Bad experience with Olympic!
Jan 8, 2008, 7:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Sxm
Programs: Aeroplan, AAdvantage, Flying Blue, TrueBlue
Posts: 253
Bad experience with Olympic!
Back in December, I realized that I needed an FCO-CAI-FCO ticket for the end of the month. Egyptair was completely sold out for the outbound flight but not for the inbound flight. I purchased CAI-FCO on expedia.ca for a relatively good price. I now needed an FCO-CAI ticket. I couldn’t find anything except for FCO-ATH-CAI on Olympic. I called their calling center here in Montreal and they quoted me a price that was quite lower than the one offered by expedia.ca. However, they said that they were not able to accept credit cards over the phone, so I had to go to their office here in Montreal where they issued me an e-ticket.
The flight was booked for December 25. While in Rome I called their call center in the US (after trying calling all their European phone #’s which all gave me a busy signal) to ask if I could have my flight changed to the 27th. At first the operator said that I had to call the call center in Montreal. Then, she told me she could make the change and that all I had to pay was E30. She said I could pay the difference at the airport (again, they do not accept credit card payments over the phone). On December 27th, I went to the airport and straight to their ticket office. The guy working there gave me a slip and sent me to a counter at a different terminal to make the payment. He said that he couldn’t take credit card payments directly because he does not issue tickets. So, I went to the other terminal, paid E30 to some payment handling company, went back to him with the payment receipt and he said that I was all set.
Now comes the interesting part. In Athens I got in line to board my flight to CAI. I had already been issued a BP in Rome. They ask me for my paper ticket. I explain the agent that I was travelling on an e-ticket and showed him my e-ticket. He told me to sit on a stool behind the gate counter. I watched everyone board the flight. People were staring at me as if I was trying to board the flight without having paid. I told the gate agents not to close the flight without me on it. They told me not to worry. Eventually, they told me I had to pay E30 for my ticket change. I showed them the receipt I got in Rome. The said that I had to pay another E30. I argue that on the phone I was told that all I had to pay was E30 and that their agent in Rome told me that I was “all set”. They keep on arguing that it was E30 per segment. Eventually, they were about to close the flight and told me that either I paid E30 or missed my flight. I asked them if I could pay by credit card. The answer was that I could only pay cash in Euro. I asked for a receipt. They told me to wait. After a while an agent arrived from some ticket office with an already filled out receipt. I gave them E30, took the receipt and boarded the flight. All I had in my wallet were my credit cards, E40 and a couple hundred USD. What if I didn’t have E30?! I am quite sure I would have missed my flight.
I knew that OA was a pretty bad airline. However, I would have never imagined that they would have kept me at the gate asking me for money in front of everyone! Besides, what European airline doesn’t handle credit card payments not even at the airport?!
Do you guys think I should even bother writing them? I think that at the very least I deserve a big apology and E30 in compensation.
I apologize for the length of this post but I wanted to give you a good summary of my experience with OA.
Thank you for any feedback!
The flight was booked for December 25. While in Rome I called their call center in the US (after trying calling all their European phone #’s which all gave me a busy signal) to ask if I could have my flight changed to the 27th. At first the operator said that I had to call the call center in Montreal. Then, she told me she could make the change and that all I had to pay was E30. She said I could pay the difference at the airport (again, they do not accept credit card payments over the phone). On December 27th, I went to the airport and straight to their ticket office. The guy working there gave me a slip and sent me to a counter at a different terminal to make the payment. He said that he couldn’t take credit card payments directly because he does not issue tickets. So, I went to the other terminal, paid E30 to some payment handling company, went back to him with the payment receipt and he said that I was all set.
Now comes the interesting part. In Athens I got in line to board my flight to CAI. I had already been issued a BP in Rome. They ask me for my paper ticket. I explain the agent that I was travelling on an e-ticket and showed him my e-ticket. He told me to sit on a stool behind the gate counter. I watched everyone board the flight. People were staring at me as if I was trying to board the flight without having paid. I told the gate agents not to close the flight without me on it. They told me not to worry. Eventually, they told me I had to pay E30 for my ticket change. I showed them the receipt I got in Rome. The said that I had to pay another E30. I argue that on the phone I was told that all I had to pay was E30 and that their agent in Rome told me that I was “all set”. They keep on arguing that it was E30 per segment. Eventually, they were about to close the flight and told me that either I paid E30 or missed my flight. I asked them if I could pay by credit card. The answer was that I could only pay cash in Euro. I asked for a receipt. They told me to wait. After a while an agent arrived from some ticket office with an already filled out receipt. I gave them E30, took the receipt and boarded the flight. All I had in my wallet were my credit cards, E40 and a couple hundred USD. What if I didn’t have E30?! I am quite sure I would have missed my flight.
I knew that OA was a pretty bad airline. However, I would have never imagined that they would have kept me at the gate asking me for money in front of everyone! Besides, what European airline doesn’t handle credit card payments not even at the airport?!
Do you guys think I should even bother writing them? I think that at the very least I deserve a big apology and E30 in compensation.
I apologize for the length of this post but I wanted to give you a good summary of my experience with OA.
Thank you for any feedback!
Jan 8, 2008, 8:37 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2005
Programs: FlyingBlue Platinum, LH Senator, VA Velocity Platinum, Marriott Silver, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,010
Well, I used to live in Greece. What you experienced was what all "normal Westerners" experience when living in Greece. You got had. I wouldn't write to OA in Athens. It'll never get answered. Go down to the CTO in YUL and have a chat with them in person. Bring your receipts and ask to speak to a supervisor that can handle this problem for you.
As for credit cards, they lost alot of financial backing and now none of the Greek banks will give them the merchant account necessary to do credit card transactions. I know Alpha Bank said no and the National Bank said no too.
I am surprised you couldn't find any other options to CAI. From FCO, there are at least 9 airlines that serve that route besides MS and OA- AF, AZ, TK, ME, MA, OS, LX, LH, RJ.. My advice to all travellers: Avoid OA. Fly A3 (Aegean) if you are travelling within Greece or through Greece. They are a superb airline.
As for credit cards, they lost alot of financial backing and now none of the Greek banks will give them the merchant account necessary to do credit card transactions. I know Alpha Bank said no and the National Bank said no too.
I am surprised you couldn't find any other options to CAI. From FCO, there are at least 9 airlines that serve that route besides MS and OA- AF, AZ, TK, ME, MA, OS, LX, LH, RJ.. My advice to all travellers: Avoid OA. Fly A3 (Aegean) if you are travelling within Greece or through Greece. They are a superb airline.