SAFAIR - great service

[HJK 414]

Safair service is generally quite acceptable, that’s partly why I frequently use them. I have, however, only had one incident where I found their (lack of) response to be telling.

On the said flight, an ENORMOUS woman & her large husband booked seats D&F, hoping E would be empty. It wasn’t! As a result of her occupation of a great portion of my seat, my right hand buttock didn’t make contact with my seat cushion. This caused me to pinch my sciatic nerve.

The physio cost me R800. If the woman had paid to keep the seat open, she would have paid R750. Safair didn’t give a <<moderated - language>> and did not reply to my emails. When you book a seat, you expect to have full access to it. When things go wrong, you’d expect a reply at minimum.

Looking forward to Lift operating to George in the future. I’ve had exceptional service on their JNB-CPT flights. .

34south,

Is this not also due to your own behaviour ?
You could have asked the cabin crew to facilitate your right to a full seat ......

I did - on a red-eye flight from Perth to Brisbane (QF)
Had an E- seat (in exit row) and was confronted with a HUUUUUGE fellow in F (window) and a "normal" guy in D (aisle)
There was not enough space to even sit down properly - armrest would have to be up and he would still have half my seat.
I simply asked cabin crew whether they could facilitate me having the seat I paid for - with armrests in place.
No other seat available - flight full.
End of story - HUUUUGE fellow was ultimately explained he should have bought a second seat and was disembarked .

So - perhaps being a tad more pro-active on your part would have sorted it ?

JK

[34south]

Safair service is generally quite acceptable, that’s partly why I frequently use them. I have, however, only had one incident where I found their (lack of) response to be telling.

On the said flight, an ENORMOUS woman & her large husband booked seats D&F, hoping E would be empty. It wasn’t! As a result of her occupation of a great portion of my seat, my right hand buttock didn’t make contact with my seat cushion. This caused me to pinch my sciatic nerve.

The physio cost me R800. If the woman had paid to keep the seat open, she would have paid R750. Safair didn’t give a <<moderated - language>> and did not reply to my emails. When you book a seat, you expect to have full access to it. When things go wrong, you’d expect a reply at minimum.

Looking forward to Lift operating to George in the future. I’ve had exceptional service on their JNB-CPT flights. .

34south,

Is this not also due to your own behaviour ?
You could have asked the cabin crew to facilitate your right to a full seat ......

I did - on a red-eye flight from Perth to Brisbane (QF)
Had an E- seat (in exit row) and was confronted with a HUUUUUGE fellow in F (window) and a "normal" guy in D (aisle)
There was not enough space to even sit down properly - armrest would have to be up and he would still have half my seat.
I simply asked cabin crew whether they could facilitate me having the seat I paid for - with armrests in place.
No other seat available - flight full.
End of story - HUUUUGE fellow was ultimately explained he should have bought a second seat and was disembarked .

So - perhaps being a tad more pro-active on your part would have sorted it ?

JK

JK, it was a full flight. I sat in the back galley jumpseat for the cruise and landing, but only after the nerve had pinched (about top of climb). So much for having a ‘suck it up’ attitude….

If an airline is not going to tackle a sensitive matter like making people pay for excessive adipose, they should at least acknowledge the injury it lead to.

[Whirly]

I did not have a great flight with Safair this past Wednesday, coming back from ORT. I rated them a 2, but did not hear a thing so obviously nobody reads or cares about the ratings passengers give them.

Firstly, Priority boarding means nothing when you are going to the aircraft by bus. It was 32 degrees in the shade on Wednesday, and all it meant was that you got on the bus before the non priority passengers. So then you wait, in a very hot bus, while it fills, with non priority passengers too. Took close to 20 minutes before we left for the aircraft. Once you get to the aircraft, it is free for all and the extra you paid for priority boarding means nothing.

Secondly, we sat in the boiling hot aircraft for way past our take off time, then taxied and waited for another 30 minutes before we took off. No aircon all this time. Seeing that it was so hot, we taxied all the way to the start of 21R, I understand, but switch on the aircon! The woman in the isle seat was sweating buckets and I was extremely uncomfortable.

We arrived on time, well done with that! I won't stop flying Safair, we use them quite a few times per year and the flights alway arrive early and are mostly pleasant.

Rant off.

Whirly.

[mak]

I agree with Whirly, I have been flying solely Safair for the past 10 years, but lately their priority boarding and online book-in is a joke. No bag drop anymore once you have booked-in online. No benefit to book-in online if you need to check bags. Sometimes they (Safair employees) don't understand the difference between normal and priority boarding. The priority boarding gate at OR now only for Discovery Bank Card Holder Clients (whom I will not support because of their shareholder policies). These new rules meant it took us 40 minutes longer to check in and go through security than usual. Would have been nice to know about all this perhaps a day or so before, just to plan. We got a sms from Safair, after we went through security , that online book-in is now only for passengers without checked bags.