We have been requesting feedback from users of our newest airline, and received this response.
I traveled today from Victoria Falls to Harare Zimbabwe. When I arrived at the airport, I was told at the counter that we couldn’t pay there for our current reservation with a card or cash without having to re-book the tickets for an additional $20.00 per person which was a 25% increase on our overall price.
We claimed that we were unable to pay online with our card and the agent told us it was due to the reservation being performed on a mobile device. We had no computer available once at the airport. We then asked how we might pay the original amount for our current reservation without having to re-book. She said we could use the call center in Zimbabwe and pay with a card over the phone.
I called the center several times and had them put in my card information. They told me the transaction could not be completed. After over an hour of trying to confirm payment, the agent said our only option was cash and new reservations on the flight. With 45 minutes before the flight, we got another reservation because of no other option being available.
Upon arriving home, I found a bank email stating that 162.50USD was taken from my account to flyafrica.com for the earlier reservation. I am furious that all parties from the flyafrica.com company told me this transaction was not completed yet the money was withdrawn from my account.
I require a refund of one of the flights preferably the cash flight which cost my friend and me $197.00 at the Victoria falls airport. I am only in Zimbabwe until Wednesday evening and will then be traveling to the US.
This all happened over the weekend, and the issue was resolved on Wednesday.
They refunded us the smaller charge, but not the extra 25% that was attached to the plane ticket for having to re-book with an agent.
We are glad the matter was resolved; we are not glad that an airline is having payment issues that result in passengers being charged extra for inconvenience.
It would be easy to put this down to “teething problems”. The problem with that is when such problems on the provider’s side impact on the customer’s wallet.
We look forward to hearing more of your stories, whether negative (like this one) or positive.