Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
I would like to Clairfy that this "SAA is the airline from Hell" thing going around is rubbish. I won't try and deny there are some bad apples among the SAA cabin crew, but, there are lots very ripe (very professional and friendly) staff,
Perhaps some of the staff are a bit over-ripe or even rotten
If there is talk doing the rounds about SAA did you ever consider that they may deserve their new reputation? I found them neither professional nor friendly. I believe in their rush to transform (just like many SA entities) they forgot to learn the finer points of customer service. ----> Clearly, good spelling is not a prerequisite
Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
combined with the fact that they are winning Interntaional awards throughout the year, are the first airline to approach in the USA and UK when travelling to South Africa and they have an excellent international reputataion.
Which awards are these exactly. If you are talking about "Best Airline to Africa" and any other award that ends .."in Africa", then I declare 'no contest'.
Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
South African Airways produce some of the best trained pilots in Africa,
Again, where else IS there to train in Africa?
Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
...and while supported in the UK and USA, and many others around their servicing destinations around the world, they have to take the moans and groans of their own people,
What? So their own people complain about them? Well they should know!
Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
while (1) they offer cheap fares, full service and reasonable reliability and (2) represent South Africa fantastically showing you guys off (a pospective of an outsider) and (3)have one of the most successful "bums on seats" policies in the whole industry - managing to fill the aircraft on most routes.
Cheap fares!! I don't know where you are looking, but I used to travel between Europe and SA regularly and SAA was ALWAYS more expensive. SAA are also usually more expensive than local competitors, including Nationwide, Kulula, Comair, Express, etc..
Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
SAA recently handled the recent Hijack attempt very well, calm crew, and SAA dealing with distressed passengers well.
We don't really know because little was reported about the crew apart from the cabin staff who for the duration of the drama reportedly "ran away and huddled at the back of the aircraft". The news also contained multiple complaints saying; "SAA never informed us of anything.". "We were not told what was happening or where we were going". etc etc.
Originally Posted by flare and touchdown!
It's very easy to predict the reaction from this post, so for those people who like to argue....BRING IT ON!
What's left to argue about? All your points are invalid.