Thousands of Australians have lost a lot of money due to the international travel ban and border closure. Tickets refunds are taking months to be reimbursed and, in many instances, customers are given travel vouches instead of money.
Alfred Mansour runs a travel agency from home. He has been in the travel business for many decades. In the past few years, he closed his office at Westfield and started working from home.
Alfred talks to SBS about the difficulties travel agents face due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He says that many people who booked their travelling arrangements from mid-2019 to travel this year, are now facing the long waiting period to get some money back from their cancelled reservations.
He says that he wrote a letter to the prime minister and to local member of parliament suggesting that airlines and travel agencies should refund the fund either as cash or a voucher that is not named for the travellers. He says that many people who lost their jobs, now their main concern is finding a job, travelling is the last thing they are concerned with. However, if they get their refund as a voucher and under their name, then that will be useless. Better though, if the voucher is from the airlines, then it can be used by a relative or other member of the family who might need it most.
Mr Mansour says travel agents are under great pressure from customers who blame them for the delays of refunds, not realising that the delays are from the airlines and big travelling corporations.
ܣܢܵܕܬܵܐ ܕܚܘܼܠܡܵܢܵܐ ܗܲܘܢܵܝܵܐ
ܫܵܪܲܝܬܵܐ ܕ74 ܡܠܝܘܿܢܹܐ ܕܘܿܠܵܪܹܐ ܒܦܵܝܫܝܼ ܡܘܦܪܸܝܹܐ ܠܲܣܢܵܕܬܵܐ ܕܚܘܠܡܵܢܵܐ ܗܲܘܢܵܝܵܐ ܘܨܵܚܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܕܟܠܲܝܗܝ ܐܣܬܪ̈ܵܠܵܝܹܐ. ܬܲܪܥܵܐ ܐܸܠܟܬܪܘܿܢܵܝܵܐ ܚܘܼܟܡܵܝܵܐ ܕܪܹܫܵܐ ܘܗܵܘܢܵܐ ( (www.headtohealth.gov.au) ، ܒܗܵܘܹܐ ܡܲܒܘܼܥܵܐ ܠܚܘܼܕܵܝܵܐ ܕܡܲܘܕ݂ܥܵܢܘܵܬ݂ܵܐ ܡܗܘܼܡܢܹܐ ܘܡܗܲܕܝܵܢܵܐ ܥܲܠ ܕܵܟ݂ܝܼ ܗܵܘܝܵܐ ܢܛܲܪܬܵܐ ܕܚܘܼܠܡܵܢܵܐ ܛܵܒ݂ܵܐ ܕܗܵܘܢܵܐ ܒܥܸܕܵܢܵܐ ܕܦܪܵܣܵܐ ܕܟܘܿܪܘܿܢܵܐ ܦܵܝܪܸܣ ܘܚܲܝܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ ܠܚܘܿܕܵܐܝܼܬ݂، ܘܕܵܟ݂ܝܼ ܣܲܢܕܝܼ ܫܲܒ݂ܪܹܐ ܘܡܲܚܒܵܢܲܝܗܝ، ܘܕܵܟ݂ܝܼ ܩܵܢܝܼ ܚܸܠܡܲܬܹܐ ܒܸܫ ܙܵܘܕܵܐ ܓܵܘ ܚܘܼܠܡܵܢܵܐ ܕܗܵܘܢܵܐ ܘܪܵܥܝܘܼܬ݂ܵܐ.
ܩܐ ܕܝܕܥܸܬ ܕܵܟ݂ܝܼ ܚܘܟܡܵܐ ܐܣܬܪܵܠܵܝܵܐ ܝܠܹܗ ܦܠܵܚܵܐ ܥܲܡ COVID-19 ܐ݇ܙܸܠ݇ܝܼ Government response . ܠ ܣܪܵܚܵܐ ܕܡܲܪܥܵܐ (the outbreak).
ܩܵܐ ܙܲܘܕܵܐ ܡܣܘܕܥܵܢܘܼܬܵܐ ܒܠܸܫܵܢܵܐ ܐܸܢܓܠܹܫܵܝܵܐ ܣܵܚܒܸܪ ܠܫܵܘܦܵܐ
health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert