Nightmare flight on FLYSAFAIR

My family and I booked tickets with Flysafair from Oliver Thambo Int to George Airport on Wednesday 14/08/2024. During check-in the evening before our flight, our seat allocations were scattered across rows 9E, 10E, 30D, and 31C. Concerned about our young children (ages five and nine) sitting separately, I called the next morning to request adjustments but was told this could only be done at the airport. Unfortunately, the airport staff were unable to assist, advising us to attempt seat changes on the plane.

Our ordeal continued with a one-hour flight delay. Once aboard, the situation quickly escalated into a nightmare. Not only were we unable to sit with our children, but we were also subjected to a revolting environment due to a severely malfunctioning toilet at the back of the plane. The toilet was overflowing, causing urine and feces to flow down the aisle—a horrific sight and smell that persisted throughout the two-hour flight. The conditions were unbearable. Urine and feces were underfoot as I tried to comfort my crying five-year-old across the aisle during takeoff. The stench was so overpowering that it burned our noses. Before takeoff, a cleaner attempted to mop the mess but quickly abandoned the task upon seeing the extent of the sewage. A handyman arrived, apparently managed to stop the overflow, and left.

Despite the efforts of the cabin crew, who did their best to clean the mess with tissues and air freshener—even resorting to coffee at one point—the situation remained intolerable. Passengers had to cover their noses and mouths, and the crew handed out masks in an effort to make the environment more bearable. As the plane took off, the sewage flowed to the back of the plane, only to stream forward during landing, further soiling our belongings. We were unable to store our bags under the seats due to the contamination and had to keep them on our laps for the entire flight.

During landing, my daughter’s backpack fell to the floor, ruining her personal belongings, including cherished teddies, books, and crayons. We were forced to carry this wet, urine-soaked bag through the airport and into our car.

I want to commend the two cabin crew members at the back of the plane who worked tirelessly under these horrific conditions to assist and calm distressed passengers.

However, I am deeply upset with FlySafair for allowing this situation to unfold and failing to take any meaningful action to improve the conditions for your paying customers.

This experience was utterly unacceptable, and as a result, I will never fly with FlySafair again. Moreover, I will actively discourage anyone I know from doing so.