South African Airways

<p>It was the first time travelling on an international flight with our one<br />year old daughter. We are a German South African family and so we decide to<br />visit our German family over the Christmas holidays. Being slightly<br />concerned with flying with an infant we chose South African Airways direct<br />flight from Johannesburg to Munich. To be extra sure we called SAA and<br />booked in a higher booking class (Q) to secure the best possible seats as<br />well as a baby bassinet. And here an unbelievable troublesome journey<br />started…</p> <p> </p> <p>It took me more than five calls to the SAA hotline as it constantly cut out<br />in the middle of the booking process. Long and frustrating story short…<br />eventually we got our tickets, seats, baby bassinet confirmed by a<br />reservation agent in the call centre. 24 hours before departure, I made<br />sure to check us all in exactly when the online check-in opened and I<br />successfully did so the minute it opened, 24 hours prior to our flight. We<br />had our tickets and correct seats.</p> <p> </p> <p>A day later my father in law dropped us off at the airport. We made sure to<br />give it enough time and arrived 3 and a half hours prior to the departure<br />time. We wrapped our bags and where now ready to drop off our luggage. When<br />we arrived at the check-in counter the check in staff started calling<br />frantically for about 10 minutes without talking to us. I asked if<br />something was wrong and eventually he said: “We might have a little<br />problem. Your plane was changed to a smaller one and you have been<br />off-loaded.” I tried to stay calm and asked for the supervisor. I couldn’t<br />believe that they would off-load a family with an infant, that had<br />checked-in online and reserved seats in booking class Q-PlusFare. The baby<br />was crying by now as we were now standing at the counter for over 20<br />minutes. After some time the supervisor eventually arrived. She was<br />extremely rude and unaccommodating – tapping her fingernails on the table<br />whilst I was speaking. As I was persistent and not leaving they eventually<br />offered me the flight via Frankfurt, reluctantly we agree as we had fixed<br />arrangements in Munich and no option to wait for another flight another day<br />with no security that all of this would not happen again.</p> <p> </p> <p>The problem was it was boarding in 15 minutes, we were offered no support,<br />even after requesting it. And so we ran with a stroller, crying baby,<br />across the airport to security control. The queue for passport control was<br />massive. It was now 5 minutes to boarding. I pleaded with the security<br />personal and they kindly agreed to let us go through the side entrance. We<br />just made the plane. But, of course, we did get the seats we paid for. We<br />were at no point offered any help, compensation, upgrades or anything<br />similar.</p> <p> </p> <p>I am exhausted and speechless. Since our experience we heard of many other<br />similar experiences, so this cannot even be an isolated incidence.</p> <p> </p> <p>I complained through offcial SAA channels and to this date did not receive anything but automated messages that my case is being reviewed. Two months later I am still waiting.</p> <p> </p> <p>I am left with the question how you can treat people, customers, let alone<br />a young family like this? What recourse do I have as a customer fighting a<br />giant corporation like SAA which has shown that they do not care about me<br />as a customer and do not care that their inefficiencies create havoc in my<br />life?</p>