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Vilija Matačiūnaitė returned to Lithuania in late January. As a result of the quarantine that closes the borders, she, like many people living abroad, is trapped in her homeland. “I visited Cyprus every month, so as soon as the first opportunity arose, I wanted to go back there,” Vilija began to tell the story.
As soon as the first flights were announced, V. Matačiūnaitė expected air travel to return to normal. Of course, with some reservations. How 15 minutes Vilija was convinced that the coronavirus test would have to be carried out, but that, as indicated, this could be done after going to a foreign country, the woman said, after reading the information provided by the airlines, which also included Cypriot government instructions on travelers.
“To make sure I understood everything correctly, I turned to one of the senior customs officials in Cyprus, an acquaintance of mine. He assured me that he could come calmly, he said the price of the investigation, he promised it would be done,” said V .Matačiūnaitė.
Without waiting for anything, he found the closest and most convenient flight, packed his bags and arrived at Vilnius airport on Monday morning. Together with her, she said that she had taken the 6 printed sheets of documents she needed to fly to Cyprus. Still, hopes of flying soon faded. True, only at the gates of the Vilnius airport, because he managed to pass the inspection.
“Wizz Air employees have ensured that only people with the results of a coronavirus test of at least 72 hours should fly and be admitted to their airlines,” said Vilija.
According to her, there were not one or two passengers who did not undergo a coronavirus test. About a third of the people stood with their suitcases at the gate.
“I cannot say that the same rules apply when flying to other countries. I was interested in how things were going in Cyprus because I live there, there is my second home. Also, the saddest thing is that Wizz Air sent an email with all the instructions. Nowhere was it written that passengers without proof will not board the plane, “- V.Matačiūnaitė did not hide his sadness.
She was angry not only at the fact that she had to waste time traveling from Klaipeda to Vilnius, but also at the lack of information that would have prevented such a misunderstanding.
“A large amount of misinformation was provided because the airlines did not inform their passengers and did not ensure the accuracy of the data,” said V. Matačiūnaitė.
Upon arriving at Vilnius airport, Vilija was still trying to fight for his justice. When the airline staff said they would not be allowed to board the plane, they requested to be contacted by the Larnaca City Customs. Vilija hoped that this would confirm that a misunderstanding had occurred and that all passengers could fly on the early flight.
“But they told us they had called before, even though none of us saw it. Then they simply closed the door and said that they would not allow more passengers to enter ”, Vilija did not hide his disappointment.
Vilija was also surprised by the arguments heard from the employees. According to the interlocutor, the employees declared that the company will have to pay a fine of 3,000 euros for each passenger admitted to the plane without an investigation. Fines must be paid not only by the company, but also by Wizz Air employees themselves.
V. Matačiūnaitė intends to contact Wizz Air representatives regarding refund of ticket money and hopes that some of the airline representatives will pay attention to this situation.
“There have been no similar misunderstandings before. You always manage to find a compromise. After all, staff could now only call and ask if they would really not let Cyprus in. It is disappointing that the company says it seeks to protect its reputation, but with such behavior and, apparently, legally unjustified decisions, it is unlikely that he will achieve much, “said V. Matačiūnaitė, who was forced to stay in Vilnius.
15 minutes contacted Wizz Air about this situation. When asked what flight rules the company currently follows and whether a coronavirus test is really necessary before flying abroad, the airlines said that various restrictions, regulations and other factors that affect flight and passenger rights change daily. As a result, outdated information is sometimes found even on official channels.
According to Wizz Air, whether a passenger will be able to perform a coronavirus test when flying abroad depends on the country of destination. There is no precise and unified approach.
“A State requiring a negative coronavirus test may refuse to admit a passenger if it does not provide a negative coronavirus test. In some countries, passengers may take the test upon arrival, while in others it is required to take the test before boarding, ”Wizz Air continued.
When asked why company employees failed to contact Cypriot customs before the flight and did not ask whether V. Matačiūnaitė and other passengers who failed the coronavirus test would be admitted to the country, the Wizz Air team responded apologizing for the inconvenience.
“As stated above, the Wizz Air team must follow and comply with the ever-changing regulations. We apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused,” says the company.
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