johan rebel

"SAA is paying Bagport South Africa R30 a bag. The figures are based on correspondence between SAA and Bagport. An internal email also suggested SAA has been charging R60 for domestic passengers and R100 for international passengers.

Kalawe disputed these figures. “If you go directly to the company that provides these services, they charge you R60 per bag. In our case, we charge R50 per passenger,” Kalawe said.

According to [SAA spokesman] Tlali it is not mandatory for passengers to have their baggage wrapped. “In the same way that passengers can decline meals offered on board, they can decline the wrapping service,” he said. The airline has come under criticism for introducing the mandatory service. "

So not availing yourself of a mandatory service that's not mandatory is the same as declining a meal?

Why am I not surprised at any of this?

Source

Johan

SAWorldVoyager

I never know why the dont just use these:

http://www.have2have.co.za/product/B...e-Prot/116845/

It adds protection and full easy to use insurance

I have been using for years no problem. A travelling colleague had a bag delayed with one of these on and payout was 'near as' to instant.

I wont send my bags on without these anymore. At R50 a bag for wrap and insurance it is no brainer.

Cheetah_SA

There are just so many things wrong with the approach of ACSA and SAA to this issue that one scarcely knows where to start responding...

worldtraveller73

My concerns headed to CPT or other points in Africa are usually that its' not as easy to get the bag wrapped inbound to Africa.

TSA in the USA are not on board with wrapping. They'll arbritrarily cut the bags open despite wrap.

No wrapping available between customs and the transfer desk in JNB, meaning you have to head upstairs to get the bag wrapped prior to your next destination.

Outbound isn't really an issue with lots points of sale at check in.

Cheetah_SA

I may be wrong but domestic connections are less targeted than international. Perhaps the thieves prefer their victims to be many hours and thousands of miles away before they report the theft.

SAWorldVoyager's suggestion would cover many inbound situations - including using the transfer desk at ORT - but not the TSA, sadly. I like the idea of not having to queue for wrapping and also having insurance thrown in for the same price as wrapping! Might give this a whirl.

thijsseh

In my experience, the pilfering takes place when the bag 'spends some time in the system' (I guess this is obvious).
Incoming to JNB I have never (yet) had a problem. Departing when you check in early: BIG problem (also domestic!). Transferring with some time to spare: also BIG problem.

To make wrapping compulsory is too sad an approach for words. They admit that they have no control and won't get control either.

Having said that, I now wrap as a rule apart from arriving in JNB (and not transferring). Africa.... sigh.

jsnydcsa

I always thought of the wrapping as an invitation to theft. They think something is valuable in there so they target the bag.

That's a LOT of bags they need to wrap - where are they going to put all those machines/folks to implement all this? Am I going to have to stand there and wait while they do this for all these passengers?

Cheetah_SA

My take on wrapping is:

• It's another hassle for the thief to overcome and if there is any supervision at all (I know, hardly seems likely!) that's a bundle of stuff to hide.
• At least when I collect my bag I know immediately if it's been tampered with - not when I get to my hotel and unpack - so can report it whilst still at the airport.

jsnydcsa

I definitely understand on both points (esp. #2). And, I have frequent SA travel friends/family who swear by the logic of #1.

But, I do look at my bags at bag claim (though admittedly, I'm harried and not paying criminal forensic-close attention) including the locks (if they're gone, I check, and look for the obligatory "TSA Searched" note).

That said, I am VERY diligent about not packing anything valuable in my bags. Unless they stole the whole bag, the most they'd get is a fancy pair of shoes (maybe $300) or an OK suit (lower end 'Brothers or JosBank). Absolutely NOTHING electronic, jewelry, etc. goes in my bags. I carry it on or don't bring it.

I have another "trick" when packing my bag (that's hardly a state secret) but I just try and make it a little harder for someone quickly opening the bag or reaching in / rummaging through a slit-open zipper to find/feel anything and grab it.

Cheetah_SA

The one time it happened to me there was no sign of the bag having been tampered with - they had done the zip forcing and re-closure trick. So only when I unpacked the bag did I notice that it had been gone through. I believe the main motivation was a bag of camera/phone/computer cables, battery chargers etc. which probably looked interesting on the x-ray. They also opened my travel first aid kit.

A contributory factor may well have been first class tags! They weren't to know that nothing in my bags is ever really valuable. Even so, some things could be very inconvenient to lose while travelling. Plus it seriously freaked me out that someone could have put something into my bag.

johan rebel

"Despite the controversy surrounding SAA’s baggage wrapping service, the national carrier has announced it will soon start implementing baggage wrapping as a permanent feature. During the trial period, the baggage wrapping service sparked outrage when it transpired that SAA was charging passengers between R50 and R100 for baggage wrapping before the service was implemented.

The baggage wrapping service was among the four allegations for which SAA Acting Chairperson, Dudu Myeni, recently asked the Auditor General to investigate SAA CEO Monwabisi Kalawe. In a confidential report she mentioned Monwabisi was “defrauding customers by charging them for a baggage-wrapping service they did not receive, fuel procurement irregularities and his refusal to sign a performance agreement”.

Tlali remained tightlipped about the details and cost of the service. He told Tourism Update: “We will make announcement and provide the details of how the new permanent feature will be administered. This will happen once the supply chain process has been finalised and a service provider been identified. The attendant costs will be based on an equitable model whose details will be announced in due course.”"

Source

Johan

worldtraveller73

Depending on how SAA communicates this - it can be considered a Value ADD for their customers.

The only losers here are the airport independent wrapping facilities (unless they are solely contracted).

I'd appreciate this and wouldn't think negatively of this experience requirement.

nsx

A family member is traveling ADD-JNB on ET connecting to JNB-CPT 7 hours later on a UA award ticket.

Would it be wise to check the bag only to JNB and have it wrapped there before re-checking to CPT?

There are earlier flights JNB-CPT on SAA but UA award seats were not available. Will SAA accommodate a request to travel on an earlier flight if seats are available?

jsnydcsa

Since they'll be on an inbound international flight they'll have to claim their luggage at JNB, clear SA Customs, then proceed to re-check the bags onward to CPT. Only upon re-checking for the JNB-CPT flight will the bag return to the innards of JNB.

There is no bag wrapping service (at least that I recently saw) in the international re-check area. Unless this mandatory bag-wrapping situation has changed things, you would have to exit into the international terminal, find a bag wrapping location, get the bag wrapped and return to the domestic check in desks (they will not let you back into the international re-check area) with your bag to check in yourself and your bag.


Quite possibly.

I'd try this first:
Even though the ticket was initially booked with UA, your family member may want to contact SAA directly before the flight to try and get put on a different JNB-CPT flight. Though your family member is dealing with SAA in ADD and JNB, when I've booked SAA award tickets from the United States to JNB and onward to CPT or DUR using US carriers (Delta long ago, and US Air more recently), the SAA staff (in SAA's Florida call centre) have been able to re-jigger my JNB-CPT/DUR onward flight.

At least according to the couple of agents at SAA in Florida that I've dealt with on the issue, the US carrier's agents can't "see" as much availability as SAA can see about their own SAA flights. Since SAA can see more, they can presumably do more, in my experience.

If that doesn't work:
With a kind word and good attitude and maybe a reason ("coming all this way to see my long lost niece's cousin's nephew's long lost dog-sitter"), I've been loaded onto an earlier flight by the international re-check staff with checked luggage.

If your family member is really concerned about the bag and can't get on an earlier flight. They could just leave international arrivals and pass up the re-check desk. Hold onto the bag for the approx. 7 hours - between leaving international arrivals area and the time for check-in for their domestic JNB-CPT flight - while waiting somewhere in the terminal, then proceed over to domestic departures, check in for his/her JNB-CPT flight and check their bag at that time.

Cheetah_SA

But there is a bag wrapping facility at the regular domestic check-in. If one takes the first set of escalators (on the left when facing the street exit) as one exits the international area (and past the re-check area) up two floors, you end up in the domestic check-in area right next to where the bag wrapping facility operates.