Last Updated on December 13, 2019 by Kwame Hagan
It is now evident to me that South African Airways (SAA), the national flag carrier and largest airline of South Africa, is the hub of real thieves who steal from its passengers without shame. And if you, unfortunately, become a victim of their habitual robbery, be prepared to be treated with gross disdain.
I flew from Accra to Johannesburg on South African Airways Flight SA53. Before leaving home, I made sure I had packed all the things that mattered to me, including two 2-piece suits that I would use for a program.
By 9 pm, I had arrived at the Kotoka International Airport to conclude my check-in and departure formalities. At the SAA counter, I checked-in my two bags. The lady at the counter asked me to add my other luggage to the checked ones since I had more baggage allowance. I refused because I did not want to flout Article 9.3.4 of South African Airways’ General Conditions of Carriage.
It states that “You must not include in Checked Baggage, fragile or perishable items, artwork, money, jewelry, precious metals, computers, personal electronic devices, cellular telephones, cameras, audio and video equipment, negotiable papers, securities or other valuables, business documents, passports, and other identification documents or samples.” Since the bag contained several valuables, I decided to use it as my cabin baggage.
My experience with SAA in terms of flying was smooth but when it comes to baggage handling by the baggage handling crew, my ordeal is no different from several passengers I’ve heard and read from within this short period of time and I wonder how the airline expects to increase its customer base with this kind of shitty service.
Stolen Items by South African Airways
From Johannesburg O.R Tambo International Airport, I had to fly to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, Lusaka, with South African Airways Flight SA62. At exactly 12:25 PM, I arrived in Lusaka where I registered with the airport immigration, picked up my bags from the baggage carousel, and went straight to my hotel.
All these while, my trip had been full of fun – from the in-flight entertainment to the entertaining chats I had with some of the South African Airways ground staff who requested CDs from me because they thought I was a musician since I had several CDs in my carry-on baggage.
Reality dawned on me when I got to my hotel room. I realized my bag had been tampered with when I decided to change my outfit. The pattern I used to zip my bag had changed. Thoughtlessly, the baggage handlers who opened my bag failed to properly close the different compartments of the bag they unlawfully opened, thereby leaving room for me to suspect that something fishy had gone on.
I quickly opened the bag to check if all my personal belongings were intact. To my utter dismay, my black Pierre Cardin suit, with its trouser, had been stolen. Not only that, but the baggage handling crew had also stolen my Tom Ford Private Blend fragrance – Tuscan Leather – and left the case in the bag. As to how they got to know there was a fragrance beneath my clothes in the bag still amazes me. This gives details to how deep they dug into my bag and how long the handling crew has been doing this.
Back to the issue of my suit, my fold-over garment bag which contained two white long sleeve shirts and two pairs of suits (Kenneth Cole and Pierre Cardin) was folded and put on top of my clothes in the bag. When they opened my checked baggage, they went a step further to open my fold-over garment bag and made away with one of the pair of suits, leaving the other suit and other flying ties behind.
Similar Experiences As Shared by Other Travellers
From the many accounts I read online after my incident, this is not the first time a passenger on board South African Airways has experienced and reported an issue of this nature but it seems the operators of the airline do not give a hoot about the complaints of the passengers. This simply implies that South African Airways condones such act. Or could it be that that’s another source of revenue generation for the airline – stealing from passengers and possibly selling the stolen items?
Even though the baggage handlers might be independent of the airline, South African Airways ought to be accountable because as a passenger, my contract is with South African Airways and not any other service provider.
Lousy Response from South African Airways
In Lusaka, I contacted the South African Airways office and lodged an official complaint. The lady I spoke to asked me to contact their department at the airport. I immediately did but the lady seemed totally unconcerned (even the hotel I booked was) – maybe she will indirectly benefit from the proceeds of my stolen items.
South African Airways has no regard for its customers after taken their monies. I assume the airline does not know the number of customers they push away with such bad attitudes – from stealing from its passengers to poor customer service.
Eventually, the lady told me point blank that they cannot ascertain the truth in what I was saying since I had already taken the bag to the hotel. The question is, who travels and opens all his bags at the arrivals?
She then asked me to bring my bag to the airport for them to weigh and see if the actual weight of the bag during check-in had dropped, then they would realize something had been taken out of it, but on the condition that I had not opened and taken anything out of the bag.
That’s really absurd. Do I possess some kind of marine magic to know my items had been stolen from my bag without first opening it? Of course, I would only realize that after opening it; so what mind game was South African Airways trying to play with me?
I’m extremely disappointed in South African Airways. There is no way I am going to fly with them again and certainly would tell my family and friends who travel a lot to avoid them as well. To anyone who is fortunate enough to be reading this, count yourself lucky and never fly with South African Airways ever in your life before you become a victim of its daylight robbery and ill-treatment.
To avoid such experience, always AVOID South African Airways and look for an alternative. Try to keep your distance as far as you can from them before you become a victim. There have been too many victims already so do not add up to the numbers.
It is always said that a word to the wise is enough, and had I known is always at last. Do not wait till you become a victim of South African Airways’ robbery.
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