Unprofessional service from South African Airways

<p>Good day,</p> <p> </p> <p>On 27 April, I send my 3 children (ages 13, 10 and 8) to Johannesburg to visit their father, because SAA is the only airline that I would trust my children with.</p> <p> </p> <p>Well, unfortunately that impression has changed. They were supposed to fly back on Sunday, 30 April on flight SA475. I was at the East London airport at 3:30 just to find out that the flight has been delayed indefinitely. I went to ticket sales to query , and I must say, the attitude of the staff stinks. I waited at the airport for answers. I eventually got hold of my oldest daughter, just to hear that they are somewhere in a room unsupervised. I instructed her to find someone with a uniform so that I can speak to them, which she did. The lady informed me that they are in the business lounge and that there was technical difficulties with the plane and they had to abort in the flight and is currently looking for another flight. Which I want to say thank you for prioritizing the safety of the passengers. I did inform her that I am not impressed with the fact that the kids are unsupervised and someone needs to sit with them.</p> <p> </p> <p>The eventually called to say that the kids are going to be on SA481, which is only boarding at 6pm. They arrived at 8pm in East London, just to find that their luggage was not on the plane. The lady that works at the baggage department informed us that the luggage will be on the next flight coming in from Johannesburg, we have to wait. Which we did, and yet again, there was no luggage on there. Then she said that it will come with the 1st flight from Johannesburg the next morning, which will land at 7:30am. We only arrived home at 9:30pm Sunday evening!!!</p> <p> </p> <p>The next morning we went back to the airport, with no staff member at the baggage the department (she is on her tea break), which I think is very unprofessional for not sending in a staff member to release another if they go off for whatever reason. I went to the information desk, and there as well was no staff members. That was it, I was fed up with the incompetency and unprofessional service. I went to ticket sales office and asked for a manager, where they directed me to the team leaders office. Yet again I had to explain the full story and they told me that the luggage did not arrive, it will definitely arrive with the afternoon flight. She took down my address, my cell number and said that the driver will be delivering the luggage to my house that afternoon, promising that she would phone if there was another problem. The afternoon came and gone, no driver, no phone call from them to inform me on what was going on. I did say to her that the kids school bags was part of the luggage, they need their bags to go to school on Tuesday.</p> <p> </p> <p>So, Tuesday morning, I had to send my children to school without school bags. After I dropped them off, I went back to the airport. Same luggage lady was there, and by now I am highly irritated and her attitude was definitely not friendly or supportive. She said I must wait for the next flight from JHB to come in, it should be on there. Thank goodness the next flight was going to land in 15 minutes, so I waited and finally received the luggage.</p> <p> </p> <p>Now, my complaint is, who is going to reimburse me for my fuel that I used traveling up and down to the airport? Who is going to reimburse me for my parking tickets every time? What about the time I have wasted spending at the airport? And the fact that my kids was unsupervised in JHB? The inconvenience that you have caused us?</p> <p> </p> <p>I would really appreciate your assistance regarding this matter.</p> <p> </p> <p>Many thanks,</p> <p>Annatjie Snyman</p> <p> ********** 083</p> <p> </p>