Traveller to get RM296 refund after security clearance mix-up caused her to miss flight

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SANDAKAN: The Consumer Claims Tribunal yesterday ordered a local airline to refund RM296 to a traveller who was allegedly disallowed to board a flight to Sandakan after some mix-up during the security check caused her to be late.

Tribunal president Datuk Dr Lawrence S.H. Thien, who issued the order, heard that Salbiah Sulaiman, 56, bought a flight ticket on May 21 this year to travel back from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan.

However, she did not manage to board the plane, and had to buy a new ticket from another airline the same day.

According to Salbiah, in the incident on May 21 at 12.40pm, she was lining up for security check at the entrance to the departure hall when she was asked by the airport staff who was on duty to queue up on a different lane.

“I did as told and I changed to the second lane. However, when it reached my turn for the security check, the staff in charge told me that the counter was only open to passengers who were going to Tawau, and that the boarding gate to Sandakan was already closed,” she explained.

Salbiah claimed that the airline staff disallowed her from boarding the plane even though the plane was still there.

She had to purchase a new ticket from another airline because there were no more available flights to Sandakan after 1.20pm.

“This had caused me a lot of trouble, as I had an important appointment at 3pm in Sandakan that afternoon.

“I was lucky as I still had extra cash with me. This kind of trouble should never happen as we are consumers and we have the right to claim what we have purchased, and I did not get to fly,” she said.

Salbiah who is working as a commissioner for oaths here said she was very happy with the Tribunal’s decision.