ON August 24 I purchased an electronic ticket to leave Port Elizabeth on September 17 and return from OR Tambo on September 24. As September 24 was a public holiday and the first day of the school holiday, the airport was naturally very busy.

My daughter usually drops me off, but that day had time to accompany me to the check-in counters. How fortuitous for me, for by the time the queue had progressed for me to be served, I was flabbergasted to hear “the gates have closed for that flight”. This was 30 minutes before due departure time of 10.20 and we had been in the queue for Port Elizabeth and Cape Town (counters 51 to 63) for over an hour because half of these counters were unmanned!

Stunned, I asked how this could be possible: I had a valid ticket, no announcements had been made over the public address system, nor was I responsible for the slow progress of the queue. The reply was that someone had been sent to walk along the queue to call passengers. Yes, I said, Cape Town-bound passengers were requested to proceed to counters 61 - 63.

I was not the last passenger in the queue bound for Port Elizabeth. Behind me was a family of four, excited at the prospect of a seaside holiday. At the counter they were informed there was no record of their booking, which had been confirmed via cellphone including wishing them “a nice holiday”!

I was told to go to Tickets and Reservations where already a long queue had formed of exasperated would-be passengers, all spewing venom into their cellphones. Here I was informed there were no seats available in economy class for the next three days. As a pensioner I had naturally opted for economy. There was, however, a seat in the business class on the 6.10am flight the next day. This would cost me over R3000 minus half of my original ticket of R1840, amounting to R2155. I objected to being fleeced in this manner! My daughter relented and sponsored my flight home.

To add insult to injury, a friend on a later flight from OR Tambo to PE that same day said there were several vacant seats in economy!

Am I the victim of an “overbooked” flight or ineptitude at the check-in counters of SAA ? Whichever the case may be, I can now better comprehend the recent news that SAA has made a remarkably speedy financial recovery this year, apart from the government bailout, that is.

And yes, I did report the matter to the so-called customer care: their bland reply was that passengers had been called out.

What lame lies. What weak service! Fly SAA ? No way! – CHEATED CUSTOMER