Cape Town - A Cape Town father was shocked when Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, wanted R8 000 to change the name on an air ticket he had originally bought for his daughter who could not fly after being injured in a hit-and-run incident.
Wouter Negrine said his 13-year-old daughter, Danielle, a Grade 8 pupil at Herschel Girls School in Claremont, was selected to go on a school water polo tour to Serbia at the end of June and he had bought the ticket.
But last week when Danielle was jogging with her best friend Savannah Viuff, 13, they were hit from behind when a car ploughed into them in Constantia.
Danielle has since undergone four operations. She has a broken leg and extensive lower limb trauma while
Savannah received several stitches and had to undergo a skin graft due to muscle and hamstring injuries.
Since Danielle
was unable to attend the tour, she asked her father to send someone in her place.
“When I heard that I couldn’t go we decided to send another girl who couldn’t afford it,” she said from Constantiaberg Mediclinic.
However, they found that changing the name on an air ticket at Etihad Airways cost an extra R8 000. Negrinesaid he felt that the airline should have looked at the merits of the case.
Stuart West, head of Herschel School, wrote a letter to Etihad Airways to explain the situation and fully endorse the move to send another pupil in her place.
A letter from her doctor, Roger Graham, pointed out the severity of Danielle’s injuries: “She sustained extensive lower limb trauma, namely a fractured tibia and degloving of her lower limb muscles and skin.”
The family paid the extra money to make sure a less fortunate pupil would have the trip of a lifetime.
Spokesperson for Etihad Airways Damian James said for safety and security reasons – and in line with aviation industry best practice – the airline did not exchange one passenger’s name for another once the ticket had been issued.
“We are in contact with the passenger who made the original reservation and arranging to cancel their ticket which will be fully refunded.
“Due to the nature of this incident, Etihad Airways is happy to waive the cancellation fee that would normally apply. The cost of R8 000 is the price for the new ticket which can then be purchased under the new name.” - Cape Argus