Discriminatory Behavior and Unprofessional Treatment by Lift Airline

I’m writing to express my outrage and utter disappointment with Lift Airline following my experience on flight GE125 from Johannesburg to Cape Town. What should have been a simple flight turned into a humiliating and financially damaging ordeal, and I believe this was due to discriminatory behavior by the flight crew.

It was on the 15 September 2024, I boarded early, placed my laptop bag in the overhead compartment directly above my seat (28C), and settled in for the flight. Later, when the flight was about to depart , a white man boarded with a middle size suitcase far too large for hand luggage. The overhead compartments were already full. Instead of finding a suitable solution, the flight attendant, without my permission, removed my bag to make space for his. Despite my polite protest, she rudely dismissed me, saying, “The flight belongs to everyone🥲😭.”

I couldn’t help but feel that my belongings and by extension, my presence were being deprioritized simply because I’M BLACK . This wasn’t about space; this was about who was seen as more deserving of consideration, and in this case, the white passenger’s luggage clearly took precedence.

I warned the flight attendant that my bag was not secured properly and that it might fall. She ignored me. Sure enough, my bag fell, damaging both my iPhone and laptop. She didn’t apologize or even check to see if my belongings were okay. She just moved the bag again and walked away, leaving me to pick up the pieces—literally. My perfume was now leaking.

After landing, I tried to report the issue to the captain, but I was blocked by the lead flight attendant. She acknowledged the incident but offered no apology and no solution. It was clear that they had no intention of taking responsibility for what happened.

The aftermath was even worse. I took both my phone and laptop for professional assessment, and the damage is extensive. My phone’s Face ID is completely broken, and my laptop is malfunctioning.

When I reached out to Lift Airline, their response was insulting. They denied responsibility, claimed the flight attendant didn’t know whose bag it was (a blatant lie since I was right there), and suggested that I should have let their crew inspect the damage. I’m not a technician, how could I assess the damage on the spot? Their entire response was dismissive and completely ignored the fact that I warned the flight attendant before the bag fell.

This situation goes beyond simple negligence, it felt like outright **************. The white passenger’s convenience was prioritized over my belongings, and when my property was damaged, the airline refused to take responsibility.

What makes it even worse is that throughout the entire flight, I noticed there wasn’t a single black or Coloured person working on the crew. This lack of diversity speaks volumes about the company’s values and inclusivity or lack thereof. It’s hard not to feel like this lack of representation contributed to the way I was treated.

I strongly advise against flying with Lift Airline. If this is how they treat passengers and respond to serious complaints, then they don’t deserve your business. I will be pursuing compensation through other channels, including legal action if necessary.

Don’t let this happen to you ! avoid this airline.