FLYING DANA AIR

On Saturday, 1st of October 2011, I took a Dana Air flight from Lagos to Abuja in the afternoon. At the Lagos Airport, my friend just wanted to take any flight on the ground but i insisted that it has to be Dana because i have a business relationship with Aquadana waters (A sister's company). She accepted so we went to their booth. One of the ticketing clerks told us initially that the flight on ground was fully booked but later changed and asked us to pay a higher rate. My friend was questioning the new rate because she came to Lagos on friday and used Dana since she missed her preferred Chanchangi Airline. The ticketing clerk then changed and asked us to pay the normal fare in the next booth. When we paid and was picking up our luggages to go check in, she called out that we should give her money for slashing the Airfare for us. I was shocked. There is supposed to be a standard fare and not as dictated by common clerks who are dubious and corrupt. When we finally boarded, i looked around and saw that the seats in the aircraft were not all taken. The plane was not full. Why was the ticketing clerk lying then? What was she trying to prove? I looked at the passengers and wondered if they were conned too. I realised what the clerk did was to trick people into believing she reduced airfare for us so we should show appreciation by tipping her. I mean her because she is a lady. She is dark in complexion and plump. I really dont want to go into more details because i dont want to give her away. But I think the management should check their staff regularly and probably get people who would monitor them. The organisation can get consultants who would pose as customers. It is not always that someone would book online. With this attitude of their ticketing clerks, i would rather go to an airline where they are professionals and honest. Even when we were weighing our bags, I was waiting to hear what they have to bill me. At that point, i thought they were all out to rip us off. Dont get me wrong, this is not the first time I am taking Dana Air but the attitude of their representatives that day was suspect through and through. Anyway, they gave us cup cakes in the colour of our flag, green and white to celebrate the 51st Independence anniversary. Stayed in Abuja for a week and then headed back to Lagos. I still used DANA Air but this time I had to book online. Did not want stories and being at the mercy of one stupid ticketing clerk. If she has done something deserving of a thank you, I wouldnt mind but to seat in a small booth and using her office to extort and steal is wrong. Unfortunately, the other time, I used Chanchangi instead. .