A distraught Tongan woman wept and sobbed in disappointment over the phone to her husband after she was told by Real Tonga her name was not on the passenger list.
Seini Kaihea’s husband Alex Kaihea claimed his wife was given a boarding pass, but was stopped as she was about to enter the aircraft and told her name was not on the list.
Seini suspected Real Tonga has given her seat to another man who had just purchased his ticket at the counter.
Alex said her wife saw the man, a former government CEO purchasing his ticket at the counter while they were in the queue.
He said his wife was surprised when she saw the man had boarded the plane after she was stopped.
He said he was devastated when his wife called him crying and explained what had happened to her at the Fu’amotu airport.
The Kaiheas, who live in Australia, flew from Brisbane to Tonga on December 17 on their way to Vava’u for a family reunion and to participate in the St Peter Chanel College 50th anniversary.
Alex Kaihea said their short holidaying was ruined by the incident.
His wife bought a return ticket on Real Tonga to Nuku’alofa on December 19, with a return ticket to Vava’u on December 24 on the 10.45am flight.
Alex said his wife arrived at 9pm instead.
He said the airline’s failure to give any explanation of why they stopped his wife after she was issued with a boarding pass had hugely infuriated him.
He said when his wife went to the counter and asked why they stopped her from boarding the aeroplane the woman she spoke to looked irritated.
Seini Kaihea finally flew to Vava’u on an evening flight. Her husband criticised the airline for not giving his wife lunch.
He said he was disappointed that there were repeated delays on the flight arrival time in Vava’u which the airline did not announce.
He said he repeatedly drove to the airport to receive his wife and only knew at the airport the flight was delayed.
He pleaded with the airline to stop practising nepotism and favouritism so that the airline services in Tonga could be improved.
We asked Real Tonga Airline for comments two weeks ago.
CEO Tevita Palu said he would respond to our queries.
We are still waiting for his response.
The main points
- A distraught Tongan woman wept and sobbed in disappointment over the phone to her husband after she was told by Real Tonga her name was not on the passenger list.
- Seini Kaihea’s husband Alex Kaihea claimed his wife was given a boarding pass, but was stopped as she was about to enter the aircraft and told her name was not on the list.
- Seini suspected Real Tonga has given her seat to another man who had just purchased his ticket at the counter.
- The Kaiheas, who live in Australia, flew from Brisbane to Tonga on December 17 on their way to Vava’u for a family reunion and to participate in the St Peter Chanel College 50th anniversary.
