Terrible Experience. I lost my return ticket cape Town to Abu Dhabi, cost of PCR test. And had to cancel all business meetings at Expo in Dubai

Terrible Experience. I lost my return ticket cape Town to Abu Dhabi, the cost of PCR test. And had to cancel all business meetings at Expo in Dubai

I arrived for my 19:10 flight which was supposed to commence on 10 November at 16:10, all the the travel requirements were met on my side, i had valid PCR test that was promised to be guaranteed correct by testing stuff. Yet the 2 ladies a gate 75 from CT international Qatar staff I presume had absolutely no idea of what the requirements were and sent me on a wild goose chase at 17:30 after I stood in the boarding que for over 1 hour. They were insisting that I go have 2 other tests, one of them is 48 hour and another one Rapid test 6 hours. Nobody informed me about these requirements, not TravelStart, not QatarAirways. Even the representative who were supposed to give the form to fill was gone by the time I reached half of the queue. No stuff approach anyone in the queue to make sure that people who are waiting got the required tests.

When on 9 November at 2pm I went to Bellville PCR Test Station I asked both assistants there to make sure that this PCR test would be valid for Abu Dhabi. They both confirmed. I even specified whether it supposed to be 48 hr test or 72. The person who did my test told me that is surely 72 hrs and they have many customers who fly to UAE. So I was reassured and I could not imagine something like this would happen. Thus, I been told to run downstairs to COVID test room in Cape Town International airport at 17:20 Both ladies at the Cape Town aiport Covid testing room were not helpful at all, they looked at me with 'big eyes' when I showed my test result and asked why do I need other test. Then after I explained them that apparently there are new regulations from UAE t, they asked me to go back to the Check-in gate and ask them to write down what exactly should be done. I went and came back in 5 min but then... these ladies told me that i am too late and they will close testing room now.

Looks like they did everything to make my test impossible.

From all involved in this incident , TrravelStart and the testing stuff in Airport - complete disrespect as well as no care in the world to do there duties correctly. Travel Start didn't reply to my email. Whatsapp provided they give automatic pre-written responses, absolutely don't care about customers, one can't even reach them.

Try to avoid via TravelStart if you don't want to mess your trip, they will never reply neither telephonically, nor via email or whatsapp.