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BOOTED ILLEGALLY FROM SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS FLIGHT
Dear SAA Customer Service Manager:
I am writing to file a complaint based on a travel episode with me and my partner, where we we denied boarding on SAA flight # to Sao Pablo, Brazil on May 11, 2017. He resulting chain of events caused by your ground personnel and managers cost us financially and through extreme emotional distress having missed a critical personal appointment in Argentina.

The actions by me leading to the moment where we were prohibited from boarding are as follows:

- I purchased my ticket through American Express following a call to a phone representative where I was advised that SAA did not have service or allied service into Buenos Aires.
- We were told that to complete travel through GRU to EZE we were required to purchase a separate ticket through Aerolineas Argentinas, which we did and purchased a business class passage and carried proof of purchase on my iphone.
- We arrived at SAA check in well over two hours prior to our flight, which the recommended pre board suggestion by SAA. We presented our passports, mentioned to the agent that we had already had to reschedule this flight due to flight schedule changes and were not cutting it close to met our obligations in Argentina. At no time was any issue with our boarding mentioned. We were presented our boarding passes and told to report to the gate one hour prior to departure, which we did.
- upon presenting our ticket to the security representative who appeared to be from a private security company and not SAA, we were asked to step aside and to speak to a second private agent who told us there was a problem with out ticket not showing visa for Brazil. We explained repeatedly how we purchased our tickets and why SAA advised us to have a separate ticket. We even produced evidence on our iPhones of the ticket voucher and regulations that specify transfers under seven hours do not require visas. After one half hour, it was confirmed by private security after numerous calls to supervisors that we were okay board.
- Next I can only describe as a harrowing experience at the boarding gate with with the private agent returning to say that now SAA had changed their mind and would refuse our boarding. Your agents and the security agents then argued about why we could or could not board with no one willing to decide and all talking n the phone after we requested to see a supervisor immediately as we were nearing departure time. We asked that the agent call the check in desk where we were giving our boarding pass. They did not nor did they summon a supervisor. As flight time came, no one would admit that they actually were not being allowed on the flight. A couple came late and were told the flight was closed and that is how we're learned our fate. To say that least, we were stunned and completely drained emotionally by this ordeal.
- with the plane departed and your SAA agents grabbing their bags t walk away, we exclaimed, "So what are we to do now?" No attempt was made to give us any option and the private agent who began the ordeal being noticeably disturbed offered to walk us to another SAA desk in the Transfers area.
- The agents in the Transfer area were rude, intimidating and uncaring. Their names were Sent to airline--------. They said that SAA had rules that we had not met and it was basically our mistake and did or did we not want assistance with rebooking the flight on the next day. After a lengthy period he returned and showed us the same itenerary as we had booked on the following day. He said that he could not give s back business class or seats on the second carrier. At this moment he adds insult to injury informing us that SAA would charge us ticket change fees.
- It gets worse. The agent failed to complete our booking with Aerolineas Argentinas and we learned his by chance upon calling the airline to secure seats since we saw non on the voucher. This call took two hours to straighten out the mess created by SAA.
- the cancelled trip and hotel stay that night cost us close to
$1,000.00. Our occasion to travel to Argentina was missed and had to be rescheduled. And all of the flights backed up from this SAA action had to be reworked coasting us two days of our vacation, which up until this time had been perfect.
- As luck would have it, we had the same checking agent upon returning the next day. When we approached her desk, she was surprised and asked if my partner had missed his 50th birthday event, remembering how we had stressed our need to get to Argentina. We explained what had happened, showed here a page from regulations which clearly stated that flights into Brazil in transfer under even hour did not require a visa and that we needed to see a supervisor. She left and came back saying that a supervisor was not available but that we could speak with a "team leader." Mr name sent to airline--------- arrived and we explained our predicament to his somewhat amazement and seemingly sincere apologies. We took his name and he gave me this address to file a complaint.

Travelers are mostly helpless in these situations and it is incumbent with a license I fly for a company to have trained personnel to manage these situations. My only recourse is to continue to follow the rules and write you in hopes that you will do what is right. You need to return the cost of my tickets, lost monies when I was required to add a hotel stay and meals, costs to replace my cancellations and the offensive ticket change fees that you refunded if me for your actions and not mine.

I trust that you will be polite and expeditious in meeting these requests.

Sincerely
Val Marmillion.