A Toronto family scheduled to travel to Winnipeg – their former place of residence – missed their Canadian citizenship oath due to a logistical error by online travel agency Priceline, which incorrectly booked plane tickets .
Divya Polavaram had booked plane tickets a few weeks in advance for herself, her mother and her two children who were to officially become Canadian citizens during the traditional citizenship oath, she explained in an interview with CP24.
After completing the entire procedure on the Priceline website on October 3, she then obtained confirmation of the reservation of four tickets on a Flair flight, according to an email sent by the discount travel agency and obtained by the media.
It was when she wanted to check in online the day before her flight, on October 16, that she realized a problem. She then contacted Priceline who told her that Flair never confirmed the tickets.
According to her, Priceline refused to book new flights so she could go to Winnipeg or to compensate her. Taking new tickets on another airline was also impossible because costs had quadrupled, she said.
“It was a very special occasion,” said Ms. Polavaram. “We all wanted to be there. We planned everything. My mother traveled from India to attend.”
“It was a horrible experience,” she added. “And the way Priceline handled the situation only made things worse.”
Contacted by CP24, Priceline did not respond to requests for reaction.
For their part, Flair representatives reiterated the importance of booking flights directly with carriers. They did, however, offer travel credit to Ms. Polavaram on future trips.