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Belaglik
05/11/2007 10:36
Ag nee man SAA! Dis is absoluut belaglik! Ek kan dit nie glo nie.Het julle geen trots nie? - Daniel |
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SAA losing Van Dyk's wheelchair
05/11/2007 10:39
Shame on you, SAA. Should you lose my wheelchair the next time I fly with you, I'll kick all of you's behinds!!! - Lindo |
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SAA ... What a joke !
05/11/2007 10:41
The article is just another reminder of why I will never fly SAA !.
I also refuse to pay for an air ticket twice ... once when I reserve the ticket, at the inflated SAA price, and again when I pay my taxes. The only reason SAA is still afloat is because of the injection from the government. Welcome to the new Zimbabwe Air :-) - Stu |
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SAA- Banana carrier
05/11/2007 10:43
Sorry Ernst, for your woes will ontinue till kingdom come with SAA, all airliners are prone to mishap, but OUR National carrier has taken this in their stride and much like our government officials, just shrug the shoulders, roll the eyes and laugh it off as Whatever!!
Seeing that Big- Man Charles can only turn a 900 million rand loss, what makes you think he cares about your inconvenience?
Expect the generic, " we apologise for any inconvenience " letter.
- cassuis |
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Lost
05/11/2007 10:48
Does the SAA stil exist, or is it only the top
structure that's left-spending the last few bucks
that's left!Wondering how they going to fly there
planes(the ones that's not grounded yet) with all
the pilots leaving for other airlines. - Nick |
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SAA Loses Van Dyks's wheelchair AGAIN
05/11/2007 10:48
This is disgusting!!! SAA robbed van Dyk not only from a 2nd time potential win but proves our country is a laughing stock everywhere. How on earth couldn't the airline not know about van Dyk's special wheelchair?????????? Was it blatant ignorance or spite????????? I think SAA should cough up van Dyks losses. IT IS AN ABSOLUTE SHAME!!! - Bets |
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Van Dyk
05/11/2007 10:48
SAA must compensate Van Dyk his losses of +/- R250 000 and offer him an annual sponsorship as a carrier...How shamefull of "national carrier". Their CEO flies chartered planes/helicopter - this must be extended to Van Dyk for a year - Bandile Mngoma |
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SAA service is pathetic
05/11/2007 10:48
How on earth are they part of the Star Allaince is a mystery to me.Ernst.....what has happened to you is disgusting...I truly believe SAA should compensate you for your loss.I travel a lot on SAA,my small contribution to will be hardly missed but I'll try use other carriers in future!!!! - Richard McIntyre |
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Disgraceful
05/11/2007 10:52
This is absolutely disgraceful, shameful. Lost baggage seems to have become the norm rather than the exception. My son lost his bags following a cycling stint in the UK. I returned to SA on a direct flight from Heathrow only to be told that my R7000 racing kayak had found it's way to Atlanta. SAA are simply pathetic, they must qualify as the world's worst national carrier. Sue the pants off them! - John Camp |
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Easy solution
05/11/2007 10:52
Umm, just don't fly SAA - problem sorted. - Loslyf |
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Tough Luck Ernst
05/11/2007 10:52
Ernst,
I know the feeling. Had numerous similar incidents on SAA, but never on BA. Hopefully somebody on BA is reading this. Maybe they can give you a sponsorship on BA for next year. That should at least help
As for Mr Khaya Ngqula, shame on you. It's time that goverment stop protecting SAA, and we as citizens get a decent service as we should !!! - Streaker |
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Disgusting service by SAA
05/11/2007 10:53
SAA service level is disgusting. On J'burg Mumbai sector, food uploaded is far less than the requirment. Result--many vegetarian passengers have to travel hungry. It has happened with my daughter and colleagues. Subsequent complainst lodged thry the travel agent have brought no reply from SAA. God save SAA. - vinod |
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SAA INCOMPETENTS
05/11/2007 10:55
Seems like the huge effort of the government to LOWER THE BAR in all aspects of life is having a masive impact on every person who works hard to be an achiever. Successful people/countries always strive to live up to higher ideals, but in South Africa and Africa the people in power have this idea that, by lowering standards, more people will be successful. "Stupid is as stupid does". - KARIN |
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Enst van Dyk's missing racing chair
05/11/2007 10:57
SAA's attitude to losing van Dyk's racing chair last time, and so probably this time too, convinces me to investigate other airlines for my regular air travel within SA and abroad. Arrogant attitudes breed disloyal customers. Watch out SAA - Ken Patrick |
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SAA
05/11/2007 10:58
It is my view that SAA should pay this young men at least halve of what he would have won at the marathon, this airline has showed that they can even loose your child if given the opportunity, what to say about your luggage. Van Dyk should claim for loss of price money and also compensation for the time he spend preparing himself for this big race, not to mension the trauma of losing an income of up to 50%. LET THEM PAY!! - dee |
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SAA - Seriously Awful Airline
05/11/2007 10:59
What can one say? I travel with SAA a fair bit, mainly out of convenience. I find their service to vary between adequate and awful. This incident shows how awful they can be, and their attitude towards Mr van Dyk is breathtakingly bad. Perhaps with this negative publicity and a public outcry, they might change their attitude. Fair compensation would be to award Mr van Dyk a personal sponsorship to cover his costs through 2008. - Johnno |
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Missing Wheelcair
05/11/2007 11:01
Why am i not surprised, bet the CEO still gets his Millions Bonus. If I was Ernst I would sue SAA for negligence, and then do what the Bokke do fly BA. - nick |
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Disabled SAA
05/11/2007 11:01
I obviously comiserate with Ernst, but have to ask...why did he fly with SAA again?? People who are silly enough to again use a service provider who has underperformed in the past deserve the experiences they get. - Dave |
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BA
05/11/2007 11:01
No wonder the Springboks are not using the national carrier. - .. |
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sue them
05/11/2007 11:03
the level of service we receive in this country is UNACCEPTABLE. Time to hit them in the back pocket. We need a pool of funds from public donations and all acts of poor service (even police service) should be dealt with through the courts. A few fines later and SAA/the government will soon come to the party. Why not an SAA boycott? Even better! - johnson |
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Down with SAA!
05/11/2007 11:03
It is time that people start 'voting' with their money and not support SAA.
Let's boycott this parasitic parastatal which must not be allowed to compete against private companies anyway using YOUR tax money. Look what you get for supporting SAA: lost and STOLEN luggage galore!
Proud not to support SAA (unless I really really have to). - xp |
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SAA blunder
05/11/2007 11:03
Ernst, get yourself a good lawyer and sue SAA for potential loss of income and they should also reimburse you for the airline tickets which came to nothing because of you not competing because of your wheel chair not being available due to there incompetence. SAA should seriously look at what went wrong here and come to the party. - LJA |
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bad service
05/11/2007 11:04
This is typical of south african service delivery. I hope Ernst learned from his second mistake: don't use SAA! It's government owned so what did he expect? I will never fly SAA again, I'll rather pay 10-50% more and be sure to get there safe with ALL my belongings. - bad service |
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Useless
05/11/2007 11:10
The only thing I can say is that this airline is PATHETIC. I was also told by a ground staff manager about my complaint, "I don't have to assist you as you are not a VIP, you don't deserve assistance". This was said directly to my face with half the airport as my witnesses. - Supporter |
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SAA's incompetence
05/11/2007 11:12
How do you expect them to hold on to a wheelchair if they cant hold on to a runway with an A340? I do feel very sorry for Ernst though. He is one hell of an athlete and does South Africa as proud as Jake, John and the Boks did at RWC. It's an absolute disgrace that one of our best sportsmen should be treated like this. he should sue them for loss of income. - Wouter |
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SAA BAD!
05/11/2007 11:13
What a waste of time and energy on your behalf, Van Dyk! You should instate a legal claim against them for this. And on top of that, they (the ass-hole CEO) have the audacity to say that them loosing your wheelchair is no different than them loosing a suitcase. Just comes to show how bad service levels in SA really is! I say we should all boycott SAA by NOT buying any of their tickets and using ANY other alternative, until they catch a wake up. - Hannes Gouws |
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Lost Wheelchair
05/11/2007 11:14
I am absolutely appalled at this negligence. And of course trying to recoup financial losses due to this total lack of service is a waste of time - nothing would come of it. I know of so many executives who, when travelling, actually stipulate that they want any airline EXCEPT SAA. I wonder why??????? - Dee |
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Sport Sponsors
05/11/2007 11:15
Whenever the issue of sponsorship for sportsmen and women arises, people often question why it is that airlines such as BA end up being the official air travel sponsors of teams such as the Springboks. Thank heavens that they (BA)were! If that crowd at SAA cannot handle the logistics of ONE wheelchair, how would they fare with the baggage of the Springbok squad?! To be fair, though, isn't this actually the fault of the baggage handling company at OTA? - Jan |
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As usual....
05/11/2007 11:15
Don't let this one die a slow death. Make a scene of it otherwise nothing will happen. Plse - Tnt |
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SAA should be sued
05/11/2007 11:16
The only way Ernst is going to get SAA to sit up and take notice is to sue them. He has proper grounds to sue them for loss of earnings! And I hope he does. - Greg |
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Wheelchair fiasco
05/11/2007 11:17
Oh my word - lightning certainly strikes twice. Lets hope that SAA's bad attitude does not strike twice - the least they can do is do right by this man by compensating him with the full prize money had he won the New York marathon. This is shocking service for an International Airline and you now need to prove to your fellow South Africans that you do care about your clients! - Helen Harley |
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Hold a collection
05/11/2007 11:17
Perhaps the public could hold a collection to raise funds that you can use to legally force SAA to compensate you. When you're disabled, your wheelchair is your means of getting around and working, so surely there is a valid legal argument for you? I'm so sorry this happened, I can't imagine how angry you must feel. I hope this gets lots of publicity (which might embarrass them into compensating you) - Saffa |
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Should we expect anything else?
05/11/2007 11:18
My sincere condolences to Ernst van Dyk. I cannot even begin to imagine the disappointment he must be feeling. As for SAA, I'm afraid this is what we have grown to expect from them. Their "service" is consistently bad and their arrogance takes your breath away. I haven't flown with them on principle since 1999, after a disastrous flight from London. Even back then they were unapologetic and rude. Rather use BA or Virgin, they actually understand what client service is. - Francois Engelbrecht |
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enrst's chair
05/11/2007 11:21
i really feel for you ernst , i flew saa once to australia and believe me it was a horrible experience and to make matters worse , this was the first time i ever flew . i swore never to fly them again but some years later i had no other option and true as hell , nothing's changed in ten years , try my fav. airliner virgin , branson's boys know how to give a service , SAA you suck , your an embarrasment to the country ! J - jaco smith |
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Wheelchair
05/11/2007 11:23
There has been so many complaints against our national carrier that this one does not suprise me at all.They want to save money by getting rid of pilots - who's going to fly the planes for them to make money! Please can someone invest in a mamparra of the year trophy and hand it over to SAA. Teams coming to SA for the 2010 WC best leave at least a month before the time to make sure they get here in time with all their luggage!! - ccc |
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Disgusting
05/11/2007 11:26
This is just another example of the disgusting service we South Africans are just expected to accept! I am truly sick of this attitude among most South Africans that an average to very poor sevice is okay - I suppose somebody will blame apartheid for the fact that the wheelchair wasn't delivered on time! - cj |
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come on SAA
05/11/2007 11:28
give the guy a break. You guys stuffed up, now have the balls to make it right. R250k is a drop in the ocean compared to what the boss is earning! - Dread69 |
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I will never?
05/11/2007 11:30
?use SAA again. I'm currently booking flights to France and will insist that my agent does not go through SAA. Their apathy towards Van Dyk and the cost of THEIR blunders to HIS livelihood is disgusting. I feel strongly about this and will no longer book any of my company's business trips on SAA or Mango. - Barry |
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Fly SAA to NY
05/11/2007 11:30
Surely there are other carriers going the same route? - Stefan |
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Disgust
05/11/2007 11:31
I think it is disgusting that SAA is handling this situation so pathetically. This man is one of our top athletes, and had a very difficult year with sponsors. And not being able to compete because of the incompetence of our national carrier is beyond belief and utterly disgusting. I will make a note NEVER to book SAA again (for myself and for my company. I have already vowed never to use Mango, as this airline was clearly created (out of tax payers money) to strongarm the competition. - Anti SAA |
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Van Dyk's wheelchair
05/11/2007 11:32
I feel sorry for you. No matter what the SAA can do will not replace what you wanted to achieve during that race. As long as it is not for the first time and you reveived nothing from SAA expect nothing from them too. What I can tell you my brother is that God has a purpose for you and keep on praying so that this things will not happen again in your life or to somebody who is like you. Take care and keep well because God loves you. - Mike-Dollar |
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Careless A's
05/11/2007 11:36
What next? How bad does it have to be!! Will it take a few passengers to go missing before SAA/ACSA get their house into shape?? - Deeply Dissapointed |
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Sympathies
05/11/2007 11:38
Incredible. Simply incredible. South Africa ... HOW ARE WE GOING TO PULL OFF A SUCCESSFUL 2010 event? We are a 3rd world country trying to make a pretence of being 1st world! A racing wheelchair is neither small enough to 'lose', nor can it be easily confused with the ACSA standard equipment items used to ferry passengers on/off airliners.
SAA ... come on ... deflecting blame or offering insulting discounts to passengers is unacceptable. - Hieronymous Maximus |
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BA?
05/11/2007 11:38
Dunno about anybody else but if that happened to me once I'd surely change airlines from that point onwards?
BA? - Johno |
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SAA Frustrations
05/11/2007 11:38
Van Dyk, after having this experience on SAA MANY times, let me assure you that you will never receive a response from them. Especially after their cut-backs. I would recommend you change airlines to something like BA. And publicise the hell out it, aka Springboks style. Changing airlines has been the best thing I ever did. - Frustrated, but changed airlines |
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What a joke
05/11/2007 11:39
My condolences goes with Ernest,
All government managed organisiations including Eskom is stopping our economy to grow at full pace. This creates a chain effect: 1) Fewer jobs are created 2) Poverty takes longer to erode 3) Individuals suffer personally like Ernst.
Wake up government employees (90%) and start taking pride in the work you do! - TIA |
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Let change this!!
05/11/2007 11:39
Up front, I don't know Ernst personally, but think it is time for action. This is therefore an appeal to all the lawyers out there to take on SAA and sue them for lost earnings! SAA are pathetic and need to be punished for their incompetence!! Just read their annual report and check out the bonuses paid to execs!! - Fuzz |
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The Law?
05/11/2007 11:39
Ok so I suppose the next step would be to sew them for loss of income? I cannot understand why you did not sew them the first time. This is SAA remember, you will not get a voluntary apology or anything further out of them. It?s time for us to stand up against the ?big guns? and show them we are simply not willing to let them walk over us anymore. - Pixi |
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Re Van Dyk's lost wheel-chair
05/11/2007 11:42
This is a sad incident indeed.I wish Khaya to intervene and refund him all the monies due to him. Why is this happening for the second time? It therefore means that one does as he or she pleases here hence some ppl dont even bother to complain. The CEO is just naive and ignorant of reality.Can u imagine all the efforts and preparations done by this poor gentleman and at the end he cant compete because of SAAs inefficient services? For how long will ppl be subjected to these ugly situations? - Amandla |
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BA
05/11/2007 11:48
Should have flown with British Airways, even the springbok team flys with them! - ofcorsa |
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Pathetic... And "proudly" South Afican
05/11/2007 11:48
I've had similar experiences with SAA. The last of which, let my stranded at Durban Airport for 18 hours. All I have to say is, thank you SAA.
No wonder your organisation is going, rapidly I might add, down the toilet! - Dimus |
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Ernsts Wheelchair
05/11/2007 11:50
I will not travel SAA again. I have always been a vehement supporter of SAA, personally viewing it as being patriotic...but no more. They're a third rate airline, who will lose more and more passengers. Africa shines through again. Pay Ernst the money you lost on his behalf, you incompetants. - Wayne Rittmann |
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Petition
05/11/2007 11:57
This is a disgrace - c'mon News24 start a petition to compel SAA to compensate one of our finest athletes! - John |
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saa - looks like they need to sponsor to save face
05/11/2007 11:59
hey SAA bosses... with the nice bonusses! why not now sponsor to make amends on what YOUR airline messed up?!? it is high time that those who mess things up also cough up and make things right! - djinni |
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30% staff cuts
05/11/2007 12:00
SAA are on a major staff retrenchment drive to cut 30% of their staff in order to reduce operating costs. At this rate they are losing 30% of their passengers as well. Shame on you SAA, you incompetent bunch of idiots. You can't even fly the Springboks as the national carrier, now you can't even fly a wheelchair. I feel for Ernst. - Sifiso |
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The cost of being Proudly SA
05/11/2007 12:05
I feel sorry for the fact that company like SAA do not even offer sponsorship to van Dyk after a mistake that impacts on a persons life in terms of income. That and the fact that when the Olympics come and van Dyk achieves top honours SAA will probably have an advertisement stating something like "We made it possible for SA's best..." Come on do something before another SA athlete competes in another country's colours! - Mike |
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Shame on SAA!
05/11/2007 12:16
Good grief! No wonder the Springboks use British Airways! I certainly won't be flying SAA any time in the near future! - Dee |
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SAA does it again
05/11/2007 12:17
It?s an absolute disgrace on how SAA is being run, and the results are proven in their financial results.
They?ll never know how much effort is actually put into training for an event like this, and simply pass this off as ?another? clients luggage gone missing. (which happens so often that its just the norm)
I would love to give constructive criticism, but I think its past that, its probably best that another airline buy SAA out, and run it like a successful business instead of the Political Circus of ill discipline it is now.
The problems lie deeper than just SAA, ACSA is part of the root cause as well with all the same futile elements rotting from the top down.
If Mr Ernst van Dyk decides to fly SAA again, then he must take his wheelchair on as hand luggage, failing that, choosing another airline might be the best option.
Mr van Dyk is wise not to take them on in his own capacity, I just wish a hotshot lawyer could cross paths with this story and take them head-on, because they should have to take responsibility for their actions, unlike Mr Van Dyke, SAA just calls on more funding which comes out of hard earned tax payers? money.
- RG |
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Simple
05/11/2007 12:20
Don't fly SAA! - Gazza |
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DISGUSTING!
05/11/2007 12:32
Terrible! and Disgusting! of SAA! Sadly typical too! They should be forced to pay out a section of his annual winnings. They probably overbooked like usual and the Pilot sat on it. - cpt-man |
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Ernst compensation
05/11/2007 13:03
SAA should at least pay Ernst a percentage of the prize money to make up for their blunder! - unbelievable |
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.................... and 2010 is looming
05/11/2007 13:03
What a joke!! We travelled to Victoria Falls on holiday and was told our luggage go directly to Vic Falls. Just to arrive there and my suitcase went missing. My fellow mates received their suitcases and I had to go 5 days with only the clothes I was wearing. No appology, no compensation, nothing. When I eventually received my case it was with half the content missing! Pathetic! Wonder why we're called a 3rd world country? - Ditto |
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What, Cant afford to take responsibility?
05/11/2007 13:18
Your airline company is pinchin every penny it makes, you dont want to hire the proper people at the proper rates to actually MAKE SURE that the luggage is handled properly, and now that YOUR mistake has cost a working man a whole boat load of money, You think its okay to offer a discount and call it good? Who raised you? How do you sleep at night? Why don't you use what little is left of your soul and realize what you are doing which is contributing to the Greed of big business. - Valerie Cartwright |
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Eyes on the balls
05/11/2007 13:32
Hi cpt-man, it's not the pilots who are at fault ... it's a mix of apathy and arrogance at SAA and at ACSA ...
All I can say is that I use other airlines after many unsatisfactory experiences with SAA. And with ACSA - but those are a whole other discussion!
- Hieronymous Maximus |
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Ernst compensation
05/11/2007 13:38
SAA didn't invent INCOMPETENCE ... they perfected it.
- Malcolm |
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Learn from the Springboks . . .
05/11/2007 13:41
. . . and fly British Airways instead. SAA are the crappiest airline at our disposal! They are perfectly happy using BA instead of SAA. It should tell us all something when our National Team pull their noses up at the National Carrier. - Stephen Gold |
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Pathetic
05/11/2007 13:43
Sure that crappy national carrier into next week..
I'm tired of the customer service we are receiving in SA.. My dad's lawyers are busy putting together a case for me.. I'm going to sue Ford SA into next year for big money.. All down to customer service again.. - Gregg |
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Embarrasing
05/11/2007 13:51
This airlines run by the same clowns who run our crime fighting and home affairs departments so im not surprised by very very sad and embarrassed. - billy booker |
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SAA customer care e-mail address
05/11/2007 14:41
I suggest that everyone should write to customercare@flysaa.com to complain, and to demand a response from SAA (as I have). - Johnno |
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Poor show SAA
05/11/2007 14:46
Having run the NY marathon a couple of years ago - I was glued to the tv yesterday...to see the Aussie leading the wheelchair race and wondering how Ernst was faring....and only to see now that he wasn't in the race because of this....shocking to say the least..he's got to get some sort of compensation - SLC |
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