New airline has a heart

Last February, we booked flights from Larnaca to Manchester on Cobalt Air, travelling in mid-July for our planned summer holiday.

Living in Cyprus for retirees is like a permanent holiday in some ways, but we still feel the need to return to our roots and our family members occasionally.

In mid-April, my husband was diagnosed with a serious illness, which involves regular attendance at the clinic; in May, we were advised by the senior doctor in charge that he could not possibly recommend the travel we had booked.  He provided a formal medical certificate to this effect.

Alas, on approaching Cobalt to request cancellation and refund, we were informed that this would not be possible as the tickets were non-refundable economy class.  We pleaded “exceptional circumstances”, but learned only that we could leave the tickets open for a year.

Today we received an email advising us that our case had been re-evaluated, and a full refund would be made.  We are profoundly grateful to Cobalt for this decision, which must have been taken at a high level, and felt that a public “thank you” through your pages was the best way of expressing our feelings.  Of course, we have every intention of booking our next flights with this young airline, who have shown that they can treat passengers in an extraordinary situation with sympathy and understanding.  Bravo Cobalt!

Hilary & Peter Ives, Nicosia

 

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.