Inconsistent Procedures

I had booked a ticket online for my mum from Johannesburg O.R Tambo to Durban for departure yesterday at 8:00 am. The price of the ticket was R492.17. Upon arrival at Mango's front desk to collect the boarding pass at O.R. Tambo, we were told that the boarding gates -close 40 minutes prior to departure and that my mum was too late. The time was 07:27 am.

I was then advised to go to the Mango help desk in order to get a discounted rate on the next flight out. The "discounted" rate turned out to be R911.00, double the price of the flight I had "missed" This flight was due to depart at 09:00 am. After leaving the queue , to check for alternative flights ,i ended up in the Mango help desk queue yet again to grudge purchase the 09:00 am flight. The irony is that at 08:30, my mum was given her boarding pass and allowed to go through which should have been done the first time round. The lack of standardized norm cost me R911.00.

I've flown with Mango before, it barely takes 10 minutes from the front desk to the boarding gates. My mum is fami**** with the airport and could have done this at the same time as she had just hand luggage.

There two things that had happened yesterday that struck me as unusual.

1) The mango employee who initially refused to process the boarding pass as my mum was "too late" picked up the phone to call her colleagues about my mum's impending arrival but decided to put the phone down without trying as according to her judgement "too late." at 07:27. The mango employee at the help desk however, called the other staff at the boarding gates as generally is expected. This was at 08:30 am

2) There was no "last call" announcement for my mum that happens with mango airlines via the airport sound systems.

As I've said , I fly regularly between Johannesburg and Durban and have never been told about the "40 minute rule" even if it is in writing under terms and conditions. Furthermore if it is a concrete rule then why the did front desk employee not follow the "40 minute rule." Is it that from the time I've started flying with mango in 2010 to now , every one of my flights had Mango staff that purposefully broke the rules and this is not just my experiences but also my observations of other Mango passengers.

Please check all airport camera footage to confirm the above chain of events, furthermore I should not have to pay for your staff's inconsistency lead poor service. You can decide whether you want to deduct the amount from the staff member payroll or credit me on my next flight. You can decide