Retired diplomat Ashok Tiku is no stranger to the skies and yet he's going to think long and hard before making his next trip again. The reason? A gruelling 12-hour stay at Heathrow airport last month with his wife Usha (62) and their 11-month-old granddaughter where the party, says Tiku, "were treated no better than labourers".Tiku (64) and his wife, residents of Delhi, were returning from Chicago to Mumbai via London when due to a delay in their flight from Chicago, they missed their connecting flight to Mumbai at Heathrow airport, London. "This is really when the nightmare began," said Tiku. He claimed they were on the receiving end of "horrible treatment from Virgin staff".
According to the couple, the baby food and formula was also chucked out at the security check in London, leaving them with nothing for their granddaughter Aadvika Mukherjee. Requests for a lounge stay and calls to inform relatives back home were denied by Virgin staff.
Tiku's daughter and Aadvika's mother, Aashima, a resident of Bandra, said that her father, a frequent flier, had never had such a bad experience before. "They were given just £20 (Rs 1,600) to cover their meals and my daughter was forced to crawl about on a filthy uncarpeted floor. Needless to say, she caught a stomach bug when she came back and the doctor said that it had probably been brought on by the unhygienic conditions."
The family was also disappointed by Virgin's response to their complaint. The airline offered them 7,500 free air miles. "I'm not looking for monetary compensation, but their reply is half-hearted. I will certainly never choose to fly by this airline again," said an angry Tiku.
When contacted Virgin Airlines stated that the team had already replied to Tiku's complaint. With regard to his dissatisfaction with the airline's reply, the airline stated that the "case is still under review and discussion with the concerned customer. Virgin Atlantic is a reputed airline known for its customer care."
