LAHORE - Due to tight Umrah policy of the Saudi government, travel agents will have to face loss of millions of rupees as they had purchased air tickets for Umrah against advance payments, said sources in the national flag carrier on Wednesday.
It is pertinent to mention here that the travel agents who are on the list of International Air Transport Association (IATA) purchase air tickets from PIA, Saudi Airlines and Naas Air of Saudi Arabia. For this en-bloc tickets procurement, travel agents have to pay only 25 to 30 percent of the total price of the ticket and pay rest of the amount at the time of travelling.
The travel agents (who are not more than 265) had purchased tickets before time against huge amounts to the three airlines, but at the eleventh hour Saudi government tightened the Umrah policy. As per new policy, only 25,000 pilgrims were entitled to perform Umrah this year, but as per travel agents, only 7,000 to 8,000 pilgrims were allowed to perform Umrah this year.
A travel agent said, “We earn Rs 6,000 to 7,000 as commission on every ticket, but now we will have to pay Rs 6,000 to PIA as ticket refund charges as passengers demand their amount of tickets back. We have paid them from our own pockets and now we will deal with PIA and other airlines while the PIA management has promised to pay back or adjust our amounts in next tickets.” A travel agents association member said: “Though PIA may refund the amount or adjust it, but Naas and Saudi Airlines’ tickets are non-refundable since they sell their tickets at cheaper rates and these are also non-refundable. Saudi Airline’s tickets are valid for one year while Naas Air tickets have validity of only three months. We have to pay Rs 6 million to 7 million as bank guarantee and cash to Saudi government and Saudi banks for Umrah business. The Saudi government repeatedly asked us to call our pilgrims back to Pakistan and it will issue new visas, but despite calling pilgrims back, new visas were not issued.
Travel agents have to pay 20,000 Saudi riyals as fine if a pilgrim facilitated by him slips in Saudi Arabia or commits overstay.”