Arik Air

Not Verified | Our flight time was changed from 08.50am to 6pm! I missed all connecting flights, had to pay for another hotel in Abuja and was stuck in limbo. I had already checked out of the hotel. The flight change wasn't communicated and we only discovered when we got to the airport.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst airline in Nigeria. Terrible service delivery. Insincere, bossy and lying customer service agents. Difficult to keep to schedule. Quarrelsome personnel from customer service to Air hostess.

Not Verified | I am quite accommodating as a person and I have clear understanding of flight logistics challenges. But Arik Air showcased a complete lack of class and a blatant disregard for welfare. It’s disgraceful and outright incompetent. I arrived 55 minutes before flight time and I was unable to check in to get a boarding pass and thus forced to reschedule and it’s particularly painful because I had promised my three year old that I’d be with her. And they were so rude despite my calm demeanor. I’m not one to give bad reviews or reviews in general but here you go. I’d fly Max or Airpeace going forward and I employ others to do the same.

Not Verified | The shuttle bus dropped us the passengers at the hanger! The flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt was scheduled at 3pm then rescheduled to 6pm, then again moved to 8.30 and I'm writing this as I board the flight at 9.31 pm. The bus driver who picked us up at mm2 boarding gate dropped us at the hanger and then left stating he has to go home. Serious action should be taken against such irresponsible employees and the airline should be charged a penalty for such negligence while recruiting junior staff. It is not even funny how close we were to another aircraft which was so loud that we had to close our ears. Delay for Arik isn't uncommon but such careless behaviour is unacceptable. I won't be travelling this airline ever again. Apart from no communication for the delay the airline is as worst as it can get in the aviation industry. They have set a new low for themselves.

Not Verified | I booked Arik flight from Lagos to Port Harcourt on February 11, 2020 to travel on February 12, 2020 using my GTbank Master Card .The payment was done on Quickteller and it showed that the transaction was successful and my account was debited accordingly. Unfortunately when I got to the airport on February 12, I was informed at the counter that my booking was not successful and was referred to the payment section. At the payment section I was asked to contact my banker for refund which I did but I was informed by my bank that the error is from Arik. As side the fact that I missed my flight, I have also been made to suffer unduly for the negligence of your organization. I have tried to call your Account Refund line severally but no luck. I lodged the complaint with my bank which in turn contacted Keystone Bank and the bank confirmed that the payment was successful. I also took efforts to visit arik air's office, sent mail but all to no avail. It's quite unfortunate that the airline has not changed for better regarding refunds.

Not Verified | Lagos to Warri. Terrible. Last seat available was a business class seat at 70k Naira. 30k more than economy class and the same narrow horrible chairs as economy. In fact no difference between classes to justify any price difference on this aircraft. Awfully disappointing.

Not Verified | Lagos to Accra. From my experience today at Arik Air, I can describe the airline as being terribly inefficient and best avoided. The flight was delayed first for 2 hours with excuses of the plane developing a fault. Later, a staff came to tell us after 2 hours that the plane was now on ground and they were running some checks on it. After another 45 mins another staff came to tell us that actually the plane has not yet landed and they will give us an update in about 20 minutes time. No one is telling us anything and so we do not know whether we will still travel tonight or not. On informing someone about my predicament I was told I made a mistake by buying an Arik Air ticket, that this is their usual practice. I would not advise anyone to travel with this airline.

✅ Trip Verified | Without any doubt the worst business class in Africa. Everything was wrong. Even with a most expensive business class ticket, I was requested to be at the very small and terribly mediocre Freetown airport 2 hours ahead of the flight: when one knows how few flights there are per day, ridiculous. When I checked in I was guaranteed that the flight had taken off from Accra where it came from and was due on time in Freetown, when I checked later with the crew, I found out it was a total lie as the flight was delayed and it was still on the ground at that time. When I checked in, I also asked about the business lounge and was told that of course I could use it, but after immigration I discovered it had been closed and remained closed for the 3 hours I waited: one of the shopkeepers nearby told me that the staff looking after the lounge had left because "they had other things to do". So I had to wait on the most uncomfortable metal bench with no air conditioning for 3 hours, nothing else was available. We received no information about the delay and no Arik Air staff were visible after the check-in counter. At 1am, the boarding was done in a most unprofessional way even for this continent where I have been some 3 or 400 times. Exhausted, I'm not very young to say the least, by this horrible experience on the ground I thought I would have 1.5 agreeable hours specially being the only passenger in business class. This was wrong, very wrong. I was first requested to stop using my iPad as Arik seems to be the only airline (with SAA) forbidding the use of an iPad during takeoff and landing. I asked for a glass of wine and was offered a choice between 2 tiny plastic bottles of lukewarm undrinkable wines. Beer was also lukewarm. The dinner consisted of 2 sandwiches, worse than what a low cost airline would offer. The crew was about as nice as their fellow citizens the immigration officers at Lagos airport. Horrible experience at a cost of nearly 700 USD one way for 900 miles. A rip-off would be an understatement.

✅ Trip Verified | Accra to Monrovia. This is a terrible airline. Avoid at all cost. They sent us a message saying we should be there no later than 6am the evening before. We arrived and informed they knew something was wrong with the flight, but they just forgot to update the system. So our flight will now depart at 10:50am. We asked if we could leave and they can send a message when they are ready. They said we should wait. At 9am, we proceeded to check in and was informed now the flight is not leaving till 2pm. We again asked what the issue is, this time they said we don't have a plane. Most airlines on schedule were on time or with even a 20 mins delay, an annoucement was made. Nothing is annouced from this airline, you have to go and search for a representative, hide and seek game. No one really knows whats happening. One employee has advised us to head home, thus will proceed to leave.

✅ Trip Verified | My colleague and I were booked on an Arik Air flight from Lagos to Warri, supposed to depart at 07.40 in the morning. I received a message two days prior to the flight, informing me that "due to operational requirements" the flight will operate at 11.00. The morning of the flight, I received another message informing me that again "due to operational requirements" the flight will operate at 12.00. Once at the airport, waiting to board, we were informed the flight was delayed 20 minutes. Twenty minutes came and went and we eventually boarded and only took off at 13.00, arriving in Warri by 14.00, only getting to the hospital where we were to have 2 full days of work at 15.30. An entire day wasted by an incompetent airline. It does however get worse, it is now 2 days later and we are supposed to fly from Warri to Lagos, booked on the 09.20 flight. We have a connecting flight to Accra, Ghana at 17.10, so plenty of time to make this connection. Or so you think. I received a message from Arik 2 days ago informing me that "due to operational" requirements, the flight will now operate at 12.40. I'm still not too worried, as we will still make the connection. Don't hold your breath. I received another message from Arik this morning at 09.38 informing me that even this amended time has now changed to 16.40. So, to summarize - a flight supposed to have left at 09.20 has now been delayed and yet again delayed to 16.40. I phoned the Arik Air call centre, explained that I will now miss my connection to Ghana. She had absolutely no interest in my case, no offer of assistance. Her single line was "Arik apologises". I would not recommend this airline to anyone - despite selling tickets at certain times, they have clearly no intention of sticking to any schedule, making up flying times as it suits their "operational requirements". There is nothing positive I can say about this airline.