***ism at Kulula/Comair O.R Tambo international airport.

I have had the most appalling service from a Kulula check-in consultant by the name of Bongani. (He refused to provide me with his full name and surname). I asked the consultant if I could please have a window seat and he told that the person that paid for my flight for me had already prepaid for my seat. I corrected him and told him that couldn’t be the case as I made the booking and payment and I had not pre-selected a seat. He continued to say that he is telling me that his statement doesn’t change. Bongani didn’t even bother to look on the system. Instead he got up from his seat and raised his voice at me in an attempt to intimidate me and reinforce his stance that I didn’t pay for the tickets (mine and my sister) myself. I understood if there are no window seats available on a flight. However, I am highly insulted by Bongani’s insinuation that I did not pay for my own tickets. Therefore I am not privy to the fact that my seat was pre-paid. I proceeded to remind Bongani that he is a representative of Kulula/Comair as a brand and that he is *****ing their image by displaying his **********ic attitude towards me as a female. However he was adamant of his stance and did not backdown even after I reminded him of the company he is representing and of the fact that I am a paying customer. Instead he pushed my ticket and ID to the vacant counter next to his and told me to move as he has other customers to attend to.

I reported him to the supervisor on duty (Lebohang). She assisted me with a seat next to my sister and explained that the flight is full, thus she couldn’t assist me with a window seat. I explained that although she has assisted me and tried to remedy the situation. I am still disappointed by the appalling ***ist attitude of Bongani as a representative of Kulua/Comair which has left me repulsed, as he assumed that because I am black and female, I had a man pay for my flight tickets. I strongly believe that if Bongani was dealing with a male customer, he would have had a different approach. We are living in a time of sensitivity to gender based violence and it is unsettling to see a male employee of Kulula/Comair intimidate a female customer who is merely trying to exercise her rights as a customer.