Flawed reservation

22 May, 2008

My husband Dr Abdul Hadi and I booked seats from Lahore for Manchester and return. We had to go to 5 different travel agents in Lahore before one of them gave us confirmed booking for our return travel from Manchester to Lahore by Pk710 of 16 May 2008. Our travel agent issued ticket number LHE 242 630 2440. The itinerary was Pk709 of 11 April 2008 and return Pk710 of 16 May 2008. We were seated on 41A, 41B in the economy for our return journey.
The return travel coupon for Pk710 showed the departure time as 1900Hrs. UK local time. On the date of travel I telephoned PIA office from Leeds at 12 noon to confirm if flight was on schedule. To my utter shock I was told that the flight was to depart at 1545Hrs.UK local time. My son had to dash from his office and then rush us to Manchester Airport. When we boarded the aircraft a Boeing 777 there were hardly 120 to 130 passengers in economy section.
I fail to understand what improvement if any has been made in reservation system because when we were trying to book our seats around 5 April 2008 in Lahore four different travel agents told us there were no seats.
It also points to inadequacies within PIA management which never fails to claim improvements etc while nothing changes on ground. PIA Manchester office did not bother to inform us of change in departure schedule. From Shaukat Aziz government to caretaker government to present regime the things seem to be getting from bad to worse. I am afraid that as long as political appointments are made to the senior executive posts nothing will change.

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