Talk about rude… This was on a domestic flight from JHB to DBN. My brother who is overweight asked not to be put in a middle seat. They told him that was all they had. He went to get upgraded to business class, but the line was too long. Afraid to miss the the flight he returned. The team leader thinking that my brother wanted a free upgrade to business class got snotty and instead of sorting out the problem tore up our tickets and suspended us from flying. When we asked for our money back we then informed that they would not refund our money for the tickets. So instead of trying to act civilised and being diplomatic, they tried to act important and have lost another customer forever. It is quite obvious that they have no idea how to handle paying customers.

I told my brother a few years ago that I would never fly SAA again after one of my overseas trips with them turned out to be a nightmare. He thought that I was full of it because he always travels business class where he gets treated the right way. Guess what? He wont be flying SAA in the future. BTW. I have been overseas a dozen times since that incident of mine and all I can is, Cathay, British Airways and Swiss Air do a 10 times better job. If you are coming to South Africa in 2010 for the soccer do yourself a favour: DON’T FLY SAA.

I have experienced business class on SAA in the past, where I was treated with warmth and hospitality. So why is it that in economy class I always feel that I get treated worse than a dog? Try and find a steward after dinner. They all seem to disappear and should you manage to find one, beware, you’ll know what rude is. I think I know the problem. All those fat cats that have run SAA into the ground have their own helicopters and when they need to travel long distance they probably fly Cathay or Swiss Air or British Airways…..One thing is for sure, they never travel economy, otherwise the service would be better and a paying customer would get treated the way paying customers should be treated, with respect.

VIVA 2010, VIVA. Nkozi Sikelele Africa.

SAA don’t suck, they are just kuck………

Mark Lentin

An exchange of emails between SAA and me (showing their true colours)

From: Emile Myburgh
Sent: 08 May 2009 06:20 PM
To: Desmond Sampson
Subject: SAA customer loyalty

Dear Sirs,

Last year I wrote a letter that was published in your October edition so I don’t expect this letter to be published.  However, I feel compelled to reply to acting CEO Chris Smyth’s appeal to SAA’s passengers’ loyalty in getting the airline through these troubled times.

Mr Smyth, nothing would give me more pleasure than abiding by your plea but a couple of recent changes at SAA really do not contribute to your appeal.  I travel to Brazil 5 times a year and am a Gold Voyager member.  Last year I accumulated around 70 000 miles, all of them on SAA, except for about 9000 flying fellow Star Alliance Member TAP to London via Lisbon.  This comfortably secured my gold card for a second year in a row and I must tell you, I really enjoy the benefits.

However, recently I’ve noticed that, while your fares to Brazil haven’t gone down, you now only give me 50% of the miles, because the booking class is now class L and no longer class Q.  This means that, even if I fly as often as last year, I won’t get the Gold card again, even though I’ll in fact spend more money on aeroplane tickets.  Then there is also the issue of all the taxes that one has to pay when booking a Voyager ticket, which makes it less attractive accumulating all those miles and more appealing looking at the competition and simply forgetting about Voyager and just buying a ticket on the cheapest airline flying to wherever I want to go.  Even your coveted Premium Credit Card is not so appealing anymore.  I have now spent my R60000 entitling me to a free companion ticket.  However, there is one big catch.  Let’s say I want to take my partner to Brazil.  I have to buy a K class ticket, which costs around R12000.  Then, I still have to pay around R4000 in taxes for my companion.  This adds up to R16000 (R18000 if one adds the Voyager credit card fee on top of that).  If I buy two L class tickets, I will pay R14000.  Where is the incentive still to pay the exorbitant annual card fee?  I’m seriously thinking of cancelling this credit card and just using my Diners Club card which gives almost as many miles, with a much lower annual fee.

So, what I’m saying is this: I’m not really using my miles for free tickets for myself,  I give them away to my family.  The real joy of the Gold voyager card is that extra baggage allowance, the access to Star Alliance lounges with a guest, the business class check in, the bonus miles and the preferential seating.  That is what guarantees my loyalty, not the free flights.  In fact, even if you take away the free flights but still give me a gold card with all those other benefits, I’d still fly with SAA.  However, by taking this away SAA is effectively telling me that my custom is worth 50% less to you, although the price increases.  And this is what makes that, when I have an alternative, I won’t fly SAA.  As my preferred route is to Brazil for business reasons, regrettably, you have me hooked.  But I’m just waiting for TAM Brazilian Airlines (whose Fidelidade programme I am also a member of) to finally start flying between Sao Paulo and Johannesburg and then it is “adeus” SAA, unless you start valuing my custom again in the same way as you are appealing for my loyalty.

One final question: with oil prices one third of what they were last year this time, why are you still levying a fuel levy as if oil were still at $147 a barrel?

Kind regards,

Emile Myburgh

From: Jackie Cronje [mailto:JackieCronje@flysaa.com]
Sent: 21 May 2009 09:20 AM
To: Emile Myburgh
Subject: FW: letter to Sawubona (Emile Myburgh)

Dear Mr Myburg,

Thank you for your letter written to the Sawubona Magazine. On behalf of Voyager I would like to comment as follow.

50% mileage accrual for certain fare classes:

We are proud to say, that SAA Voyager is still one of the frequent flyer programs that awards 50% miles for lower purchased classes. A lot of our Star Carrier Airlines do not reward miles

for lower classes at all. SAA has recently aligned all class fares in a simpler way in different class fare families. Voyager is currently busy looking at these fares, to establish the value vs. accrual

miles, in order to ensure value of miles for the fare that the customer paid.

Airport Taxes on Voyager tickets:

All competitive Frequent Flyer loyalty programs charge airport taxes when redeeming miles for flight awards.

Airport taxes are paid on all airline tickets and this tax does not go to SAA, but to the Airports Company of South Africa. Different airlines treat some of these taxes in a different fashion, so some may absorb a portion of the taxes in the ticket prices ie the fuel surcharge. This means they will not show up as a “tax” but will be part of the ticket price. Below please find the different taxes:

. VAT which is 14% of the fare – Revenue tickets (We do not charge VAT on Voyager tickets)

. Passenger Service Charges, required by the Airports Company of SA and Aviation Co-ordination Services as well as a small administration fee

. Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Safety charge

. Fuel surcharge which is charged by airlines to cope with volatile fuel prices

Voyager unfortunately has no control over the amount of airport taxes charged.

Companion Ticket:

Voyager is constantly looking at the Voyager credit card product offering.

When the Companion ticket was introduced, qualifying fare classes were Y B M K only, after we have looked at the valued we have introduced a lower fare namely H/class

that also qualifies for the companion ticket. I take note, that it still stays expensive. The companion ticket holds a higher value if you purchase tickets in business class, or if you

are a business man, where the company pays for your tickets. We are busy with a strategic value meetings looking at all the credit card benefits, establishing the value of the

benefits attached to each card type. We will communicate the changes to all members as soon as the proposal has been concluded.

I hope that you will find my answers satisfactory. I would like to thank you for your support, and would like to assure you that we value you as one of our Elite Voyager members.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you need further assistance with Voyager.

Jacqui Cronje
Voyager Product and Marketing Specialist
Tel 011 978 1339
Fax 011 978 9865
e-mail jackiecronje@flysaa.com

Dear Ms Cronje,

Thank you for your reply.

The bottom line remains, Voyager and SAA are no longer offering the same attractive product that it used to.  You can be as proud as you want to be by still giving 50% miles on low class fares, but considering that these new low classes cost the same or more as high class fares did in the past,  I am left with a slight feeling of being tricked while SAA hides behind meaningless (for the passenger at least) letters.  Incidentally, there are airlines that don’t go quite as low as giving only 50% of the miles, some give 90% (TAM in Brazil, for example).  Anyway, why 50%?  Why not 90% or 75%?  The way you put it makes it sound like I should be grateful to get anything at all.  Not a good way to keep my custom.

As a voyager member for 13 years, I feel slightly perplexed if not insulted that you would assume that I didn’t know how the airport taxes on voyager tickets work, but thank you for the explanation (which is also contained on your website and brochure, and if that didn’t tell, I would have noticed it each time I buy a voyager ticket).  Everybody knows how the airport taxes work.  The point is, the amount of the fuel levy which you disguise as a tax is based on an oil price that was $147 a barrel.  Now it is $60.  Why don’t you pass the saving on to us?  You simply call it a tax so that you can say to us: “on voyager tickets you don’t pay for the fare, only taxes, and the fuel levy is a tax, and there is nothing we can do about that”.  The point is, we don’t believe this about the fuel levy and SAA simply does not give a credible explanation for it.

You didn’t advise Voyager members about this H class for companion tickets.  I will look into it.  However, when you say it makes sense for business travellers because their companies pay for the tickets, are you implying that businessmen and -women can make their companies pay higher fares so that they can take their partners with them?  Do companies not care about the bottom line?  Or is your implication that the businessman or -woman should take a colleague as a companion and saving the company some money (if there really is a saving).  I am self employed and business class tickets are simply too expensive for me, so your argument about the companion ticket making sense for buying business class tickets really falls flat on its face, and shows, somewhat alarmingly, that your research into your premium credit card holders is very inaccurate.  I really don’t remember being asked for my opinion ever, despite having applied for my card on the day it was launched in 2006.

Talking about business class.  In order to upgrade to business class using my miles, I have to buy a more expensive ticket, yet you don’t guarantee availability for a business class ticket.  Who in his right mind will take such a gamble?  The result is, I buy the cheapest ticket and just slum it in economy class.  This must surely be what your intention is.  Voyager must know that people would rather buy a cheap economy class ticket without the right to upgrade than take a risk buying an expensive economy class ticket that comes with a faint hope of an upgrade.  That way you can still sell that business class seat for money.

As it is, I can assure you that none of my friends and colleagues who are voyager members fall for your explanations.  This leaves you with two options: either improve your explanations or offer a product that offers value for money.  Based upon the current view we have of Voyager and SAA, I cannot see you offering value for money any time soon, so,  on the issue of better explanations, don’t you think it would be so much better for your image if you simple come clean and say to all your valued customers: “look, times are tough, as you all know, we are also suffering, and we simply cannot afford to be as generous with our benefits as we used to, so we have to cut them, but please bear with us.”  You can be sure we would understand, even be sympathetic, and we will rally to your cause.  I may not be impressed with the way you treat me, but everybody is proud of our national carrier and would run to help it.  Just stop thinking we are fools that don’t see through your PR rabble.

Regarding my own situation, I will lose my Gold card at the end of this year because I am not going to pay the extra money for those higher classes just to keep the Gold card, and, with business being down, I won’t fly 100 000 real miles in a low class to be awarded 50000 miles to keep the Gold card.  I accept that, and for this reason and all of the above, I am now looking at your competitors (Star Alliance and non Star Alliance).  What I don’t accept however, is the explanations you give.  Coming clean, like I’ve suggested, might be a lot better for your image than sending PR responses, because right now, I think SAA and Voyager are not honest.

If you want to study an example of how effective yet simple and straightforward a frequent flyer programme can be, look at TAM Brazilian Airlines’ Fidelidade programme.

Finally, as you will notice below, I am an attorney, and have just studied the new Consumer Protection Act for an article in Business Day.  I seriously think that the way you implement the Voyager programme falls foul of section 35 of the act and, who knows, someone might just get irate enough to take SAA to task over it.  Maybe you should get some legal advice on the topic.

Kind regards

Emile Myburgh (TAM Fidelidade card no: 23478183)

It seems as if my issue with SAA is just another drop in a very large bucket. And it seems as if I’ll be without R4200 for a while…

After having to cancel an international ticket for another person that was paid for via my credit card, the person on the SAA customer care line assured me that I will be refunded after 21 days. This was after spending 3 days (roughly 12 hours) on the line to get my credit card authorized, sending 4 faxes, going to the SAA counter at Cape Town International and sending 3 emails with my complete credit card details (exposing it in the process). Their response was that they could not read the credit card details and that my only option was to cancel the ticket and that the other person should buy their own ticket. In my desperation I did that, and patiently waited 31 days for the reimbursement (without R4200 in my account that could have gained interest).

When I phoned SAA today to find out why I have not been reimbursed yet, the lady on the line only stated that the refund has not been activated and that I have to wait another 21 days to (perhaps) get my money back. I apparently also have to pay a cancellation fee. I did not cancel this ticket for personal reasons, I *had* to cancel due to SAA’s inability to authorise my credit card. And from other people’s complaints I’ve now realised that I might only receive the fraction of the full amount due to the fact that they only reimburse taxes?

This is outrageous – due to a problem on SAA side (not being able to ‘read’ the credit card), I have been robbed of R4200, with no assurance of getting it back. What am I to do?

Please help, someone!

Liana

To SAA, Where’s the respect?

First off, I’m not really a person who complains a lot. I tend to just take it and move on. But after R10 000 and a shitty time, this is still bugging me.

On the flight SAA 235 (there are other complaints of bad service on this flight on hellopeter too), I was taken for a fool. It was at night and all me and my well-behaved brother wanted was a coca-cola. The tall crew member in question looked at us like we were mars. He probably looked at us as kids and didn’t think that we deserved respect…He said in a rude and grumpy manner : ‘I don’t understand what you are saying!’ . So we said: ‘Can we please have some cokes?’ He then responded in a loud: ‘what is that?! I don’t understand you!’ literally looking at us like we were accusing him of a war-crime. The look he gave me and brother is what got me the most. I will NEVER (and i mean this) EVER fly SAA again if someone there gives me that type of look again. At that point i was ready to strangle him. Why is it when they speak on the intro-intercom, they reassure you that they will cater to your every demand, and yet when you ask for the simplest thing, they treat you like absolute crap? Why even listen to the intro-intercom? After SAA 235 I had no intention of listening to the intro-intercom on flight SAA 323. Then i was shat on for having earphones on while they played the intro-video…

Later I came back from the bathroom when my brother said the same guy came back later and prodded a water bottle in his side quite sharply and roughly and without so much as a ‘here you go sir’. After R10 000 for the ticket, where is the respect for the customer?

Later at the domestic departures metal detector stop in johburg, there were drugs lying on the floor in front of everyone and no-one did anything. Another man there then rudely told me to get my stuff off the rail and that “i must get off” as this airport belongs to him! His words! He also gave me a look that made me want to jump the rail and slit his throat!

This all happened in a matter of hours. Screw SAA! Never flying it again. If I were an unreasonable person I could probably say that the tall Indian man on flight SAA 235 behaved in a racist manner towards me and my brother, especially the man at the domestic departures point…But I won’t go that far, this is a matter of rudeness and bad service that is prevalent in every sector of SAA.

And with a simply google search, I have realized that this isn’t an isolated matter. When I saw there was another complaint of rude behaviour on SAA 235, it was the last straw.

Lets do something to bring that flight back down to ground. I wont stand for this rude and arrogant behaviour. My complaint is not as big as others are (some people have real problems with SAA regarding their bookings and luggage), but it is a complaint none the less.

Chris

I am SO sick of SAA.

I flew to Malaysia, Business class, last week. The flight no is an SAA one (and you can purchase the ticket on their website) code shared with Air Malaysia.

On returning I checked to see if the flight was credited to my voyager account. It wasn’t.

I tried to log the missing miles on line but Kuala Lumpur isn’t an option. Then I called the call centre, they told me that as the flight was operated by Air Malaysia, I wasn’t going to get Voyager miles for it. I was quite cross as you can imagine, because it is a lot of voyager miles and affects my gold status.

I triple queried it with the call centre agent – who kept re-iterating that as the aircraft was Air Malaysia, I wouldn’t get miles. I then asked to speak to a supervisor and was put on hold for 12 minutes. The agent then came back and said that I would get miles. I duly faxed the ticket and boarding passes through and the miles were credited within 24 hours.

The operational side of the team was very efficient – i.e. crediting within 24 hours. However, why doesn’t the call centre agent know the rules. If I hadn’t been insistent I would have missed out on a lot of miles.

Samantha Louis

I really feel reluctant to ever use SAA again, and this is why:

I was booked on a flight to London scheduled to depart on the 21st June, ref ZNKAKV.

Due to personal reasons I was forced to cancel my flight on the 9th June. I tried to do it online but found that I had to do it through the SAA call centre. I called, and after being on hold for a considerable amount of time, spoke to a representative. We went through the process of cancelling my ticket and requesting a refund. I was assured that the money would be refunded in 21 days. (BUT not all of it – SAA actually keeps my money – the only thing you get refunded is the tax, so basically SAA couldn’t care less)

A. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED

B. WHY ON EARTH DOES IT TAKE 21 DAY TO REFUND MY MONEY? – I BELIEVE THIS IS A COMPLETE SCAM. It would be reasonable to expect my money refunded WITH INTEREST as SAA surely earn 21 days worth of interest on my money (I know it is tax but I doubt that it has already been paid over to SARS, and why can SAA not simply return my money and get it back from SARS themselves?).

Today I receive an email from the friend who had booked the flights for us saying that he has to date received no refund of my money. So I again have to go through the process of calling the SAA call centre – a waste of my time and money. I speak to a representative called Tsepho who tells me that in fact THE REFUND WAS NEVER PROCESSED AS ORIGINALLY REQUESTED. Lovely.

Now the SAA call centre DOES NOT generate a reference number (or call log number) for their calls so I have no way of referring back to the original call I made to cancel my ticket. I again asked for a reference number from Tsepho and she said they don’t keep them. What kind of call centre has no call log??? How do you guys track customer requests?

So now I am told I must wait a FURTHER 21 days!????? Through no fault of mine – actually directly through the fault of SAA and their poorly trained or negligent call centre staff – I have to wait again for this ridiculous time period.

I must say that the call centre agent I spoke to seemed completely disinterested in helping me out at all and generally seemed annoyed and impatient. I guess that working for SAA must be frustrating.

Anyway, please SAA can you sort this out and return my money within a reasonable time period – like a few days? I have already been waiting *42 DAYS*…..and I am really begining to get annoyed. Really this is not that difficult. It is not even that much money – I am owed a grand total of R3 184.00 which I am sure could be paid out of the office petty cash. Please make a plan as I am really bored of being taken advantage of. I think what I am asking is really reasonable…

I look forward to a response. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any more information to resolve this issue speedily.

Thanks,

Hannah

I will wish if someone at South African Airways will assist in the effective resolution to this problem. Initially I thought this problem of mine was going to be resolved very easily, but I have come to a realization that I have to either use this medium or if possibly involve my lawyers before someone will listen to me.

*Why am I complaining?*

I booked a flight (Online) from Tanzania to South Africa for a business partner on the 08th of July 2009 at 08:30pm. I made payment online using my credit card and the payment was successful. I received a call the next morning (09th July 2009) at 05:00am from a gentleman who advised that he was calling from South African Airways (Tanzania Branch).

The gentleman requested I fax the following documents in order to enable my business partner board the flight for verification purposes:

1. A copy of my I.D / Passport 2. Copy of my Credit Card (Both Sides)

I advised this gentleman that I did not have the facilities to send these documents to him and suggested that he allow my business partner to board the flight but should be held by airport security when he gets to OR Tambo till I confirm the details. I was at OR Tambo at 08:00am (09th July 2009) just to verify if my partner was allowed to board the flight and produce all the verification documents which was needed. To my surprise, he was not allowed to board the flight and when I contacted South African Airways, I was advised that the ticket I booked and paid online has been cancelled because it was suspected to be a fraudulent credit card transaction.

*What situation caused me to complain and the people who played a role in this situation?*

If my business partner was not allowed to board the flight, then I believe my money should be refunded. I took the initiative to contact the South African Airways contact centre on several occasions and these were the people I spoke to:

1. My bankers (FNB) contacted SAA and was referred to lady by the name Margaret (who is supposed to be at the refund dpt.) Margaret initially sounded very helpful but later did not contact me again although she promised to contact the bank and myself to arrange for the refund. 2. I later called SAA contact centre and spoke to a lady by the name Sasha (I strongly believe she is not in Africa but in the USA). Sasha gave me the worse service I have ever received from any contact centre. Her call logging information’s did not reflect what exactly transpired between us when I was speaking to her. She was very biased in her call logging (Ref: RP/DARSA08AA). I will suggest a supervisor of SAA retrieve that call and analyze its contents again. 3. The third agent I spoke to was called Palesa, who also could not give me a very proactive solution to the problem but later escalated to her team leader by the Kitiwe. Kitiwe was so helpful and promised to make sure the issue is resolved by the fraud department and will contact me personally to provide a feedback “WHICH SHE NEVER DID TILL TODAY”

*What I reasonably expect as an outcome?*

1. Can SAA explain as to why I have not received my money till today? 2. My bankers have tried their possible best to speak to SAA in order to confirm the refund but to no avail. 3. When my Bankers called SAA today (20th July), we were advised that SAA (SA Branch) does not actually know where the money is but might be with SAA (Tanzania Branch)-(this information came from SAA, South Africa refund department). Is SAA (SA Branch) and SAA (Tanzania Branch) different companies? 4. My next action will be to seek the advice of my lawyers and also involve the media in this issue because I am being treated unfairly.

I am kindly requesting a supervisor or someone in authority to contact me as soon as possible so that I can get a permanent solution to this problem.

Expecting an immediate response.

Regards

Dr. Ernest Owusu-Baah (CEO)

Samern Management Development

I refer flight SA61 that my family was booked on the Saturday 4th April 2009,Lagos – Johannesburg booking ref 2UX3D9 and YJV2CP. We arrived at the airport at 14h00 and waited till 17h00 to start our booking , at around about 17hh30 we were informed by an attendant that the flight was delayed. We accepted this as the reason was for operational issues.

The staff then arranged that we be accommodated at the Eco Hotel. As my wife and family were travelling, I had left ABUJA and travelled to Lagos to meet them and put them on board the plane.

I had a connecting flight and had booked accommodation for myself only and had tom cancel all this as I did not want my family to be in Lagos alone ( a lady and two children ).The are many security issues in Nigeria and because of this we use SAA and not other airlines as we expect reliability and professional .

It is only when I insisted that I speak to a SAA official , did MR Obada Wilson come on ground to address the issues, there were many frustrated and angry people but I kept my calm and understood the logistical problem as I work in Nigeria. I need a assurance that the next day flight we would be guaranteed boarding and MR Wilson did so.

We got to the hotel and was taken in and welcomed, there was no SAA representative informing us that that SAA will resolve the problem only told to be at the reception at 17h00 on Sunday so that we can be transferred to the airport. I telephoned Mr Wilson and spoke to him and he assured me that all is in order and we must be at reception at 17h00 on the 5th July.

On Sunday Morning no communication was received from SAA assuring that all is in order, I had to phone your staff and be kept in the loop of things, and your staff had all my numbers and should have contacted me if there were change in plans.

At 18h00 a bus arrived to fetch staff, we loaded our luggage in the boot and proceed to enter. On proceeding to enter, the driver informed us that there are only two seats for four people and we must sit on each other and still carry some of our hand luggage. I refused as they are travel risks with children not wearing seatbelt and advised him to take my luggage out and I will wait for the next bus. He started a screaming match with me, which I refused to partake in although my emotions were high.

We then waited for the next bus and had children sleeping on the coaches in the main reception of hotel and the hotel and checked us out and were not willing to accommodate us until transport arrived. I started calling your offices only to be lied that a bus is on the way, at 19H00 I could not take any more lies and non service. I then went to hotel and begged them tom assist, they then contacted a drivers and decide to take us to airport. I was not the only passenger as there were others, In Lagos the traffic is bad and one tends to miss flights if you do not leave your destination on time so I called MR Wilson and explained to him that we are now travelling with transport arranged by HOTEL and please try best to accommodate us.

Mr Wilson did assure me that he will try best but there are no guarantees, this is a direct contradiction of his previous statement both telephonically and in person. We were now on the edge as if we arrived and the gates were closed we had to travel back to HOTEL and this would take another one and half hour. Mr Wilson then in a rude manner told me that I am liable to host family at my if I miss the flight. I now aske you, how can a duly authorized agent say this in a rude and manner, where are your company values??

Thankfully when we arrived at airport, we were accommodated and family left. The following my concerns ,No proper communication at Hotel advising us the way forwarded, No response from your staff when advising them problems we were having . I had occurred costs in cancelling my programs based on your companies incompetent. I had to travel to other states and deliver presentation. The were other logistic of people coming from Paris and other countries that had to be changed.

I had to accommodate myself in the hotel because I had to stay over an extra day. The other problem is that I had to deliver a presentation to sell a particular plan to some government executives and because of your delay I missed this and the possibility of a sale.

The issues are that I stayed in communication with your offices and your offices did not even bother to text, phone or send a person to communicate to us, this is not what we expect from SAA. I was a champion to keep the Lafarge group to still use SAA as we always associated good service with brand loyalty.

How does SAA intend to refund me for my costs and loss of earnings? I financial remuneration would be the best possible solution against expenses paid. I can provide the hotel accommodation slips and other airfares that were incurred. A suggestion of reimburse would be to give my family additional voyager miles or an upgrade on our voyager card.

When I suggest that we use Arik airlines on the same Friday, this was not adopted . I went to try to speak to the duty manager, an Ms JOY Olyeadi but was not granted permission. I then asked a rude Ms Buky Odu to help me and she said that I must take the numbers down on the door outside and I can do as I please.

I Reserve my rights in this manner and wait a reply from yourselves.

Ruben Naidoo

My troubles with SAA never seem to end. We are a training company and as a result we have many lecturers flying all around the country. Out of principles I avoid SAA at all costs due to their pathetic service. However there is sometimes no other option available so I am forced to use them.

I don’t know how many hours I have spent on hold with this useless excuse of a company. I am currently on hold and we are at minute 45 with still no resolution.

I called to confirm a ticket (this on top of the confirmation I received directly from them, the online confirmation as well as the tax invoice sent by SAA) and true to SAA style there is a problem.

I asked the consultant if this particular ticket is confirmed and after a few moments on hold she confirmed that the ticket was confirmed. I then enquired is she sure that everything is ok with this ticket (once burnt, twice shy ) and again she ensured me everything was ok. I then asked once last time if everything was ok and that my staff member will be able to board and again she replied yes , but then informed me that she would just check on another system. After another ‘on hold session’ she came back and informed me that they had not received the authentication form details. I knew this was coming as this seems to be their stock standard response. I then gave her all the fax details ie time, date etc and after more holding she came back and said that now they have the forms there is just no signature on the form. I then asked how could they process the payment if there was no signature – a moments silence and more holding and the story now is that the forms have been received and there is now a signature but now the signature is now different from the one on the credit card used.

Now I find this complete rubbish as it is the same form I send all the time. I then requested that this form be sent back to me so that I can see what the different signature looks like as I truly believe this is there excuse for messing up.

Well I have now been on hold for over an hour with no response.

Please tell me how do I get any service from this service-less, incompetent, unethical company??

They are more than happy to take your money but that is where their services end. I just wish that there where other options besides this money stealing, government bail out excuse of an institution. One day is one day SAA and when you fall you are going to fall with a huge amount of satisfaction from the clients that you messed around!

Maybe I can get some assistance from SAA through your website. I must say it makes me feel better to know that someone will read this – thank you for the website!

This is what happened to me. I visited a friend in Nelspruit and had to fly SAA to get there. I booked my ticket online well in advance and since I usually fly friendly Kulula I am not used to having to have my credit card with me on the day of departure. I know that it says you must bring the card you bought the ticket with to the airport when you book on the website, but I truly forgot about this. (I suggest they include this tiny important detail when they sms the flight details to people traveling with them).

At the airport was told (in a not -friendly manner at all) that I had to buy another ticket. No understanding, nothing about “it happens to others as well” – just “get in the other queue – you need to purchase another ticket”. I had my ID and driver’s license there as well as several other credit cards – this did not help. So I got into *another* queue where a pregnant Indian lady helped me. *SHE TOLD ME THAT I WOULD GET A REFUND*. She even explained how she will attach the new ticket to the old one on the system so the person helping me will see *that I had paid twice for my one flight*. Not one word was said about airport taxes.

The week after my visit I called in good faith just to be told that I *can only get my airport taxes back*!! I told them that the lady at the second counter (wish I had her name but there can surely not be that many pregnant Indian ladies working there), told me that I would get a refund. I was transferred from one person to the next until I just hung up 45 mins later. I then sent a mail to their customer care department (this was on Wed the 17 th) and up to now I still have no response.

I feel as if I threw R2400.00 in the water. I don’t have this kind of money to just spend on a whole extra ticket. SAA did not lose anything with this. I bought a whole extra ticket! How can this be fair? Does anyone please have an e-mail address for a manager or someone else there?

Karen