Durban - Six hundred and forty disgruntled travellers who had scored the bargain of a lifetime - to fly SAA business class from Joburg to Abu Dhabi return for only R899 - have to put their luggage away because the airline says the hot deal was a big mistake.
It was only after SAA had sold the 640 tickets that its management realised there was no way the company could carry passengers at such a price.
SAA spokesman Tlali Tlali confirmed that the company had made an error. A business-class fare (return) cost R30 474.72 on special and the normal price was more than that. Tlali said the error only affected web-based bookings on the route from Joburg to Abu Dhabi.
“The error led to SAA publishing an incorrect fare on its web page. The published fare in question was about R899 for a round trip on the Johannesburg-Abu Dhabi sector in business class,” he said.
Tlali said the error was rectified as soon as SAA became aware of it “and this means all tickets sold at that incorrect published fare are invalid”.
Durban executive Yusuf Tayob had counted himself lucky when SAA confirmed this “bargain of a lifetime”.
He had booked tickets for himself and his wife for a trip in April and again in May, but was bitterly disappointed when he found out that the special price was a mistake.
Tayob said his colleague told him about the special on Friday.
He went online to check and, still not quite believing it, he booked two tickets.
“Immediately, I received a confirmation from SAA and I got a message on my cellphone that the money had been taken off my account. Not too long after that we were mailed e-tickets,” he said.
On Friday evening he phoned SAA and the woman who answered laughed and told him there was no way he would be able to fly.
Tayob phoned again on Saturday to notify the airline that his meals would be halaal.
“On Monday they sent a cancellation. I called a couple of people I knew who had booked, including my son (in April) and his family in Cape Town, and we were all disappointed,” he said. “I know of instances of airlines making mistakes, but if you were to get a business-class ticket at such a price whether it is a single trip or return, you would go mad (with excitement).”
Tlali said SAA had made contact with the customers affected to apologise for the inconvenience.
“They will be refunded as soon as possible,” he said.
The Mercury