DISGRUNTLED passengers are considering suing Cathay Pacific for possible loss of business, because of alleged mismanagement in making alternative flight arrangements. They claim they were wrongly advised that Cathay Pacific had booked them on other airlines, so they did not make their own bookings. They charged that they consequently missed out on seats altogether and missed business meetings. Passengers for flight CX420 to Seoul, scheduled to depart at 4.20 pm yesterday, were informed in the morning by Cathay staff that an extra chartered flight by Korean Air Lines had been reserved for them. But when they got to the airport, Korean Air staff told them Cathay Pacific had not made the reservation and there were no seats for them. A disgruntled Mr Lee Wise said Cathay Pacific should have told them there was no extra flight so they could make reservations with another airline rather than waiting in the airport. ''There is a very important business meeting for us in Seoul. If we can't get there before 8 am tomorrow [today], we are going to sue Cathay Pacific for loss of business of up to a few million Hongkong dollars,'' he said. Mr Wise said the Cathay staff did not seem to know what was happening. ''Management is hiding, everybody here doesn't know what's happening. ''This is completely disorganised and totally mismanaged,'' he said. Another passenger, Ms Maura Ferro, said she got a message from Cathay Pacific yesterday morning advising her she would be able to board the flight. When she arrived at the airport, she was told the flight she had been advised to board was already full. ''People don't seem too informed. They should know what other flights are available for us.'' But another passenger blamed the air crew for creating confusion. ''I don't think this is the right time for the air crew to go on strike; this is the peak season,'' he said. ''I don't know what is the problem between the management and air crew, but we are the victims.''
