This story makes zero sense to me, though it’s confirmed by a LOT Polish spokesperson, so I have no clue what to make of it.
The Daily Mail has the story of how a LOT Polish 787 was only allowed to depart Beijing Capital Airport last week after they collected cash from passengers. According to the story:
- A fault was discovered with the hydraulic pump on the 787 when the plane landed in Beijing
- The plane required maintenance, and the employee at a warehouse insisted the repairs needed to be paid for in cash
- They needed 2,500RMB (~$360) in cash to pay the mechanic, and since the mechanic refused to be paid using any other method, they collected cash from passengers so that the flight could proceed
- The passengers who provided cash were immediately reimbursed upon landing and were given vouchers
This story is so strange that I’d almost assume it’s outright fabricated, but it’s confirmed by a LOT Polish spokesperson:
“An employee at the Boeing warehouse in Beijing refused to accept a bank transfer and insisted on cash.
There are no circumstances that justify asking money from passengers.”
Apparently the LOT Polish employees who asked for money from passengers will be disciplined (which personally doesn’t seem right to me — it seems like they were trying to prevent a cancelation, as bizarre as this situation was).
Upon landing in Warsaw, the spokesperson issued the following statement to passengers:
“I know that you encountered an unusual situation today, for which I would like to apologise for from the bottom of my heart.
Believe it nor not, but there was a situation with a warehouse employee in Beijing who refused all methods of payment other than cash which led to the confusion
Nevertheless, I am grateful to him and that the flight returned safely to Warsaw.”
This story is strange on so many levels:
- How was there a rogue employee who tried to get away with only accepting cash?
- How did this repair only cost 2,500RMB?
- How was the station manager, captain, or any other LOT Polish employee not authorized to somehow withdraw cash for this?
It sure is an interesting story, though it makes zero sense to me…
Can anyone make sense of this story?
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