Alitalia poor customer service be warned

WI recently booked and paid 6 months in advance for a flight from JHB to Rome on the newly reinstated Alitalia direct flight. My wife and checked in 3 hours early and my visa and ticket were checked and we proceeded to the lounge. At the boarding gate some 20 minutes before take off my ticket and pass port was checked again. My visa had a delayed start date and I was denied access and bumped off the flight. My wife continued alone. I accept full responsibility for the error in the documentation but had an issue that I was allowed to checkin and if the airline who’s responsibility it is to ensure visa is correct, had checked correctly initially I could have collected my old passport from home with the old active visa in it and still flown. Alitalia admitted that their security was lax but after many calls and 6 hours of waiting for a reply from “Alida” the airport station manager refused to allow me to take the next flight at no extra cost even though the plane I missed flew half full. Alitalia represented by Alida who refused to take calls from her subordinate s who were taking my continuous calls and when I went to her office at OR Tambo in desperation after being informed by her subordinate I was on my way, disappeared and switched her phone off for 3 hours starting at midday of a working day , this while I searched for her to ask for some form of compromise on the fair of R9600 extra I paid to get on the next flight... My experience with Alitalia was th say the least shocking with no communication,no effort to assist and no compensation or comprimise. No custetmer care . Alitalia represented in South Africa does not live up the wonderful Italian hospitality I have enjoyed over the last 40 years.