if you are cancelling more than 24 hours departure or 48 hours departure, the charges are different. The point to note here is that what the PIA website shows and what the PIA staff will tell will differ significantly. I asked that guy to explain this. He said the website is not updated, and when charges and rules are revised, they are not corrected on the website.
3. He will explain you the charges. Interestingly the charges he calculated for my ticket cancellation were also different than of the charges the other PIA staff told me earlier. I asked him why is this. He said because the guys use calculators, etc, there is no computerized system so mistakes are very very likely to occur. Imagine!!
Note an Environmental Issue Also
In the whole process of getting your ticket changed or cancelled, too much paper will be used. You will notice that a big change/cancel receipt will be issued to you. PIA will print 2 or 3 A4 size or larger size papers with details of your ticket change, for keeping with them. Moreover, they will also use a register to record details on that also. They will also use rough papers to make calculations, etc. - That's too much of paper use and wastage!! If you go to Airblue or any other airline for a ticket change, they will print one piece of paper, with all the details on it, and that's it. Rest of the information is stored in their computer systems.
Imagine thousands of PIA customers get thier tickets changed/cancelled in a month, how much paper is wasted by PIA!!!
Your Experience !
- Have you ever travelled with PIA, have you ever encountered with PIA customer service, what your experience has been with PIA customer service, please leave a comment in the comments section below, letting us know your experience.
Haha! the experience is the same the world over I'm in London and here is my story. I rang the PIA booking office to cancel my ticket and was told that it could not be done over the phone. I would be required to visit the PIA office in the centre of London. Ok so I head off there a journey of nearly an hour from my home. Once I get there the staff I'm faced with are unhelpful to say the least. I'm told the refund cant be done in the office and I would have to ring the booking office. I told them I had already rang them and they told me to come to the office. No response from the guy behind the desk just a look of "why isnt this guy leaving now". Ok so totally wasted journey and a round trip of 2 hours. The following day I ring the booking office and they tell me it cant be cancelled over the phone and it should be done in person at the PIA office. At this point I get angry and give him a piece of my mind at which point he hangs up. So now after all that I'm still no where nearer in terms of getting a refund on the return leg of my journey and totally confused as to who to ask. There is scant information on the internet as to what to do or if its there then its largely misleading. PIA are the most incompetent, arrogant airlines in the world. That's a fact. They need to change their mantra too "Great people to fly with" you've got to be kidding me! I can think of a few better slogans for them.
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Deleteget help from consumer rights and legal ad ,
DeletePathetic...same story here..I wanted to change my booking to another day and I have tried calling 3 times. First they had put me on hold and then after five mins wait, they hung up. I called again and was told the change can be done over the phone but to pay the difference in fare, I have to visit in person. I really baffles me that I bought the ticket online and made the payment of £1600 online and PIA we're not concerned about fraud at that time. But to make a payment of £50, they are worried about fraud and want me to go to the office in person. Such a shame that in 21st century, PIA can't process these petty amounts online.
ReplyDeleteThe whole experience is a nightmare. I am regretting why did I book the tickets with PIA
must ban pia in the europe there service is fraud totally out of order
ReplyDeletePathetic service if u have to get ur ticket cancelld or changed. U hav nt travelled even then u r paying tax. Shaheen air line is much much better. In shaheen air, no cutting whetehr the flight is missed, delayed, postponed, changing the day.
ReplyDeletePathetic service if u have to get ur ticket cancelld or changed. U hav nt travelled even then u r paying tax. Shaheen air line is much much better. In shaheen air, no cutting whetehr the flight is missed, delayed, postponed, changing the day.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with the negative sentiment about PIA. It is strange to note that during change of booking or cancellation the staff is not using any computerized well defined system, rater they prefer dealing in cash which obviously is susceptible to manipulation.
ReplyDeleteExactly. While all other airlines such as airblue, shaheen are using computerized systems. Buying, chaning, refunding a ticket with them is just a matter of 2 mins, but with PIA it is not only too long, it is also a hassle and experiencing the too casual, unprofessional and even rude attitude of the staff makes you boycott this airline forever.
DeletePIA ticket ki date change karnay say behtar hay banda paidal wapis ghar chala jaye.
ReplyDeleteSometimes we have to face a lot of confusion when we found different opinion of different hundreds of articles related to same question. But I think now I am close to resolve my doubts after reading this blog.
ReplyDeleteSell tickets