UPDATE: Gulf Air sued by Philippine Basketball Association
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Gulf air is being sued by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) which is claiming their teams and staff had their confirmed tickets from Dubai to Manila cancelled without any notice in 2011.
PBA Commissioner Atty. Chito Salud filed the case on behalf of the Talk N’ Text team, according to lawyer Melvin Mendoza, the league’s legal counsel, who said the action was a result of “Gulf Air’s failure to give a satisfactory explanation regarding the unfortunate incident”.
“We have written them several demand letters but up to this time the airline company has not yet given a satisfactory explanation,” Mendoza said on the PBA website.
Players and PBA staff were part of delegation that went to Dubai on July 2011 to play games to entertain overseas Filipino workers.
According to the PBA website, the members of the delegation were “subjected to a harrowing experience” at the airport when they checked in for their return flight.
“The players and officials of TNT went to the check-in counter of Dubai airport at least three hours before their scheduled flight only to be informed that their flights were cancelled,” Mendoza asserted.
Some of the team members stayed at the airport and took their chance to book a flight with other airlines at their own expense while the rest opted to spend the night in a nearby hotel and catch a flight the next day.
Mendoza claimed that by cancelling the confirmed flights of the 19 players and officials of TNT, Gulf Air was “in blatant violation of the contract of carriage and transportation”.
Gulf Air responded to Travel Daily stating that “at no point was Gulf Air at fault”.
“The ticket booking was cancelled by the travel agency the team contracted following the failure of the event organiser of the PBA Governor’s Cup – Middle East Swing 2011 to make the payment,” the statement said.
“As we understand from the travel agent, as a gesture of goodwill the travel agency allowed the first leg of travel from Manila to Dubai via Bahrain; however due to non-payment by the event organiser, the booking was subsequently cancelled. We have discussed the incident with the travel agency involved – Dana Travel – who can confirm the non-payment by the event organiser.
“We hope you will understand that at no point was Gulf Air at fault. Passengers are important for Gulf Air which is why our airport staff in Dubai made every effort to assist the team and find the first available alternative flight options. Unfortunately, as most of the flights to Manila were full, the group leader opted to leave the Airport and informed our staff that they will take up the issue with their travel agent.”
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