AN aggrieved family of four has dragged Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited to an Ikeja High Court for breach of contract of carriage, embarrassment and psychological torture it caused them in 2008.
The family and claimant, Chief Anthony Anaeto, Managing Director of Cappa Holdings Limited and Runns Oil and Gas Services Limited, his wife, Mrs. Matha Anaeto who were to travel on Business Class with their two daughters on Economy on the Virgin Atlantic flight from Lagos –London–Baltimore (USA) – Lagos two summers ago are claiming general damages of N20 million for failure of the airline to fly them back to Lagos.
Although the defendant, Virgin Atlantic had contracted and arranged for the claimants to board a British Airways flight from Baltimore, USA back and direct to Lagos, Nigeria, there was an error in the booking computerisation system on the part of the airline.
The airline admits the error as a discrepancy in their booking of tickets leading to the British Airways not finding the family’s name in the computer system.
Mr. Aramide Adeogun, counsel to Chief Anaeto told the court presided over by Justice Ishola that his client had on July 31, 2008 through the agent of the defendant, Messrs PASSAGEGOLD TRAVEL AGENCY LIMITED purchased four tickets for him and his family in the sum of N2, 145,430 which were booked with a secured confirmation from the defendant.
Adeogun averred that the flight tickets were okayed for departure and return and everything for the journey seemed fine as they arrived Baltimore USA without any incidence.
He stated that they had completed all they had to do in United States and were trying to make their way back to Lagos. On the return date, they presented their ticket to officials of BA at Baltimore Airport USA who then cleared them and placed them in its VIP lounge preparatory to boarding.
However, after a few minutes, officials of BA called on them to come to its Customer Desk where, to their uttermost shock, they were told that the information received via its network with Virgin Atlantic indicated that the said tickets had not been paid for and as such they could no longer travel nor board the plane.
“All these happenings were made in the full glare of the public and being well known public figures, they suffered humiliation, embarrassment and ridicule to the extent that a Nigerian traveler who knew the claimant as a person of means thought that the situation as explained by BA officials were correct and he offered to lend them money to pay for their tickets. All efforts by Sir Anaeto to have issues resolved on that day failed as no official of Virgin Atlantic in Nigeria could be contacted save the said travel agency.”
Adeogun further told the court, that it was after his client was able to speak to the Managing Director of the Agency, Mrs. Josephine Anyanwu who was later able to speak with officials of the airline.
Despite this, they were not able to sort out the issues with BA officials and having spent a large chunk of monies for shopping and other things believing they were homebound, they had a tough time hauling back their luggage out of the aircraft.
The stress and embarrassment was so much that the 2nd claimant, Mrs. Anaeto broke down in tears.
Adeogun further disclosed that, it took the defendant three days to resolve the issues through the MD of the agency and they ascribed the mix-up to an administrative error. They thereafter flew the claimants to the UK and still could not get a flight for them back to Lagos until two days after.
In the course of all this brouhaha, the 1st claimant, Sir Anaeto who is a very busy business executive missed vital business appointments and consequently lost income that ought to have generated for his company, he lamented.

http://gistboard.com/content/family-sues-virgin-atlantic-n20-million-damages-over-breach-carriage

so? Whch 1 concern me?