SRI LANKAN AIRLINES INHUMANE & DESPICABLE EXPERIENCE
I booked a ticket from CMB to BNE via SYD, to return to BNE on 8 July - after burying my mother on 6 July after she lost her battle with cancer. This was a very traumatic time for me & all I wanted to do was get home to my husband after the funeral to start the grieving process. I got to the airport only to find out flight scheduled at 0005 from CMB to SYD was delayed to 0110. I didn’t for a moment expect this to have a knock on effect on my connecting flight from SYD to BNE. As apart from the ticket bought online all through Sri Lankan airlines as a package deal, with the international sector being on Sri Lankan airlines & the domestic sector on Jetstar (JQ), the arrival time in SYD (even with the delay) wasn’t impacting my flight departing SYD at 1740. I get to SYD & try to check in for my flight to BNE & get a convoluted auto response advising that my flight has been changed - like massively changed - to a completely different date, without verbal information given to me on check in at the Sri Lankan airport, or via telephone, or SMS, or email: Dep SYD 2150 on 8 July & Arr MEL 2320 on 8 July 2. Dep MEL 0705 on 9 July & Arr BNE 0915 on 9 July. Jetstar said there’s nothing they can do as the flight from SYD to BNE that I was originally booked on is now full (even though check in was still open). They asked me to call SriLankan airlines & request that I be put on the last remaining seat on Jetstar’s last flight bound to BNE for the day. I called Sri Lankan airlines and explained the situation to person on the other end of the phone. I got no apology, understanding, empathy or action. I called my husband in Brisbane who was already on his way to pick me up from the BNE airport - to advise him that I would now only be arriving the following day, after being re-routed to BNE via MEL without advance notification. My husband then attempted to call Sri Lankan airlines yet again - still no explanation or action received! My husband jumped online & bought the last remaining seat on any airline for the day. We ended up paying top dollar to buy me a seat from SYD to BNE on 8 July on Virgin.
I wonder what Sri Lankan airlines was thinking when they rerouted me traveling through multiple cities throughout the night with a whole night to be spent at an unfamiliar airport with no explanation and/or offer to at the very least put me up in a hotel for the night. Was I expected to pay for my own hotel or sleep on the floor at the MEL airport overnight?
At the least, I’m expecting an explanation, an apology, and assurance that this inhumane & despicable behavior will not be repeated with other customers less willing & able to let the world know about their negative experience.
At the most, I’m expecting to be reimbursed for the SYD to BNE sector on JQ not traveled due to the incompetence & inconsideration of Sri Lankan airlines, & compensated for my out of pocket expense to travel tonight from SYD to BNE on VA.