SAA IROPS - chasing pax through terminal
 

Unfortunately, I was on SA 234 which got cancelled due to technical reasons. Unfortunate, but can happen - and better safe ...

However, SA then chased me down to Transfer Desk, then up again to departures, then down again to Transfer Desk, the to a hotel shuttle which was a 9 seater for 200+ pax ... Now I'm slightly handicapped and walking is painful for me - which is obviously not SA's fault, but is clearly visible to everybody - except SA staff.

Also: No information on rebooking of connecting flights on same tickets. Quote: Sorry, our system is offline tonight. Unquote. I beg you pardon ...:(

Part II: distasterous experience with SAA
 

Just to keep you updated: It only got worse on Saturday.

1. SAA made all pax coming to the airport at 0500 am - however first SAA staff only turned up at 0600am ...
2. SAA did NOT rebook ANY passenger onto the reinstated flight on Saturday, 0730 am. Let alone they rebooked any onward connections.
3. Actually, about 0630am, they only found out that the reinstated flight had not been created in their system. So they first had to create the reinstated flight, rebook all pax on to this, open it for check-in. This brought us to 0900am and I was lucky enought to be one of the first pax being checked in for the 0730am flight ...
4. As check-in took some time, the flight was only boarding at 1030am. However, headcount was not correct with a huge difference of 18 pax. Yes, there were two late pax - but the rest of the discrepancy was on the system side. This brought us to 1145am.
5. By that time cabin crew had timed out and needed replacement. Done by 1 pm. Fortunately, they served a snack while sitting on the ground - first food and drink offered since Friday night.
6. Now also flight deck crew timed out. Done by 0230 pm and we took off, and landed in LHR around 1030pm.
7. In LHR at least hotel accomodation was booked and ready. However, onward connections were still not rebooked. I had to rebook myself, although my onward connection is on same (SA)ticket. By that time most Sunday flights were obviously fully booked, so I'll only get to ZRH by Sunday evening.

The management by SAA is just disasterous - using the words of the incoming Captian.

(To be continued).

I have flown over 2 million miles on Star Alliance alone and have encountered irregular ops. However, the WORST experience was on SAA with absolutely no help from staff. Foreigners were not offered a hotel for the night, only South Africans. We slept on the floor with a 19 hour delay. I will not go through the whole horrible experience but I lost ALL respect for SAA. They are the worst airline I have ever flown when problems arise. The flight was JNB-MUC. When asked about following the required rules for irregular ops, their response was
" We are African and we do it the way we want to, not the EU." HORRENDOUS AIRLINE

What was the response of the customer relations department to your complaint? On the rare occassion I've contacted them, any issue has been satisfactorily resolved. You also have the advantage of the best SAA customer relations department in the SAA network, based in Fort Lauderdale. I'm sure they would be more than happy to investigate your complaint, as they did for another unhappy poster recently.

Well when they are flying to the EU they have no option but to comply with EU regulations - whether they like it or not. I suggest you follow up and receive the compensation to which you are entitled.

Response from Customer Service: Zilch, nothing, "stop writing we will not give you any compensation, WE ARE AFRICA NOT THE EU". the ticket was purchased in Germany through LH so should have been subject to the EU rules, but not as far as SAA was concerned. They then lost my luggage for five days. I ONLY got that back because UNITED stepped in and followed up, and I was NOT on a UNITED ticket or reservation, I was 1 K with UA and Star Gold. I only happened to mention it to a UA res agent and they took it on for me. I have been traveling to South Africa for 14 years and have lived there for 4 1/2 years, but avoid African airlines since they go by their own rules.

Sounds like Air France at CDG:eek:

I originally was booked on this flight to London and then on to IAH on continental. When the Air Botswana part was booked by my nephew a month or so earlier and I saw the arrival time, I realized there wasnt enough time to connect.So I changed it to SA236 which was an hour and half later. Cost 500 dollars. 236 left reasonably on time and we ended up back in Houston right on time. That was the best 500 I have ever spent.