My complaint:
on the 11th August 22 at Cape Town International Airport, myself and my wife had a flight leaving to Doha with Qatar Airways to be flown out at 19:40pm.
We got to the front of the ticket sales after waiting in a long line to be checked in. The consultant ask for all our documents which we gladly provided, everything was in order. My wife presented all supporting documents her work visa, I did exactly the same but explained to the consultant that I am on a tourist visa. My wife only got her visa the day before as there was delays and we needed to fly out immediately the next day which was the 11th Aug 2022.
According to the visa my wife only needed to a antigen test upon arrival in Doha. The consultant then asked me for my PCR test which I explained to him that because of the time frame of receiving the visa the day before at 17:00pm I only managed to it the morning of the 11th of August at 8am and which the hospital I would receive at 4pm that same day but unfortunately have not received it yet. His attitude towards me was he doesn’t care and that there’s nothing he can do about it.
My problem I had was that he presented me with no options. I proposed to him that it’s only 17:40pm and if he can’t run downstairs to get tested at the airports Covid Testing Lab. He didn’t even bother responding to me. I asked to speak to his manager, there was only a supervisor on duty whose name is Warren they told me. This guy told me that the testing closed at 3pm and even so it takes 2 hours for results , my friend went downstairs to check and ed that it’s not closed. They refused to let me go down and at least try and to get tested because I had 2 hours before my flight. They kept arguing with me and presented me with no options. I was absolutely furious. They wasted more than a hour of my time arguing with me until I PROPOSED not them that my flight be moved for the next day and my wife’s flight.
Explaining the situation to my family and friends I then went downstairs and did the SECOND PCR TEST, the lab wasn’t closed as the supervisor said and lied to me. I got my results in results in 30mins and not 2 hours. They costed me R7000 in penalty charges between myself and my wife and having to do a second PCR test of R1100.
I am an Operational manager myself and our entire relies on customer service. Qatar Airways being the best airlines on paper to travel with on paper but the lack of respect and service did not reflect that through your employee’s. I honestly still prefer Qatar Airways but this put a sour taste in my mouth.
Not only did we lose funds we didn’t have to spend, my wife’s institution was furious but understood that never wanted to fly alone to a foreign country alone. I have attached all required documentation below, I am waiting on my wife’s institution to send me the invoice they had to pay for the penalty in changing her flight as well.
Suggested solution:
I would like to be fully reimbursed for the penalty I paid and the penalty I had to pay wife's institution on her ticket.
