Cape Town - “No wonder SAA has to be bailed out every year, it cannot even run its Voyager loyalty programme, never mind the actual airline.”
These were the words of pensioner Sue Hasner, following a debacle with the airline company.
An SAA Voyager loyalty programme member for more than two decades who flies twice a year, Hasner says for 21 days she was kept in the dark and could not get a response as to why her business class flight was downgraded to economy class without any reason.
When she landed in Munich on October 21, she was told her flight had been overbooked and she was downgraded. She said for more than 20 years that she had travelled with SAA, she has had endless problems, but the latest should be “used as a warning to all”.
“On arrival at the airport, I found I was on standby and downgraded from business class to economy, no warning e-mail or telephone call.”
The 63-year-old pensioner from Plettenberg Bay, who was travelling with her husband Jack, said soon after the incident, she laid a complaint to SAA demanding an explanation and compensation.
“Three weeks have passed and I still have not had the courtesy of a response to my several communications asking for my due compensation – just a deafening silence,” said an angry Hasner.
On Wednesday, SAA’s Customer Service Agent Rose Ramasehla said an email was sent to Hasner on November 6 “apologising for the inconvenience and offering her compensation for the downgrade”.
“We are not sure why Ms Hasner did not receive this e-mail, but hope that the below will help answer your questions and bring resolution to this query,” said Ramasehla.
The letter, directed to Hasner, read: “It is our aim to make our customer’s journey as seamless and comfortable as possible and I do regret, in view of the overbooking situation, you were downgraded from business class to economy class.”
Ramasehla said SAA had issued an internal directive to ensure overbooking figures are minimised “to alleviate denied boarding and reduce compensation offers”. “I wish to assure you, it is never our intention to wilfully inconvenience our valued customers.”
As part of the compensation, SAA has entitled Hasner to either two one-way international upgrade vouchers valid for a year and usable on SAA-operated flights.
“Alternatively, you are entitled to a reimbursement of the miles you redeemed for that flight, plus half the miles,” added Ramasehla.
Hasner hit back, saying she never received the e-mail from SAA. “I think they only made this reply because you contacted them.”
“It is just another sign of Voyager’s inefficiency. No mention is made of the fact that I paid double the price for an economy ticket so that I could upgrade it.
“You can’t upgrade the cheaper version, and also no mention is made of the fact that you pay more airport tax to travel business than economy, so where is the refund? So there’s no compensation offered here,” said Hasner.