Airlines PNG

There are two airlines in PNG: Air Niugini, the good one, and Airlines PNG, who did this: I booked a flight from Madang to Port Moresby with Airlines PNG. It was a direct flight at first and later split into tw, Madang to Lae and, connecting, Lae to Port Moresby. Information on the split was emailed to me. When I arrived at the airport in Madang I was succinctly informed by an official, that "they would not send a plane over". No help was offered. Fortunately, Air Niugini had a flight on the same day, since I had to catch a flight out of the country the next day (Port Moresby can reached by air only). Needless to say, that I am still waiting fot at least the money for the fare back from Airlines PNG.

This is not unusual in the Pacific. Did you have travel insurance? If so, they will accept a letter from the airline that the plane was cancelled "for operational reasons".

Thanks for the advice. I do not have and I doubt exists an insurance against fraudulent behaviour. Any insurance would demand that I get my money back from the airline.

I'm pretty sure they cover cancellation, which your situation effectively was.

Thanks again. I will ask the one I have, although I am doubtful. I am even more doubtful that I will receive anything from Airlines PNG - money I did not much expect in the first place, a letter neither. It is not so much the money but sweet revenge. You are at the "airport", have to rely on people to call a taxi back into town, which comes after one hour of biting your fingernails. Fortunately, it worked out with the help of the people from Air Niugini. No help came from the frauds. As to usual: I have counted a total of 12 flights in the region without a hitch, so maybe this was just the unlucky 13.

Travelling in Melanesia is a gamble. I remember one trip when I had booked a passage from a nearby island to Honiara on the regular ship. It arrived crowded from the previous port, so stood off from the wharf so too many people did not try to board.
To get to it, we had to find a local with an outboard boat, and then climb up over the side.
Good thing I was travelling with locals.

Surprise, surprise! After having sent a letter to a major PNG newspape which published it and which was read by a senior executive who contacted me, Airlines PNG has finally paid the fare back. Although it does not cover the additional cost, it is all I had demanded. It doesn't cover the extreme inconvenience and anguish at the airport at Madang on that day, when you have a fixed further schedule and are caught at its weakest point, Port Moresby beeing, for all purposes, accessible only by air. So the next time I would still chose Air Niugini.

On my flight to goroka from moresby, air niugini sold 74 tickets for 64 seats. Pretty disappointing to miss the first day of the goroka show for their greed. but they put us up in nice hotel.

It is also a common practice in Melanesia to overbook flights, anticipating no-shows. Then whoever turns up late, volunteers, or otherwise lucks out, gets bumped.