This is a rant.
Now, being the somewhat eternally optimistic, fluffy bunny that I am, I’m loath to use the word ‘hate’. But in the context of our national airline, I find it a deeply appropriate, if somewhat ineffectual description of my rather voracious feelings. I really fucking hate SAA.
It’s been a while coming, but last week capped it. Pushed me over the edge. Four flights last week. All delayed. One diverted. And one completely unexpected night in Johannesburg. And all the way through? Disinterested, morose, fucking useless staff who appear to have chosen frontal lobotomies over a work ethic.
I don’t require much by way of service. I’m happy with a smile and evidence of interest. Feigned, if necessary. But there nonetheless. When I’m stuck in OR Tambo International, 5 hours late through the fault of the airline, without a flight to my final destination and nowhere to sleep, I expect a modicum of assistance. A sympathetic smile and an offer of an alternative sleeping arrangement. Not a blank face and a monotone ‘we don’t compensate for weather.’ Repeated. Ad infinitum to my increasingly panicked questions about where I might lay my rather pounding head for the night. ‘We don’t compensate for weather.’
Finally, after an hour of arguing, to’ing and fro’ing from one counter to another, I insisted on seeing a supervisor, in my last resort full bitch mode. Unsurprisingly, a room and transport was found in 30seconds flat. Fekkin’ ejits. The cynic in me wonders if the minions are instructed to be unhelpful to save this useless airline money. Or if they really are this fekkin’ clueless?
The trip home was no better. Hours of wasted time and ulcer inducing frustration.
I hate them. I really fucking hate them.
P.S. this is just the start of the vocalization of my airline carrier rage, SAA-and I doubt I’m the only one.
La Dolce Vita 
I share your frustration with SAA. There is always some glitch when I fly and if they don’t loose my luggage then they cancel me of one leg of my flight or worse still once cancelled flight altogether and insist that I had called in and did it?!!!! They can never quite explain why I have valid ticket that has not been refunded though, the stupid buggers.
Calling SAA staff idiots would be giving them a complement!
I am at the end of my tether… And I’m supposed to be one of their “preferred” customers. I just can’t handle the indifference. It makes me want to slap people. Really. Blank, sneery faces deserve a big fekkin’ klap.
It’s not hard to be a good customer service person. I waitressed for fek’s sake. For years. I know how appalling customers can be. But they are essentially not difficult to handle if you just pay attention to them or work out how to deal with them. A tiny, weeny bit! I’ve had shouters and whingers and demanders and smarmers. I even had Trevor Quirk’s slimy, disgusting old hand up my flippin’ skirt once, and I still managed to deal with him in a polite “fuck off you moron” kind of way.
But I digress.
SAA sucks piles.
but they aren’t the only people who give you stupid blank stares. It really grates me, the other day I had a huge fight buying take-aways. The Lady behind the Kitchen counter gave me this horrible look and said ‘What u want, Huh?’, I shouted at her and said ‘a fucking smile please’, damn they make you feel guilty for buying thier food.
They used to be a really good airline, but the last few times I’ve flown SAA have been fairly dismal.
Broken headphones, crap food, rude cabin staff and a general feeling of despondency amongst the staff – they really don’t seem to like their jobs much.
I flew Virgin last time and although there were some things I wasn’t keen on – such as no bottled water – the staff were friendly and efficient, which makes all the difference in the world.
Lets face it, commercial airlines are a rubbish place to spend even 30 minutes, let alone countless hours, SAA seem to have found the knack to make it even less enjoyable.
The amount of money you get paid to fly “cattle class” would seem to deserve at least a modicum of service.
The worst thing about flying these days, is that under no circumstances can you even get slightly annoyed with the crew, or they’ll have you in a straight jacket before you can say “koffie moffie”
Must be all the nose candy that makes them so edgy …
[…] In other awesome news, Justin Hartman has started a site called SAA SUCKS, which it does. I posted a story immediately. This one. […]
[…] like to submit your own SAA horror story then visit this page.This story was originally posted here on my blog in November 2006…it is still the mantra of my […]