My experience with SAA this time has been nothing short of a nightmare.

1st Flight booking: Booking ref: OREGDB / Ticket number: ********** 299353 (FLIGHT THEY CANCELLED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE)

2nd flight: ORYZB8

My experience with SAA this time has been nothing short of a nightmare.

When my husband (who flies with SAA on atleast 12 international flights and 20 domestic flights p.a) purchased my tickets for me to visit him, he decided to purchase my domestic flight using voyager miles and then the international one cash.

He was short a few miles so we paid in extra to buy additional miles. (Note 1: money lost: R250 additional miles AND GB 157371 (See below Screenshot) (Greenbacks lost as well as we purchased additional miles using our Nedbank Greenbacks) See Below screenshot on my ABSA account for the R250 additional miles purchased below:

1.PNG See below the miles used: image.png

Then when trying to pay the levy online with his credit card for the voyager flight, was informed that section on the site was offline and he had to do eft. There was no bank details so I contacted SAA and was told I can't do EFT and must pay my PNP. I drove immediately 30min to the PNP and paid using the ref number provided. (Note 2: money lost: R414.72 - 1st PNP levy) See slip below: 3.PNG 2.PNG

The following day I was informed payment was outstanding and sent Voyager the proof. Viyahet advised that they don't accept payments from PNP and said my ticket would be cancelled if I did not make immediate eft... So I did this. I was told that they will reimburse me that PNP payment and provided details where I had to email the receipts.... Note that almost 3 months later I still have not been refunded despite the 21 days promised. (Note 3: money lost: R264.72 - 2nd EFT levy). Proof of additional levy: 1.PNG

Then after sending SAA a total of 33 emails I was ignored. No response except from the financial person at Voyager stating (name: Gladwell Mashilane) that I will be reimbursed the PNP levy but all my follow up emails and calls were ignored.

After 12 years together we were very excited to travel together for the first time. The evening before we checked in online like usual and his check in was fine and mine gave errors. I then contacted SAA at 4:53pm on and advised of my error message. The operator assured me all was fine on my ticket and I had nothing to worry about. He then offered to check me in on my behalf. After 30min on phone to him, he checked me in.

The next morning we went to airport and went to check our bags in and to my surprise I was told that my tickets were cancelled and that although my seats booked they can't take my bags and I won't be allowed on flight. I then showed them all correspondence and they advised that Voyager only opens at 8am so I will miss my flight. I showed where the voyager points were deducted. And never refunded and showed how I checked in previous evening.

See beow screenshot (I was never refunded nor did I request it) 4.PNG

My husband then had to board without me. A day we looked forward went from smiles to tears.

I then had no choice to phone around and borrow money to purchase new tickets. I could not cancel our holiday as then I would have wasted the visa fees, accommodation fees, etc. and was told they can't reimburse me any of the other money we spent and that we will lose all our Voyager miles that took us 2 years to build. Despite us doing nothing wrong. The lady booked me on a new flight and I had to pay in R1655.97 image.png

As you can see, I never ever cancelled my flight, all I asked for was a refund for the double payment of the levy. I have now lost THOUSANDS of rands and ALL the voyager points and essentially paid double for my ticket?

Due to my flights being booked separate I was only allowed 1 bag and not 3 bags so we booked my additional 2 bags under my husband's name as we assumed this is best due to my allowance. And paid excess luggage. With my new ticket, they now told me I can book 3 bags with this after we already had to pay additional bags, assuming all was ok with our booking.... which was too late then.

To top it off... on my return to SA, they also changed my flight so had to waste additional time at the airport. In Addition to this, SAA cut my lock off my bag and instead of just cutting they lock, they actually cut the whole zip which now means, we can no longer lock the bag which renders the bag useless to us. We were in position of the key, so I don't know why they needed to cut it. Nothing was missing and there was nothing in our bag which is not allowed.

We have requested that if SAA don't reimburse us the money wasted, that his company refrain from using SAA In future. We will also be warning the public on various platforms about this ********** actions of SAA and how they ***** money from people ... Voyager is meant to be a a good thing...

SO.... SAA needs to either refund me R1655.97 PLUS the additionall R414.72 which was their fault for incorrect ref number given....

A. IF YOU REFUND my First ticket R929.44 PLUS 45235 Voyager Miles. (Note 1: money lost: R250 additional miles) (Note 2: money lost: R414.72 - 1st PNP levy) (Note 3: money lost: R264.72 - 2nd EFT levy). OR B. IF YOU REFUND my second ticket R 1655.97

Apart from above, we also paid excess luggage which would not have been necessary AND we have a broken bag which we now have to replace at our cost and we spent unnecessary awards with our Greenbacks which we now lose.

SHOCKING SHOCKING SHOCKING