Gulf Air — Unethical behavior denied refund

Address:

Bahrain

Dear Sir/ Madam,

I purchased Gulf air ticket online to travel along with my son from Hyderabad (India) to Bahrain on 10th September PNR -XGUEVN, Ticket #[protected] &[protected]. While purchasing the ticket I filled in all details including our Canadian Passport details.

A day prior to the flight I received a call from Gulf Air customer care representative as a reminder for our upcoming travel. I updated her with our passport details and specifically informed that it is Canadian. As per the requirement we had the RT-PCR test done and travelled 200 Kms to Hyderabad from my native place.

But to our surprise, the gulf air representative at the airport counter denied boarding on that flight citing Canadian nationality and air bubble flight agreement which I tried to convince them OCI card holders were allowed to travel as of 29July 2021. I requested them it would be very hard for us to travel back to my home town and I already had my RT PCR done and my ticket would go waste.
My Husband works in Bahrain and due to Covid we were not able to meet him for more than a year. I pleaded with them to allow us to travel.
Gulf air representative assured me that my ticket will not go waste and they would update denied boardng on the records for necessary refund claims.

On 16th September I booked my ticket on other airline and reached Bahrain.The ordeal of the process of cancellation of my ticket and to get refund started .I called the Gulf Air customer service and I was told it is updated as No Show and I need to pay penalty. How is it a No Show when they denied boarding.

I sent an Email to Gulf Air Customer service. Complaint number :[protected]

I received a response on November 25 stating that as of July 29, 2021 the air bubble agreement was changed to accept all Nationalities. I responded to that Email asking why boarding was denied to me on September 10th 2021 when the rule has changed on 29 July 2021!!

The Gulf Air Customer care replied on November 9, 2021 the reply was ambiguous she just mentioned that it was my responsibility to have the proper documents and visa. I informed them that being Canadian citizen I was eligible for Visa on arrival and that was not the reason of denial mentioned at airport. I responded to her mail stating that I wasn’t denied boarding due to Visa issues.

The Gulf Air Customer care responded to my mail on 25th November, 2021 with a new allegation that it was my decision to get offloaded from the flight. Why would I get a RT- PCR, I travel 200 kms (4 hrs) in the middle of the night, and decide to get offloaded. I replied back that it wasn’t true there is no response yet. Each time I get a totally ambiguous and contradictory response from the Gulf Air Customer Care team.

Hence after several patient failed attempts to claim refund for my ticket. I am writing to you and request you to kindly look into the matter and do justice to me.

Thanks & Regards

Mandozi Faseeha Khan

+[protected]

Enclosed:

Gulf Air Ticket

Gulf Air email responses