A Nigerian passenger has taken to social media to voice his dissatisfaction with aspects of his recent flight experience with the indigenous carrier, Air Peace. The man, identified as Sammie, detailed his encounter in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, December 17, 2025, sparking a conversation about service standards in Nigeria's aviation sector.
High Cost, Basic Service: Passenger's Grievance
The core of Sammie's complaint centred on the perceived mismatch between the high ticket price and the onboard service. He revealed that he paid over N200,000 for a flight that lasted only one hour. For this premium, he expected a commensurate level of comfort and amenity.
He expressed particular disappointment with being served drinking water in a disposable plastic cup. In his detailed post directed at Air Peace Chairman, Allen Onyema, Sammie calculated that providing small bottled water to passengers would be a minimal cost for the airline. He estimated that for 80 passengers, four packs of bottled water (at N3,800 per pack of 20) would cost just N15,200, a fraction of the revenue generated from the flight.
Details of the Flight Experience
Beyond the water service, Sammie noted other observations from his journey. He mentioned that the aircraft was a brand new Boeing 737 operated by an almost all-white crew. While he humorously remarked that the pilot was an "oversabi," he stated he ultimately enjoyed the trip itself.
His post read in part: "...after paying N200k+ for an hour flight, it is very sad that they can’t provide me with the smallest bottle water... Imagine serving water with a disposable cup in 2025 sir." He ended his message with a direct appeal for improvement, even jokingly threatening to escalate the matter personally to the chairman.
Public Reaction and Wider Context
The post garnered significant attention and mixed reactions from other Nigerians. Some users agreed with Sammie's sentiment, criticising a general culture of poor customer service in the country. User @adesoladewumi1 commented on the need for collective demand for better standards.
Others shared similar anecdotes. @Jahswill_7 recalled rejecting water served in a similar manner, while @westsideking_ stated a preference for airlines that provide full bottled water. However, a different perspective was offered by @ThreeLeftThumbs, who suggested that serving water in small containers might be a strategy to limit passenger movement during short flights.
This incident comes amid ongoing discussions about the cost of air travel in Nigeria, especially during peak seasons. The story references a previous report where a lady lamented the high cost and limited availability of tickets for a Lagos to Owerri trip during the Christmas period.
The conversation initiated by Sammie's post highlights the expectations of Nigerian travellers who pay premium prices for domestic flights. It underscores a demand for service quality that matches the financial investment, putting the spotlight on airline operators to review and enhance their in-flight hospitality offerings.
