If you’re travelling to or from South Africa today on a South African Airways (SAA) flight, you’re one of the lucky few it seems.
The majority of the national airline’s in-flight staff are on strike today, demanding more money to spend on food when flying abroad.
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According to reports, SAA and the association that represents the SAA cabin workers, SACCA, were not able to come to an agreement Tuesday night.
The impact of this is widespread.
32 flights have been cancelled today — one international, three regional and 28 due to depart and land within South Africa’s borders. As a result, passengers have been left stranded in the country’s airports while lengthy queues have formed around SAA desks and within terminals.
SAA has been granted an interdict Wednesday by the Johannesburg Labour Court, but that has scantly alleviated the airline’s current problems.
SAA has been given an interdict to end the #SAAStrike, but the damage has already been done
Users on Twitter expressed their annoyance and irritation at SAA for cancelling flights. The hashtag #SAAStrike has been among the most popular tags in the country today.
“The excitement of going home has been dealt a huge blow by the SAA cabin crew strike,” one flyer tweets.
The excitement of going home has been dealt a huge blow by the SAA cabin crew strike.#SAAstrike pic.twitter.com/JuNXTSIUuN
— Tebogo Motloung (@motloung31) April 26, 2017
Flyers were also bumped around flights only to see their new flight cancelled as well. Long queues are also causing major timing problems.
@flysaa @flysaa_care All lies! SA317 cancelled, then bumps me to SA327, gets cancelled! Incompetent airline. Peace of mind my ass! #BoycottSAA #SAAStrike
— DDR (@ddrheed) April 26, 2017
Only about 10 people in front of me in the @flysaa queue at CT Int and it still took them a solid THREE HOURS to get to me
. #SAAstrike — Tapfuma Makina (@TapfumaMakina) April 26, 2017
I did, but now I am wondering if I am getting to my destination #SAAstrike https://t.co/mkiHwIEB7R
— Neo Thokoana (@Graced_Neo) April 26, 2017
Seemingly oblivious to the current sentiment towards its service, SAA’s Twitter account continues to tweet as per normal to the chagrin of customers.
Did you remember to get your leave forms in for Friday? Take one day, get a 5 day weekend!
— SAA – South Africa (@flysaa) April 26, 2017
@flysaa Wont need leave cause you are not going to fly anyware soon………..!
— Magnus Coetzee (@CoetzeeM) April 26, 2017
@flysaa Pathetic social media strategy, where is ur empathy for stranded passengers ?
— Sharendra Panday (@Sharendra) April 26, 2017
@flysaa And then what? Fly British Airways?
— Sabie (@8_sAbZi_8) April 26, 2017
This isn’t the first public relations gaffe the airline has seen this year.
Earlier this month, South African socialite Bonang Matheba and SAA’s customer care Twitter account were engaged in a twar about, rather aptly, in-flight food.
This is a developing story. Refresh the page for updates.
Feature image: Bob Adams via Flickr (CC 2.0, resized)
