sperberj
Dec 20, 04, 8:36 am
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2100-1407882,00.html
December 19, 2004
Directions: Readers’ rants
THIS YEAR, my two children and I flew to see family in South Africa with British Airways. It made me realise how bad my experience with South African Airways, the previous year, had been.
Back then, my son was 16 months old and I was seven months pregnant. We were buggied to the plane and helped at every stage of boarding, but as soon as we took off, we were treated disgracefully.
First, I had asked not to be allocated the bulkhead. Not only did we end up in these seats, the flight attendants refused to move us. Second, because my son was under two and we hadn’t paid for a seat for him, he wasn’t offered the children’s menu. I had anticipated this and brought his own food, bowl and cutlery. All I needed was some milk, which the crew point-blank refused to give me. Only after a long and stressful argument did they acquiesce. When we landed, I asked for assistance, but the crew said this could not be arranged.
With BA, we were met off the plane by someone with our buggy, our luggage was collected for us and we were helped through the airport procedure. With SAA, the buggy arrived after the luggage in a different part of the airport. I had to carry my son, then push the buggy and the trolley. Even if I hadn’t been seven months pregnant, it would have been almost impossible.
I vowed never to fly with the airline again.
Name and address supplied
South African Airways replies: “We are sorry to learn of this customer’s experience. Mothers often prefer the bulkhead for its extra space and freedom from the seat in front being reclined. It is possible to order a meal for a child under two, though this would need to be done in advance. There should be no problem in staff providing milk for infants. When a customer requires a pushchair, this is normally loaded last so that it can be available immediately on arrival.”
I have experienced a range of quality of service on both BA and SA. Not shocked by SA's response.
December 19, 2004
Directions: Readers’ rants
THIS YEAR, my two children and I flew to see family in South Africa with British Airways. It made me realise how bad my experience with South African Airways, the previous year, had been.
Back then, my son was 16 months old and I was seven months pregnant. We were buggied to the plane and helped at every stage of boarding, but as soon as we took off, we were treated disgracefully.
First, I had asked not to be allocated the bulkhead. Not only did we end up in these seats, the flight attendants refused to move us. Second, because my son was under two and we hadn’t paid for a seat for him, he wasn’t offered the children’s menu. I had anticipated this and brought his own food, bowl and cutlery. All I needed was some milk, which the crew point-blank refused to give me. Only after a long and stressful argument did they acquiesce. When we landed, I asked for assistance, but the crew said this could not be arranged.
With BA, we were met off the plane by someone with our buggy, our luggage was collected for us and we were helped through the airport procedure. With SAA, the buggy arrived after the luggage in a different part of the airport. I had to carry my son, then push the buggy and the trolley. Even if I hadn’t been seven months pregnant, it would have been almost impossible.
I vowed never to fly with the airline again.
Name and address supplied
South African Airways replies: “We are sorry to learn of this customer’s experience. Mothers often prefer the bulkhead for its extra space and freedom from the seat in front being reclined. It is possible to order a meal for a child under two, though this would need to be done in advance. There should be no problem in staff providing milk for infants. When a customer requires a pushchair, this is normally loaded last so that it can be available immediately on arrival.”
I have experienced a range of quality of service on both BA and SA. Not shocked by SA's response.