Most are angry about the airline’s apparent "lies and failure to communicate", with some saying they had to use Traveller24's updates to inform SAX staff about what was happening with their own airline and flights.
Thousands of SA Express passengers in South Africa and other Southern African countries were suddenly left stranded when South Africa’s aviation regulator, the SA Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) grounded SAX over what it called “serious safety hazards” on Saturday.
But reports indicate SA Express was well aware of its problems due to non-compliance with safety issues, after failing two safety audits in April and then being given an SACAA deadline extension of Friday 29 April to fix all its issues.
However, the airline decided not to tell passengers that flights might be suspended.
SA Express CEO Inati Ntshinga claimed that the airline didn’t understand SACAA’s audit findings, telling passengers in a statement that he had “met with SACAA to obtain clarity on their audit related concerns and procedural issues that we needed to adhere to”.
In April, SA Express executives appeared before parliament’s select committee on public accounts to answer questions about the airline’s poor performance. According to a Sunday Times report, SA Express owes SAA’s technical division "more than R10 million in aircraft service charges", with some industry insiders alleging that the airline "did not have enough money" to carry out the required SACAA approved maintenance and stoking calls for the airline to be privatised.
Yet, on Saturday SA Express kept checking in passengers, knowing full well no flights would be departing, as departure boards flashed an “indefinite delay” notification. Passengers are questioning why they were not given more information at the time so that they could make alternative arrangements.
SA Express’ lack of timeous communication to stranded passengers on social media however became yet another classic corporate case-study of “how not to”, raising even more questions about SA Express’ lack of a proper standby plan in case of grounding.
On social media SA Express told passengers “we cannot apologise enough to smooth over the effect of all of this”.
‘We had to quote a tweet from Traveller24’
While SA Express barely responded, made no toll free telephone number available, and told people to go to its ticket counters, angry and confused passengers who missed funerals, weddings and connecting flights, vented and even took photos of empty and deserted SA Express ticket counters.
“None of the ground staff knew what was going on,” said Jacqueline Kinnear on Facebook. “We had to quote a tweet from Traveller24 to inform them”.
“We sat at the airport from 08:30 to 18:00. The communication was absolutely appalling. No-one answered any of the call centre lines that were dished out on social media.”
“Our daughter Sarah was issued with 3 different boarding passes throughout the day. She missed her connecting flights from CT to Dubai to South Korea. We could handle a delay. That happens from time to time. But being lied to and having to say goodbye 3 times was pure emotional hell for us”.
“Your service and customer care at Cape Town sucked. No-one knew what was going on and the communication was extremely poor,” said David Muller. “Why not be honest and upfront about these things? There were passengers travelling to East London that missed weddings and a lady recovering from an operation even missed her own father’s funeral!”
‘Phone numbers that only ring’
“When you refer passengers to your Facebook page and Twitter surely you should be communicating more than just the normal ‘covering your own backside’ information,” said Harry Welby-Cooke.
At 18:00 after sitting at the airport since 12:30, Belinda Vorster Welby-Cooke said her mom, 67 who has a cracked rib was only offered a pastry and warm water or juice. “On top of that SA Airlink made her pay for the extra 3kg that she was over. This because Airlink and SA Express has different baggage rules!”
Ielhaam Stephanus had live animals on its way to Bloemfontein on an SA Express flight. Living 80km from the airport, she dropped the animals at 06:00 on Saturday morning, only to be called at 10:00 and told she must collect them again.
“9 hours 14 minutes stuck in East London,” said Thandos Mtolo. “We’ve been told of a chartered flight that’s been arranged. Up to now, no further communication”.
“Phone numbers that only ring,” said Jolene Raison. “Brilliant way to just ignore the problem. How many people are stranded because of this? That’s how many people you aren’t going to see on your flights again. Had you bothered to assist those people, instead of listing phone numbers that don’t get answered, and posting weak apologies on Facebook, you could have salvaged the situation.”
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