Passengers on cancelled Biman flight to London decry hotel accommodations

After a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight bound for London was forced to turn back midway, passengers found themselves lodged in hotels across the capital, some of which, they argued, failed to meet acceptable standards.

The airline had arranged accommodations after London’s Heathrow Airport faced a daylong closure due to a major power outage, forcing numerous international flights to be diverted or returned.

Biman’s Dhaka-London-Dhaka flight, which initially departed at 8:42am on Friday, briefly landed in Sylhet before setting off for London.

However, as conditions at Heathrow remained unsettled, the aircraft returned to Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport at 1:45pm.

With 267 passengers onboard, including crew members, the airline was responsible for arranging hotel accommodations.

But as travellers settled into their unexpected layover, discontent quickly surfaced over the quality of lodgings.

“My wife is a business-class passenger. But the hotel they took her to after the flight returned is very shabby,” said AFMA Harris, a UK-based individual whose wife was among the passengers.

“My wife didn’t go upstairs. She said she wouldn’t stay there. Later, some of my friends who work at Biman intervened and shifted her to a better hotel.”

He continued, “We have a lot of friends in Dhaka. They even wanted to take my wife to their homes. Whether we stay in a hotel or not is not an issue for us. But I am speaking for all the other passengers.”

“Our demand is not very high either. There are many fairly standard hotels in that area. Doesn't Biman know a better hotel? The hotel they took us to is not good at all.”

“It’s not about business class or economy class. It’s a matter of a good hotel. The place was very shabby,” he added.

According to Harris, a young woman from Sylhet travelling in business class was asked to share a room with another female passenger.

“My wife refused to go. She said, ‘I will not stay in this hotel’. Since I have some relatives, they complained and changed it [hotel].”

“How can Biman treat passengers as Sadarghat, Barguna deck class passengers?” he questioned.

Harris said, “Go to Tripadvisor sites and see how bad the hotel is. It is also important to see if any people from Biman have any vested interests here.”

Biman defended its actions, citing logistical challenges in securing good accommodations for such a large number of passengers at short notice.

The lodging in question is “Garden Residents,” a hotel located in Uttara Sector 3 of the capital.

Mixed reviews of the hotel can be found on MakeMyTrip and Booking.com.

However, there is no review of the hotel on “Tripadvisor”.

It holds a rating of 3.4 (Good) on MakeMyTrip and 7.0 (Good) on Booking.com, with common complaints citing mosquito infestations and cleanliness issues, though some guests noted satisfactory service and food.

The establishment, located in a residential area, was formerly an apartment complex converted into a hotel, locals said.

Md Jewel, the hotel's manager, confirmed that 48 passengers were brought to the property, three of whom declined to stay.

“Upon arrival, three people said they didn't want to stay here. Later we said, ‘We will talk to the airline authorities and see what can be done’,” he said.

“After discussions with Biman officials, they were moved to the Dhaka Regency.”

According to international aviation regulations, airlines must provide free food and beverages to passengers experiencing extended delays.

If the delay requires an overnight stay, the airline is responsible for arranging hotel accommodations, with room quality contingent on ticket class.

Biman Bangladesh Airlines defended its handling of the situation.

“They [Biman’s concerned department] have told me that Biman selects hotels based on its own standards,” said Boshra Islam, the airline’s public relations manager.

“However, arranging high-quality accommodations can be difficult when managing a large number of passengers at once.”

“The passengers who have raised questions have been taken to another hotel. Since questions have been raised about the matter, the airline will definitely look into it.”