Review FlySafair Johannesburg - Durban, Business Class

Paul‘s 208th Flight Report
Flight: FA669
JNB - DUR / Boeing 737-800
Flight Time: 50 minutes
Business Class

General Impression: 🌿

Before the Flight :
Check-in Process: 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
Security Control : 🐑🐑🐑🐑
Lounge: N/A no Lounge
Information: 🐑🐑🐑🐑
Boarding @ Gate: 🐑🐑🐑
Staff @ these points: 🐑🐑🐑🌿
Boarding in Cabin: 🐑
Welcome Drinks: 🐑 No welcome drink
Punctuality: 🐑🐑🐑🐑, on time
During the Flight :
Food presentation: 🐑🐑🐑
Food quality: 🐑🐑🐑
Drinks: 🐑🐑🐑
Service Procedure: 🐑🐑🐑
Amenity Kit: N/A short haul
Entertainment System: N/A low coster
Seat Quality: 🐑🐑🐑
Legroom: 🐑🐑
Lavatories: 🐑🐑🐑🐑
Cleanliness: 🐑🐑🐑🐑🌿
General Atmosphere: 🐑🐑
Announcement Pilots: 🐑🐑🐑🐑
Announcement Cabin: 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑
Cabin Crew: 🐑
After the Flight :
De-Boarding: 🐑🐑🐑
Baggage Delivery: 🌿
—-
🐑 = bad, a lot of work needs to be done
🐑🐑 = poor, you will be busy with corrections
🐑🐑🐑 = good & normal, nothing special
🐑🐑🐑🐑 = high level, but the icing on the cake is missing
🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑 = topnotch, leave me here!
🌿= Half a Point/sheep
—-
Spoiler: we have travelled already so many times with FlySafair and usually enjoy their service.
The Cabin Crew on this flight would have easily won the worst and rudest Cabin Crew award in South Africa.
On the Ground:
We booked a business class ticket on FlySafair so everything is included in the fare.
This includes a dedicated business class check-in, security, boarding baggage handling and lots of free bags. The only thing not included is the lounge.
The check-in agent was super friendly and helpful. He chatted with us all the time and the process was done in no time. They had lots of priority counters open so there was no queue for check-in.
There was no queue at the priority security check and we were through in no time. Staff was super friendly and nice.
We didn't buy a lounge access this time as we only had 2 hours in transit.

Boarding started at the indicated time and preboarding was provided. Staff at the gate was okay but far not as pleasant as at the check-in.

At the aircraft door we were greeted by two cabin crew members.
Now... sorry for my words to follow but there is no other way to be clear about it.
The two cabin crew at the door hardly said good afternoon or anything. They looked so pissed and all they could say was boarding pass.

As we had booked business class we went to our row 2 and as we bought the middle seat, it would remain empty. We wanted to be nice and placed one of our bags on the free seat under the seat in front not to block overhead bin space.

That is where the episode with the flight attendant from hell began. Cabin Attendant Mrs. S came from the back and told us in the rudest possible way that we are not allowed to place a bag under the seat in front. I asked why but she didn't gave us a real explanation besides of rolling her eyes, breath heavily etc. She then wanted to take the bag away which has the exact cabin size and has travelled with us for years and on the 3 previous flights before this one.

We told her we have lithium batteries inside of various equipment and that we would put it in the overhead compartment.
You could see by her face expression that she was completely pissed and could not demonstrate that she has more power over the passengers.
So far so good.

Opposite of us also in row two, there was a mother with an autistic child. It was obvious that the child had special needs.

One of the other crew members came and asked the mother to seat the child in his seat. The kid started screaming, yelling and crying. The mother tried to comfort the little guy and the cabin attendant went away and talked to the other crew.

That is when flight attendant from hell Mrs. S came, grabbed the kid, pushed him hard, but really hard into the seat. The little guy started to scream again as he didn't know what happened. She pushed him in the seat, fastened his seatbelt and kept the belt so tight that he couldn't move.
If that would have been my child and if flight attendant from hell would have done that to my family I would have sued her for assult.
Maybe she wanted to become a police officer but was to unfriendly for that so she decided to become a flight attendant for FlySafair.

Dear FlySafair maybe you should get rid of that flight attendant or train them in inclusion of passengers with special needs.

I should have spoken up right in that moment but we were to scared that flight attendant from hell would continue her power trip and offload us. We had to go to Durban.

There was not a single smile from any of the crew members, not a single interaction with the customers.
They all were super pissed and such a crew should not be welcoming customers.

For the rest of boarding the crew was playing with their phones, I know they can use the phone when working but in row two we could hear what they were talking. So it was private.

Inflight:
The Boeing 737-800 is configured with a 3/3 seating layout.
If you buy a business ticket, then the middle seat is kept empty. Seats were comfortable but in the new aircraft's they have reduced the legrest to an absolute minimum.

Once airborne, and when the captain released the crew the first thing was a roll with the eyes and a deep sight that they have to start work and start the Inflight service.

With the business ticket you can choose F&B items for up to 85R per Person.
The F&B selection they offer is great and prices are very very reasonable.
So I did choose the beef biltong and a Gin & Tonic.

Bathrooms were clean and fully stocked.

No Inflight entertainment and no WiFi available on this flight.

Baggage delivery worked very well. Bags were delivered fast and all priority bags came out first.

But... Now the bag is completely broken. Beside the broken lock FlySafair managed to break a wheel which is now completely gone.
So we went to the lost and found desk of FlySafair's ground handler. Also here the gentleman didn't want to work or help us with our case.
We would have to contact FlySafair ourselves and he pointed to a rollup banner with a call centre number and an email.
That is all the help we got at the airport.

When I asked to see someone from FlySafair, he said in a very rude way that the only way in such cases to communicate with them is via the call center and pointed again to the rollup banner.

FlySafair, I am here on vacation, you started to do interlining with foreign airlines!
FlySafair start to grow up, get things together and act like an international airline!!!

UPDATE:
Once i contacted FlySafair as instructed by Email, their answer was a slap in every customers face.

 

The customer service agent told me in the worst english (and my mothertongue isn't english either) that i am personal responsible for checked in bags. FlySafair does not take responsibilty for checked in luggage.

What the hell.... So next time i am taking my suitcase on board.

In addition, dear FlySafair, have you ever heard of the Montreal Convention about Baggage Handling which was signed by South Africa and must be followed by all South African Carriers? You are going against the law here... Just saying.

Summary:

All in all a very poor performance in customer service and an absolutely terrible cabin crew.
If I would not have flown them before and know they can do better I would definitely not recommend them. There is luckily other choices in South Africa.
Let's see is the next flight with them is as terrible as this one.
Notes:
- Paul the Sheep does not get any benefits from the Hotels/Airlines etc.
- Paul will always pay for the services in order to be able to rate freely and truly about the experiences.
-If you are interested in more details, please send me a private message and I will be happy to share.