Loyalty, they say, should count for something. But in Nigeria—particularly in the aviation sector—it often means very little. My unwavering loyalty to United Airline, always choosing it above other carriers, has unfortunately become a decision I deeply regret.
I booked a 1:00 p.m. flight from Abuja to Lagos for February 25. I prefer afternoon flights because they give me enough time to arrive at the airport at least an hour before departure. However, a few days before the trip, I received multiple emails and text messages informing me that the flight had been rescheduled to 5:15 p.m. This was inconvenient, especially as such delays sometimes extend further into the evening, and I prefer not to travel at night.
To avoid that possibility, I rescheduled to the 9:00 a.m. flight, even though it was less convenient. A day before departure, I attempted to check in online but was unable to do so. This raised concerns. Upon further inquiry, I discovered that only a small number of passengers had booked the flight. I worried it might be rescheduled again—after all, which airline operates a flight with barely 48 passengers on a 200-seat aircraft?
On the day of travel, I left early but encountered multiple checkpoints and arrived at the airport at 8:50 a.m. I was then informed that the flight had already departed. Frankly, I found this hard to believe, given my experience over the past year of frequently flying with the airline, during which on-time departures have been rare.
What followed was even more disappointing. I was asked to pay a ₦20,000 “no-show” fee to be rebooked while i was at the airport, despite arriving before the scheduled departure time. When I approached the manager, she attempted to explain the airline’s position and calm the situation. However, the damage had already been done. I paid the fee under protest and expressed my hope that the rescheduled flight would depart as scheduled.
Ironically, I then spent over Six hours at the airport waiting, and the rescheduled flight did not depart by 1:00 p.m., further reinforcing my earlier concerns about punctuality. The flight left Abuja 3:05pm and there was no justification for that. He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.
This experience has left me disillusioned. For those who value their time and expect professionalism, my advice is simple: choose your airline carefully. Loyalty should not come at the expense of reliability and integrity. I will give a bad review for those flying to avoid United Airline, and I have blacklisted that airline from my database.
A word, they say, is enough for the wise.
Ire o.
Written by a displeased Passenger, Tosin Adesile
