South African AirwaysReviews of flysaa.com

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.

I booked a flight and paid for seat selection some months ago.Yesterday at the check in at O.Tambo 2 hrs before the flight, we were told we could not have our seats then we were told there were no seats for us as the plane was full. After some anxious minutes and some phone calls we eventually insisted we had to be back in Cape Town yesterday and were given our booked seats. We then saw a large number, at least 20, of SAA staff boarding, hostesses and flight crew. I am aware that airlines give staff free or very discounted seats when available but this was disgraceful. It was quite obvious that they tried to “bump” us to make space for their staff. I am very sorry for anyone that did miss the flight for this reason and I will avoid SAA in the future if at all possible.

I recently purchased a ticket on SAA. However, I needed to amend the ticket and I went to flysaa.com and changed my booking. I paid by scanning a QR code and got confirmation of payment online. However, when the confirmation email came, it displayed the existing flights. Neither the website nor the app displayed the new dates. I phoned the call center and they had zero records of the interaction. They had no idea that I changed and paid for the changes online. They put the burden of proof on ME to send THEM the amount and proof of payment. When that was not enough they demanded bank statements and eventually said I need to speak with my bank, but didn't specify what information they needed from my bank. There was literally NOTHING they COULD do or DID do. I told them they could speak to their IT department, get logs, they can speak to their bank and trace the transaction, they just said they can't. They must have a forensics/fraud department that should be able to trace online interactions. It left a very bitter taste in my mouth. A once reputable airline and Star Alliance partner fell from grace.

At first I was happy to deal with the reservations department as one cannot book a flight for a minor via the website or email communication for SAA flights. Doing all that was asked of me and getting confirmation from special handling about the travel arrangements I asked how I go about paying and was told to call reservations and ask them to send me a payment link, which they did. I paid the full amount as per the link. Later that same day I got a call to say they have to refund me as the airline who does the connecting flight won't confirm the flight. I couldn't be given an answer as to why but I did get this "I told you to wait for confirmation before you pay" . Well I did wait. As for the airline who apparently didn't want to confirm the connecting flight.... Well that same day I had a live chat asking if they had a direct flight to our preferred destination, booked the flight over the live chat, sent the needed documents via email and I could make a payment on their website. All this in less than 45 min. No long calls wasting airtime, no connecting flight it's and CHEAPER!!! As for the refund.... it took almost a week to try and get my money back because they can't see the "ticket" number their payment link generated. Well that seems like a SAA problem as I used their link to pay. Then they wanted bank statements reflecting the amount and the more I told them I can't get a statement yet, cause it's a child's account and we only gets statements every so often, but I have a proof of payment the less they wanted to listen nor understand. Then they wanted his bank card number.... Oh my word this was a struggle in its own.... Here i needed crayon to explain using the card number wont help cause I didn't use the card to pay. I used the payment link. Luckily I received a statement on Friday and I could send it through. Approval for the refund was given this morning but who knows how long that will take. But not being able to find the reference number they generated nor wanting to do a refund after sending them the proof of payment reflecting that reference ... doesn't sit right with me. I highly doubt that I will ever make use of their service again.