South African Airways downgrades a client and makes U.S. carriers look good…

At this point no one who travels regularly is surprised to hear stories of overbooking, and passengers being bumped. Although in general, business and first class passengers have this problem much less frequently. As more than a few airline people have told me, “We really don’t like to upset the people paying top dollar for tickets.”

So when my client flew home on South African Airways from Dakar to Washington-Dulles, on a full-fare business class ticket with a confirmed seat assignment, there shouldn’t have been a problem. In theory.

But as she related to me, after checking in 2-1/2 hours in advance and waited until boarding time, everything seemed normal. She then got on the shuttle bus, was pulled OFF the bus, and an agent took her boarding pass. He told her business was overbooked, but to get back on the bus.

Once at the plane, none of the flight attendants had any answers or ideas. My client just waited while there was, in her words, “much confusion about what, if anything, to do with me. Finally, after telling them that I had to go home as my spouse was leaving town the next day and I had young kids, I was given a middle seat in the rear of economy.”

The client in question is exceedingly well-traveled and not given to exaggeration or complaints; moreover, she knows what she is doing regarding check-in rules and so on. She was given no compensation by the airline but told she could get something when she returned.

So far, the path to compensation is not so good. But yes, stuff happens, no one died, and my client and I figure we can get at least get some compensation. We contacted the sales office for South African Airways.

Here’s their first response:

I am enclosing a formal letter of apology which I hope you will share with her as you see fit. My initial findings indicate that the Business Class cabin indeed was oversold on the date of departure.

Please instruct (the passenger) to forward her boarding pass to our Refund Department at the address below so that they may calculate and initiate a refund of the fare difference.

When our ticket agent expressed surprise and dismay that that was ALL South African Airways was going to do, no voucher for a future trip, no extra credit, no nothing, she wrote back to the airline. This is response number two:

I’m certain you are familiar with most airlines’ habits of overbooking flights/cabins due to historical data. When involuntary downgrades occur, SAA has, like most airlines, adapted the policy of not compensating passengers beyond providing them with a refund of the fare difference.

I realize your disappointment but am unable to accede to any requests for further compensation

Translation. Take the refund and go pound sand.

Again, I understand things happen, though this sounds like more than ordinary incompetence. Especially as the client was a “Star Alliance Silver member” and wasn’t traveling on an upgraded or deeply discounted ticket. (Yes, the price you pay for your ticket sometimes does matter in these situations.)

But I’m still shaking my head at the idea that well, we almost bumped you, we treated you poorly, you barely got home on 9 hour flight in one of the worst seats on the plane, and we don’t owe you a thing but the fare difference. Even most U.S. carriers, and heaven knows they don’t win a lot of customer service awards, would offer her something in addition to the refund. Even a few hundred dollar voucher or a gift card would have made a difference, and increased the chances of her flying the airline in future.

But as noted in Business Week, South African Airways announced they would “post a profit of more than $100 million (€72 million) for 2009.”

So maybe they feel they don’t have to bother.