SAA: What a Disgrace!

Item: SAA
Rating: 1

On the 2nd of April 2017 I purchased six (6) domestic flights from Durban to Johannesburg and return for my wife, my daughter (15 months old) and myself. For over three (3) hours the website where I made the booking and payment, using www.flysaa.com, kept on giving me the error that too many characters are being used in the first names of the passengers. I also tried using a different browser, but the same problem still persisted. My wife then also tried on a different laptop and still the error remained the same. My name is four (4) characters, my wife's is six (6) and my daughter's eight (8). After a huge struggle I managed to make the booking and payment using only our initials as it was only then that it accepted the entries. The tickets booked included the following: - 19 April 2017: my wife and daughter, DUR to JNB - 22 April 2017: myself, DUR to JNB - 7 May 2017: my wife, daughter and myself, JNB to DUR Combined cost: R2408.18 Needless to say that the tickets were bought ahead of time to pay a fair price. Then came the drama... Upon my wife's arrival to the airport on the 19th of April, a gentleman at the check inn counter, briefly told my wife that by not having the full names of passengers on the tickets they would have to purchase new tickets as the first names cannot be amended once the tickets have been issued. My wife then explained what happened on the flysaa website and the gentleman then advised that she and my daughter may proceed through without the need to purchase additional tickets. She arrived in JNB with no issues. When I arrived at the airport in DUR on the 22nd, I was also told the same thing and also explained the same dilemma to the lady at the check-in counter, but she refused to help me even after I presented my South African Drivers License, South African Identity Document and my South African Passport... How do you identify passengers then without verifying their ID numbers??? I was then directed to the manager on duty that day. I was then barely greeted by an aggressive and very rude manager, Samantha Titus, who at a point in our conversation also subtly hinted that I am actually an idiot because I cannot read what is asked on the website and that the website would never give such an error. This was after I carefully explained what the problem on the website of flysaa was. I would like to file a formal complaint against Ms. Samantha Titus in this regard and feedback regarding this would be greatly appreciated. I then contacted the flysaa customer services on ********** and explained everything once again. After spending roughly twenty (20) minutes on the phone, regrettably they were also unable or unwilling to assist me with the correction of my tickets. I was advised to purchase a new ticket, provided that there is still space available on the aircraft for me. This to me was very strange as my seat (11A), which I have checked in for online 24 hours prior to departure as I always do, is allocated to me already. The lady then advised that provided that I purchase the new ticket at more that double the initial amount (R1357.23) they cannot guarantee that I will receive back any refund. In short: I was forced to purchase a brand new ticket through SAA if I had any hopes of getting any money back. I then contacted my wife, who was already in JNB since the 19th of April, explained the situation and asked her to meet me at the flysaa counters at the airport in JNB upon my arrival and to also print hard copies of our flight confirmations. I then purchased the ticket from the ticket sales counter, where I was handed a copy of my "old" and "new" ticket. I was then allowed to check in my luggage at the check in counter and I was also allocated my original seat (11A) as well. After this I proceeded through security as normal. When I arrived at the boarding gate (A11) however, the lady advised me to step aside as I have been "offloaded" from the flight. After having stood there, humiliated as other passengers boarded the aircraft, I was then allocated a different seat (17E) and was then allowed to board the aircraft. Touchdown. I collected my checked luggage and proceeded to the flysaa ticketing counters to meet with my wife. At the ticketing counter I again explained to the gentleman what had happened and then asked him to assist me as our return flights to DUR from JNB were also booked using our initials due to the website error. He was unable to assist me and pointed me to the direction of one of his supervisors, who was too busy having a joyful conversation with one of his friends rather that attending to me. Another supervisor eventually arrived and was clearly identifiable by his red waistcoat. I then AGAIN explained the situation to him, but he was also unable to assist me and asked me to phone customer services using their telephone at the counter. I then got through to Themba, who gave me her direct line as the only reference that I have to the call as ********** . To me this was very strange that I cannot be given a reference number to a recorded call... Themba was also unable to assist me with my "old" ticket and also the correction of our return tickets on the 7th of May. I then politely asked whether I could please speak to her manager. She advised that he is currently in a meeting, on a Saturday, and was unable to attend to me. After a few more minutes trying to resolve the issue I again asked to speak to her manager. I was put on hold. Themba then answered the call again and advised that her manager says that there is nothing he/she can do and I will have to purchase a new ticket entirely. I never had the opportunity to speak to her manager. Themba advised that I could contact the Call Center at my convenience between Monday and Friday to try and resolve the issue. I advised that this would not be possible as my family and myself are heading to a wedding outside of the country on Sunday night (23 April 2017) and will only return again on Friday night (5 May 2017) to JNB and for this reason I would not be able to make contact with the call center during their office hours. After about 40 minutes on the call I was then forced, once again, to purchase new tickets at R1271.09 with SAA for our return flight to DUR on the 7th of May and was still not guaranteed a refund on my original tickets. Themba made the booking for me, I paid them online and then stayed on line to ensure that the refund was requested. The reason: the refund can ONLY be requested once a new ticket number has been generated and only then can the refund be requested using the new and original ticket numbers. Up until this stage my combined total spent amounts to R5036.50, which amounts to more than DOUBLE my original purchase. I am disgraced by the lack of professionalism that SAA (South African Airways) displayed during this time and am completely disgusted that SAA are unwilling to correct their mistakes and by so doing, deliberately force their passengers for their (SAA) mistakes. This would mean that SAA is inadequate and cannot take responsibility for their mistakes and rely on their customers/passengers to pay for SAA's mistakes. If this is the protocol to which SAA chooses to operate, I will never make use of their services again! What a Disgrace South African Airways!!!

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