On 31st Jan 2011, I purchased a ticket for Arik Air flight 517 from Lagos to Port Harcourt. As per the boarding pass details, the flight was scheduled to leave Ikeja by 14:00hrs. This flight did not leave Ikeja until about 16:30hrs and the only explanation received for the delay was operational reasons.

Now, I would think that the flight ticket is a contract between the airline and the passenger. It is a simply contract that evidence that for the payment of the fare, the airline will convey the passenger to the agreed destination at the agreed time.

This experience was bitter to me and being the first time I was at the receiving end of delayed flights. I listened to the tales of woes of other passengers which informs that the delays are a normal occurence and the airlines have become so irresponsive that they neither offerr apologies or releive to passengers for such delays.

Arik Air, ethical business practice requires that you ensure that all scheduled flights leave as planned and where delays happen, you need to relieve the passengers of burdens that may have been caused them by your delays.

DO NOT COUNT THE PASSENGERS AS WITHOUT OPTIONS.