What happens after I hit publish on a review?
Do airlines reach out? Do they try to fix things, or do they just get mad? Well, my recent trip on Air Montenegro turned into one of the most wild examples of how powerful our community actually is. It got so crazy that even the Prime Minister of Montenegro had to get involved.
Let’s break down what actually happened.
The Flight: Selling a Product That Didn’t Exist
I booked a flight from Prague to Zurich with a stopover in Podgorica. The first leg in economy was pretty underwhelming—dirty cabin, coffee stains on the tray tables, and a crew that spent the whole flight chatting in the back instead of focusing on safety or service.
But the real issue happened on the second leg.
I paid for a Business Class ticket to Zurich. When I got to the check-in desk in Podgorica, the agent handed me an economy boarding pass, hoping I just wouldn’t notice. When I called them out, they claimed there was an “aircraft swap”—which was a complete lie, considering Air Montenegro was operating three identical planes at the time. To make matters worse, they refused to refund the price difference on the spot and told me to deal with customer service later.
After I posted about it, my inbox blew up. Dozens of passengers reached out saying the exact same thing happened to them. We realized this wasn’t just a single mistake; Air Montenegro was actively selling Business Class tickets for flights where the product literally didn’t exist. It was a complete scam.
The Backlash: From Social Media to the Prime Minister
Once the review went live, it hit almost a million views. The media picked it up, and the locals in Montenegro were understandably embarrassed about how their national carrier was representing their country. Thousands of you left comments demanding answers.
The pressure built up so quickly that the Prime Minister of Montenegro himself saw the video, got involved, and publicly reposted a statement from the chairman of the airline.
When government officials start watching your flight reviews, you know the pressure is real.
The Result: Real Accountability
Because we held them accountable, Air Montenegro was forced to make immediate changes:
- No More Fake Tickets: They completely scrubbed the ghost Business Class option from their website. You can no longer book a cabin that doesn’t exist.
- Full Refund Processed: They finally issued a full refund for my downgraded ticket.
- Official Apology: The President of the Board of Directors, Tihomir Dragaš, and the CEO, Vukadin Stojanović, sent me a personal letter admitting they fell short.
They explicitly stated that my review was an “invaluable wake-up call” and promised immediate measures to reform their refund procedures, retrain their cabin crew, and fix fleet cleanliness standards. But my favorite line in the entire letter was the very last one: “Thank you for holding us accountable.”
This is exactly why I do this. We pay hard-earned money for these flights, and airlines need to deliver on what they promise. When they don’t, we’re going to call them out—and as this Air Montenegro case proves, it actually works.
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This is it guys, wherever you’re off to, have a safe trip!
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About the Author
Josh Cahill is an award-winning Aviation YouTuber who is reportedly one of the most-watched flight reviewers on the internet. He organised Afghanistan’s first all-female flight together with Kam Air in February 2021 on a flight from Herat to Kabul for which he received the Aviation Achievement Award. His favourite hobby? Flying exotic airlines nobody has ever heard of.
