SAA tells me to shove it and use another airline….

[AIRRatt]

After simmering for a while, I have decided to let people know that, according to the South African national carrier?s customer care centre, if you don?t like the way that they work, you should use another airline. I was told this directly. This was after I was also informed by the recorded voice at the beginning that calls are recorded for quality purposes. I certainly hope so.

It all started with an email I sent them regarding my luggage not being on the same flight as I was and arriving the next day for collection. About 15 - 20 people also waited in vain for their luggage at our destination. Some of them told me that it was a regular occurrence and was caused by SAA accepting big amounts of excess baggage on the JHB ? LAD (Luanda) route as it is highly profitable. I?ll say, I saw two women collecting 14 big suitcases at Luanda after my flight, never mind the 2 piles consisting of bales of luggage more than head height being collected by Oriental persons that join this flight from a connecting flight.

I received a standardised email reply from SAA Customer Care which shows that the email was not even read properly. Emailing them to tell them this produced an ignore.

So I phone customer care. I get to speak to the woman that handled my complaint. She?s only interested in telling me that they meet with the baggage handlers all the time and these things happen. She keeps interrupting me in half sentence. Being ex military, I don?t enjoy being interrupted and start getting irate. She?s obviously had assertiveness training to keep those pesky customers in check and decides to use it. Unfortunately it?s not balanced by customer service ethics and she threatens to put the phone down if I don?t speak to her ?decently?.

I count to ten and decide to tell her that the problem doesn?t lie with the baggage handlers, it lies with SAA accepting too much excess baggage. She says SAA is entitled to accept as much excess baggage as they wish. I suggest they adopt the British Airways rule of two bags per person and one item of cabin luggage. Now for the coup de grace, she tells me ?If you think BA has better rules then SAA, then you should fly BA?! Reasoning with her doesn?t work, she?s only interested in getting rid of a pesky customer.

Well then, this shows either the low level of training and commitment to genuine complaints or else I was unlucky and got a hardegat customer care consultant. Either way, I try to avoid SAA now and encourage those that need to go to LAD to fly Air Namibia, which in my opinion beats SAA hands down anyday.

Just wondering what you would do if someone employed by you told customers to go and buy their products elsewhere?

I will compliment the aircrews of SAA flights though, they are professional and courteous. The image of SAA was damaged by someone working for customer CARE, which I have now renamed customer ferk off.

If anyone wants the customer care registration number of this case, you?re welcome to PM me.

If anyone knows how I should proceed to take this further, let us all know on the forum.

[happyskipper]

Ja, Fly BA

[Deutscher]

I do the same. I avoid SAA like the pest. Tonight I take the Doha - JHB flight and get to JHB at about 09h00 tomorrow morning. As the Qatar Airways flight on Sundays does not go through to Cape Town, I take the 10h30 Kulula flight. Did it a few times in the past and will always support them. The service is excellent and their website is just a pure pleasure. I've tried the SAA website and what a disappointment compared to Kulula. The 1-Time website is also quite user friendly.

[126,7]

I've also had problems with SAA customer service. Buggers. Have phoned them, stayed composed and got my message accross. Also got a reply to a very nasty email I've written. All in all I got what I wanted.

[yzerfontein]

Fly SAA only when no other alternatives - BA offers the best ride in South Africa.

[knobrot]

Ah, yes.
After a few years of touring with a few airlines apart from SAA now I must return to the sterling and quality service that they offer on the LAD route, I remember it well.

[Gatvol]

And I agree with them. If you dont like their lousy service find another carrier..... They dont need your money, they have taxpayers who appreciate giving them part of their paychecks.

[AIRRatt]

Thanks Gatvol:

And I agree with them. If you dont like their lousy service find another carrier..... They dont need your money, they have taxpayers who appreciate giving them part of their paychecks

I completely overlooked this aspect of their operations philosophy. Silly me, and there I was wasting my time on emails and phone calls.

[ZAFH]

SAA debacle exposes lies
2009/11/07
Letter in The Herald

On August 24 I purchased an electronic ticket to leave Port Elizabeth on September 17 and return from OR Tambo on September 24. As September 24 was a public holiday and the first day of the school holiday, the airport was naturally very busy.

My daughter usually drops me off, but that day had time to accompany me to the check-in counters. How fortuitous for me, for by the time the queue had progressed for me to be served, I was flabbergasted to hear ?the gates have closed for that flight?. This was 30 minutes before due departure time of 10.20 and we had been in the queue for Port Elizabeth and Cape Town (counters 51 to 63) for over an hour because half of these counters were unmanned!

Stunned, I asked how this could be possible: I had a valid ticket, no announcements had been made over the public address system, nor was I responsible for the slow progress of the queue. The reply was that someone had been sent to walk along the queue to call passengers. Yes, I said, Cape Town-bound passengers were requested to proceed to counters 61 - 63.

I was not the last passenger in the queue bound for Port Elizabeth. Behind me was a family of four, excited at the prospect of a seaside holiday. At the counter they were informed there was no record of their booking, which had been confirmed via cellphone including wishing them ?a nice holiday?!

I was told to go to Tickets and Reservations where already a long queue had formed of exasperated would-be passengers, all spewing venom into their cellphones. Here I was informed there were no seats available in economy class for the next three days. As a pensioner I had naturally opted for economy. There was, however, a seat in the business class on the 6.10am flight the next day. This would cost me over R3000 minus half of my original ticket of R1840, amounting to R2155. I objected to being fleeced in this manner! My daughter relented and sponsored my flight home.

To add insult to injury, a friend on a later flight from OR Tambo to PE that same day said there were several vacant seats in economy!

Am I the victim of an ?overbooked? flight or ineptitude at the check-in counters of SAA ? Whichever the case may be, I can now better comprehend the recent news that SAA has made a remarkably speedy financial recovery this year, apart from the government bailout, that is.

And yes, I did report the matter to the so-called customer care: their bland reply was that passengers had been called out.

What lame lies. What weak service! Fly SAA ? No way! ? CHEATED CUSTOMER

[Gatvol]

The only internal flights I usually take are from JNB/CPT. There are plenty of other carriers out there who give good service at a reasonable rate with at least some prior planning. Im sure all have problems once in a while, but with SAA it seems consistent. They have problems ALL the time.
The only other flights I use are going to Moz, and Air Moz does a pretty good job.

[KiwiBoer]

Gelukkig klim Virgin volgende jaar op die Syd-Perth-Jnb om die Spoories en Qantas bietjie ore aan te sit.
Sal dan beslis Virgin gebruik.

$11 250 vir 4 return kaartjies oor Dec!!!

Ek wens net Air Mauritius wil hul koppe gebruik met hul Perth - Mau vlug en 'n package aan te bied na SA en Cpt via Mau....hulle sal 'n killing maak maar is obvious te stupid, en weet nie hoeveel Suid Afrikaners hier bly nie?

[gundaan]

Originally Posted by ZAFH

SAA debacle exposes lies
2009/11/07
Letter in The Herald

On August 24 I purchased an electronic ticket to leave Port Elizabeth on September 17 and return from OR Tambo on September 24. As September 24 was a public holiday and the first day of the school holiday, the airport was naturally very busy.

My daughter usually drops me off, but that day had time to accompany me to the check-in counters. How fortuitous for me, for by the time the queue had progressed for me to be served, I was flabbergasted to hear “the gates have closed for that flight”. This was 30 minutes before due departure time of 10.20 and we had been in the queue for Port Elizabeth and Cape Town (counters 51 to 63) for over an hour because half of these counters were unmanned!

Stunned, I asked how this could be possible: I had a valid ticket, no announcements had been made over the public address system, nor was I responsible for the slow progress of the queue. The reply was that someone had been sent to walk along the queue to call passengers. Yes, I said, Cape Town-bound passengers were requested to proceed to counters 61 - 63.

I was not the last passenger in the queue bound for Port Elizabeth. Behind me was a family of four, excited at the prospect of a seaside holiday. At the counter they were informed there was no record of their booking, which had been confirmed via cellphone including wishing them “a nice holiday”!

I was told to go to Tickets and Reservations where already a long queue had formed of exasperated would-be passengers, all spewing venom into their cellphones. Here I was informed there were no seats available in economy class for the next three days. As a pensioner I had naturally opted for economy. There was, however, a seat in the business class on the 6.10am flight the next day. This would cost me over R3000 minus half of my original ticket of R1840, amounting to R2155. I objected to being fleeced in this manner! My daughter relented and sponsored my flight home.

To add insult to injury, a friend on a later flight from OR Tambo to PE that same day said there were several vacant seats in economy!

Am I the victim of an “overbooked” flight or ineptitude at the check-in counters of SAA ? Whichever the case may be, I can now better comprehend the recent news that SAA has made a remarkably speedy financial recovery this year, apart from the government bailout, that is.

And yes, I did report the matter to the so-called customer care: their bland reply was that passengers had been called out.

What lame lies. What weak service! Fly SAA ? No way! – CHEATED CUSTOMER

Only Take Cabin baggage, remember you can take a bag, your Laptop and a jacket into the cabin (handbag as well if you very feminine) and use the electronic check-in machines, very quick and easy. I was delayed on the R21 from Pta by another truck driver attempting suicide, and arrived 2 minutes before check-in closed fir my flight, checked-in electronically, was through security and at the gate for my flight in 5 minutes. It can be done, just make sure you have your e-ticket number to enter into the machine and you away. They also ask ID at boarding if you checked in via electeonic check-in so keep your drivers licence handy.

Oh and if you have deal with customer care anytime, record the call on your side and ask the operator for their name first and then inform them that you too are recording the call as well and will not hesitate to go to the press if needed. Works wonders for attitude.

[MBDriver]

Why dont you email the acting CEO at ChrisSmyth@FlySAA.com and see what he has to say. If you even get an answer.

[AIRRatt]

Thanks MBDriver, will email and keep the forum posted about any developments, if they bother to answer.

[Vatniekaknie]

Originally Posted by Deutscher

I do the same. I avoid SAA like the pest. Tonight I take the Doha - JHB flight and get to JHB at about 09h00 tomorrow morning. As the Qatar Airways flight on Sundays does not go through to Cape Town, I take the 10h30 Kulula flight. Did it a few times in the past and will always support them. The service is excellent and their website is just a pure pleasure. I've tried the SAA website and what a disappointment compared to Kulula. The 1-Time website is also quite user friendly.

Price wise I got two out of three flights cheaper on BA than Kulula. Anyway the same thing but ..
1time overall remains tops. I miss Nationwide though.