*********** AND UNTRUTHFUL EMPLOYEES AT O.R TAMBO AIRPORT

Mango Airlines **********

To whom it may concern

I am directing this letter to you on behalf of the Eastern Province “B” Ladies bowling team.

During the week of 12 to 16/03/2018 the ladies participated in an Inter Provincial bowling tournament in Johannesburg. Unfortunately they made use of you airline to fly from PE to JHB and back. The flight to JHB luckily went without incident. This however was short lived, as they experienced nothing but incompetence and a lack of understanding on their return flight.

They were two teams with a manager which made it a total of nine ladies. Bookings for the flights to and from JHB was made and paid well in advance. (See Annexure E) On 10/03/2018 they departed from PE to JHB. On this flight the ladies were allowed on the flight with hand luggage which included each lady carrying on board a small bowling bag containing two bowls. (Flight JE 534)

On 17/03/2018 they were supposed to return to PE as a group on flight No.JE 525. During check in they enquired from your desk where boarding passes were issued if the bowling bag each lady had in her possession containing two bowls each could be taken on board as hand luggage. They even went so far as to open the bags to show the contents thereof to the lady issuing boarding passes. With her approval they took the bags with them as hand luggage and then proceeded to go through security. Seven of the ladies were allowed through security when suddenly it was decided that the contents of the bowling bag was dangerous and they then refused to let the remaining two ladies through security. When it was pointed out that some of the team was already in the boarding area with similar hand luggage the whole team was recalled and informed that they could not board with the bowling bags as hand luggage. At that stage it was evident that neither the security nor your personnel had the decency or the tact to handle the situation. They were blatantly informed that at least two of them had to stay behind to place the bowling bags as luggage on another flight. Your personnel refused to let the bags now go through as ordinary baggage. To everybody’s amazement the flight was now delayed to take off the baggage of the two ladies staying behind. The immediate question was, why can the flight be delayed to take off baggage, but the hand luggage cannot be put on the flight as ordinary luggage? The question still remains unanswered. It must also be noted that during this process one of the ladies staying behind’s luggage was damaged.

After discussion they were informed by your personnel that the two staying behind would be booked on another flight at no extra cost and that the hand luggage will also be put through as ordinary luggage at no extra cost. Great was their surprize however when the two ladies staying behind not only had to pay in on the tickets of the flight that they could not board, but also had to pay for the extra weight of the bowling bags. The bags that were not allowed on the flight were now carried by two instead of nine passengers. This obviously resulted in the baggage being over the weight limit.

The more the situation was explained and your personnel informed that the whole scenario was created by Mango and its personnel and that if it was not for their actions that lead them to take the bowling bags on as hand luggage the whole incident would not have occurred. It was a question of either pay or stay. Feeling like hostages they reluctantly made payment as requested. Luckily there was a credit card at hand; otherwise they most probably would still be stuck in JHB.

Due to no fault other than that of your personnel the following extra cost was incurred. Extra payment on Tickets: R 770.00 (Annexure A) Baggage being over the weight limit: R 1 100.00 (Annexure B + C) Breakfast: R 138.60 (Annexure E) Total: R 2008.60 Cost would not have been incurred if passengers were allowed on flight JE 525 as booked and paid for.

You are hereby requested to reimburse said cost. Failing to make arrangements for payment within 14 days from receipt of this we will have no other option as to proceed with legal action.

It must be further noted that this is an annual event and that up to date numerous teams made use of your airlines. This experience has however resulted in us now looking at alternative airlines for the future. Other Provinces will also be informed of our experience.