South African AirwaysReviews of flysaa.com

I tried to 'manage' my SAA booking 25 Feb 2025 nelspruit to Durban return . System wouldn't let me do it. I had taken out their Insurance. I cancelled this flight but was told no refund only a voucher. I had rebooked a flight for 1 week later expecting to get a refund. Totally useless. I live in Spain and have no use for my 'voucher' !!!

The Worst Airline Service in history. I missed a local flight due to weather conditions, and then they wanted to charge an extra $8,000 for my family and I to get home. Bought a cheaper flight with Qantas. Trying to get a refund which went nowhere then I tried to get a letter from them that I could send to the travel insurance company. This has been ongoing for over a week with several phone calls back to South Africa. The most incompetent people I ever dealt with. Never flying with them ever again.

Nov 2024 on connection from Joburg to Durban, agent refused to let me board saying my flight had been canceled (it wasn’t). They then claimed it was Kenyan Air’s fault/responsibility ((it wasn’t). I spent many hours at their customer service at airport until they closed. They refused to book me on another flight and I ended up having to sleep on the airport floor. The next day they apologized but that doesn’t cut it. I missed an entire day of my planned activities, had to pay extra for missed reservations, etc. and received no compensation from them. Travel agent trying to contact them was simply told matter was “under investigation.”

Worst customer service ever! After I got scammed because someone bought tickets with my credit card information I’ve been trying to contact the airline to cancel the payment. During 3 days I’ve been trying to solve it with the customer service staff via phone and email. I’ve talked to a bunch of people and everyone tells me something different. I did everything they told me to do but I still haven’t heard anything back. After 3 days sending several emails still no one has been replied. It’s not only that I have lost $956.10 usd but also wasted a lot of time and energy, and nobody can even tell me what to do or if they will set something in motion. How hard can it be to stop a payment that I never authorized and give me my money back? German Medina

I’ve booked through this airline and have had the most worst experience ever! I’ve typed in my correct surname after pressing proceed it automatically changed to my husbands surname. When I realised I called in to change it and the lady told me she can’t it’s too early I should call within 8 days prior to departure . When I did that the man told me sorry it’s too late can’t help. I’ve logged a complaint in which a lady said she will escalate the matter and we should call in an hour. When we called back it was not going through and nothing happened thereafter . I tried very hard to work out something I eventually went personally to the airport to find some sort of help in which I was turned down. They told me to either book a brand new flight (R16 000) or not go . I have a breastfeeding baby and needed to be on the same flight as her and my husband. It was our first vacation travelling together and had to experience such terrible service. I had no choice but to rebook a new flight. On departing back to South Africa they allowed me to check in online and not my husband and baby. No one is willing to help or assist and highly warm EVERYONE TO NEVER BOOK through this airline!

I have travelled extensively and went with many different airlines. My experience from Johannesburg to Perth which was supposed to depart on the 20/01/25 was a nightmare. The plane was supposed to depart at 8.30pm on the 20th of January but was first delayed to 1am on the 21st of January. We were then told that the plane would depart at 3.30am. We were at the airport until 6am and still no flight. After many waiting hours we were then put in a motel nearby. The flight was cancelled and were then all put on a flight for 3pm on the 21st of January. When I arrived at the airport there was no sms sent to my phone informing me of the first delay. They offered us water and fritos chips as a snack. What a disgrace. The food voucher was very little compared to the many hours we had to wait. Also, within all this time there was no aeroplane on the tarmac. Passengers were given a bunch of lies as to why the plane was so late. I would never suggest SAA as a choice. They lack reliability as well as efficiency. They basically kept the passages like hostages-more than 12 hours in the airport. Communication should only be via whatsup and not emails. Never again.

We had an appalling experience with SAA last year (17 December). We were traveling from OR Tambo to Cape Town, and we had booked our dog, Dobby, to travel in the hold with cargo. Upon landing in Cape Town at 19:00, we waited for over TWO HOURS for Dobby, repeatedly enquiring about his whereabouts. SAA staff gave us inconsistent and dismissive responses, such as, “He’s coming soon,” or suggesting that he may have been “taken to the cargo office by accident.” Despite our increasing distress, not one staff member could confirm his exact location, nor explain why a live animal would be separated and treated like mere luggage. We asked to be taken to the cargo office ourselves, only to be told that it was offsite and inaccessible to passengers. This only amplified our distress, as it made no sense that an animal would be transported somewhere owners could not immediately access. By 21:00, after more fruitless enquiries, SAA staff finally admitted that they suspected Dobby had either been left in Johannesburg or left onboard the aircraft. This admission, coming nearly two hours later, left me utterly beside myself. Dobby had been confined to a small travel cage since 14:00 - without food, water - for over 8 hours! The thought that he was missing, or worse, harmed, caused me unbearable emotional distress. At 21:15, we were informed that Dobby was still on the aircraft and had been flown back to Johannesburg. SAA staff admitted that the staff onboard the aircraft were not aware that there was a live animal on the flight, until right before landing. This is also extremely distressing to me because he could have been seriously harmed! We don't know if the temperature in the cargo hold was monitored and maintained within safe limits for a live animal, whether he was exposed to any hazardous substances, such as fuel fumes, chemicals, or loose equipment in the hold. We finally received an update at 22:17 confirming he had landed at OR Tambo and been collected by SAA staff. Since this was the last flight out, we were told he would be kept overnight and placed on the 06:15 flight back to Cape Town. I requested regular updates via WhatsApp about whether he had been fed, given water or was let out of his cage to relieve himself. I did not receive any communication about this! Furthermore when we arrived at the airport the next morning to fetch him, after assurances he would be on the first flight back to Cape Town, we found out his flight was cancelled! We were not communicated with regarding the cancellation of his flight, and the team had once again lost track of his whereabouts as they could not confirm whether he was put on the second flight to Cape Town or whether he was still at OR Tambo airport. Dobby eventually landed at 09:30 and was safely returned to us, but he had soiled himself in his cage, which indicates he was not cared for overnight, and had been left in his cage for more than 18 hours!! I took him to the vet immediately after, and they determined he was dehydrated! He was extremely traumatised for a very long time after this incident!!

NEVER NEVER FLY WITH South African Airways !! They tried to kick me of the PERTH-JOHANNESBURG flight. Two hours before the flight !! Even when I showed them my booking and payment !!! They were aware that I flew Brisbane to Perth, but did not care about this connection, or to leave me behind in Perth, in HIGH SEASON !!! They claimed that "they downsized on the flight" !!! And that I am the "unlucky one today". I discovered that they gave my seat to a NIGERIAN who had to get to Lagos, Nigeria, via Johannesburg !!! Only after I called the Australian Federal Police and Channel 9 Perth, they gave my seat back to me !! I then went public with my traumatic experience. I also pressed charges against them with the Star Alliance Headquarters. I also successfully ended their "Co-seat share coalition" with Qantas Airways. They then banned me from ever flying with SAA again !!! I keep on warning people TO NEVER EVER FLY WITH SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS.