This complaint was actually originally submitted directly to SA Express (with a copy to SAA) via the SA Express website on 22 January 2011. Aside from receiving acknowledgment and a reference number for my complaint (Incident No: 110122-000000). I have tried emailing, repeating my complaint, etc but to no avail.
On 1 December 2010, our family of 7 flew out from George on SA 1506, via Johannesburg and onto Rome. Our baggage was checked in all the way through to Rome. Within our party of 7, 4 of us traveled business class and 3 traveled economy class on the international flight. There was no mention made at George check-in regarding any “excess” in that there are NO business class flights from George anyway and the staff there knew that we were flying business class internationally.
We returned on 11 January 2011 and once again our party of 7 (4 business class, 3 economy class) checked in at Buenos Aires from where we flew to Sao Paulo to connect with SA 223 to Johannesburg and then SA 1505 to George. When we checked in in Buenos Aires, once again there were no query on our baggage and our luggage was checked in all the way through to Johannesburg.
When we then collected our luggage in Johannesburg however and checked in for SA1505 to George, we were informed that there was NO AGREEMENT between SAA and SA Express and ALL 4 OF US WHO HAD TRAVELED BUSINESS CLASS WITH 30kg of baggage now had to pay excess baggage of 10kg each to fly to George!! This amounted to over R 3 000-00 and nothing we said made any difference, the duty supervisor at Johannesburg was not interested! SA Express do NOT OFFER business class to George and we have never had this problem before. We are absolutely stunned at such treatment and feel completely ripped off.