The Saga Of A Greedy Air Hostess

I WAS recently in Windhoek, to do some medical exams and to get away from Luanda’s routine for a few days, taking advantage of the short University’s holidays.

The choice for Windhoek is due to several reasons: it is right next to us; Angolans do not need entry visa and the prices for lodging are not the worst. I decided to travel in business class, with Air Namibia, and the ticket cost US$1 005 due to high exchange rate of 78 Kwanza per $.Taag’s price for a ticket is about 2% lower, but the Angolan company uses an exchange rate closer to the real market value of the USD.Taking all into account, the value of the ticket for this route has increased by just over 50% in the last 9 years, which corresponds to a frightening annual increase of around 4.8%.One thousand US$ is extremely expensive for a trip of 2 hours and some minutes.Seeing that for two return tickets to any destination that is about one hour away, we pay in Angola, for business class, around 600US$.In Namibia we pay much less! And we must consider that in terms of expenditure, a flight for two is less expensive than two trips of one hour.This means that in the route Luanda/Windhoek/Luanda, airlines profit almost 68% above the maximum permissible.This matter should be quickly revised by these airlines.In regard to Air Namibia, the price of a return ticket to Luanda is 78% more expensive than for a similar trip, in the same class, to Johannesburg or Cape Town (South Africa) and vice versa.This is happening not only with Air Namibia.Angola is among the most expensive destinations in the world, which is caused by the pricing policy adopted by the Angolan government and implemented by TAAG.If we wish to promote development and tourism in Angola, these exorbitant prices must be promptly reviewed and amended.At Luanda’s airport I had no problem.I was well treated at the border, where nationals no longer have to fill the entry visa form.The trip to Windhoek took place without incident on July 4.In the in-flight magazine I saw the possibility of doing an early order of duty free articles for the return flight.I filled in the “pre-order form” and I handed it in to the flight attendant, who ensured me that the articles were reserved in my name for the return flight.The return was on 11th July.After we took off, I asked the airhostess serving business class about the “duty free” articles reserved in my name.After checking, the answer was no, stating furthermore that any request should be placed with her.I found this strange, as I had completed and delivered the proper form, mentioning the date and flight number.I filled a new orderfor 6 articles, totalling 190 US$ Here is the content of the conversation with the air hostess: Me: Here is my request.Hostess: And one for me? Me, bewildered: Sorry, I don’t understand…Hostess: One of these is for me? Me, after a few moments of perplexity: Well, give them all to me.I will then give you something.I reflected and thought I would get her something that cost up to 30$, giving her 220 US$ instead of 190.’Shame maybe she needs to give someone a present and has no money to do so’ – I thought to myself.Minutes later she returned with the articles.Later I saw that two of them were not the same as what I asked for.Then she tells me that I had to pay 260US$ when the value of the order was 190 US$? Why had she decided that I would give her 70US$? I thought quickly if it was worth to fight back, but I chose to hand in the amount she asked for and complain with Air Namibia later.Another passenger who also bought duty free had to ask her for his 10$ change, to which she replied: “It’s for me”, but when he insisted, she had to give him his change.Already another passenger had paid for six perfumes, but only received five.Again she said the one was for her as well as the change, but he also insisted, and only then did she grudgingly returned the bottle and the change.But the air hostess of the flight SW172 on July 11 did not stop there.As there were two seats unoccupied in business class (3C and 3D), while the plane was taxiing towards the runway, she went to collect two ladies traveling in the economy class, suggesting that sit in business class.In flight, the said air hostess went to the one woman, and asked her to pay 50 US$ dollars for the change of class.The passenger, incredulous, agreed and gave her 100 US$ and when she asked for the change, the air hostess told her that the other 50 US$ would be used to pay for the similar change for the other passenger.After the intervention of another passenger, a lot of complaints and exchange of words in Portuguese and English, the said airhostess returned the 100US$.The steward, who also served the business class, never intervened.He saw what was happening, but made as if he did not understand.After arriving in Luanda, there was another incident at the airport.Passengers had to wait 55 minutes for their luggage, as Air Namibia prioritised the delivery of over 500 items sent to the Embassy of Namibia in Luanda, for the international fair.This was one thing, but the unimaginable behaviour of the air hostess was totally unacceptable.I was told that in Namibia, the corruption indices have been increasing visible.But I did not expect to encounter such shameless greed as passengers on that flight did with said air hostess.Hendrik Ehlers Via e-mail Note: This letter has been shortened – EdI decided to travel in business class, with Air Namibia, and the ticket cost US$1 005 due to high exchange rate of 78 Kwanza per $.Taag’s price for a ticket is about 2% lower, but the Angolan company uses an exchange rate closer to the real market value of the USD.Taking all into account, the value of the ticket for this route has increased by just over 50% in the last 9 years, which corresponds to a frightening annual increase of around 4.8%.One thousand US$ is extremely expensive for a trip of 2 hours and some minutes.Seeing that for two return tickets to any destination that is about one hour away, we pay in Angola, for business class, around 600US$.In Namibia we pay much less! And we must consider that in terms of expenditure, a flight for two is less expensive than two trips of one hour.This means that in the route Luanda/Windhoek/Luanda, airlines profit almost 68% above the maximum permissible.This matter should be quickly revised by these airlines.In regard to Air Namibia, the price of a return ticket to Luanda is 78% more expensive than for a similar trip, in the same class, to Johannesburg or Cape Town (South Africa) and vice versa.This is happening not only with Air Namibia.Angola is among the most expensive destinations in the world, which is caused by the pricing policy adopted by the Angolan government and implemented by TAAG.If we wish to promote development and tourism in Angola, these exorbitant prices must be promptly reviewed and amended.At Luanda’s airport I had no problem.I was well treated at the border, where nationals no longer have to fill the entry visa form.The trip to Windhoek took place without incident on July 4.In the in-flight magazine I saw the possibility of doing an early order of duty free articles for the return flight.I filled in the “pre-order form” and I handed it in to the flight attendant, who ensured me that the articles were reserved in my name for the return flight.The return was on 11th July.After we took off, I asked the airhostess serving business class about the “duty free” articles reserved in my name.After checking, the answer was no, stating furthermore that any request should be placed with her.I found this strange, as I had completed and delivered the proper form, mentioning the date and flight number.I filled a new orderfor 6 articles, totalling 190 US$ Here is the content of the conversation with the air hostess: Me: Here is my request.Hostess: And one for me? Me, bewildered: Sorry, I don’t understand…Hostess: One of these is for me? Me, after a few moments of perplexity: Well, give them all to me.I will then give you something.I reflected and thought I would get her something that cost up to 30$, giving her 220 US$ instead of 190.’Shame maybe she needs to give someone a present and has no money to do so’ – I thought to myself.Minutes later she returned with the articles.Later I saw that two of them were not the same as what I asked for.Then she tells me that I had to pay 260US$ when the value of the order was 190 US$? Why had she decided that I would give her 70US$? I thought quickly if it was worth to fight back, but I chose to hand in the amount she asked for and complain with Air Namibia later.Another passenger who also bought duty free had to ask her for his 10$ change, to which she replied: “It’s for me”, but when he insisted, she had to give him his change.Already another passenger had paid for six perfumes, but only received five.Again she said the one was for her as well as the change, but he also insisted, and only then did she grudgingly returned the bottle and the change.But the air hostess of the flight SW172 on July 11 did not stop there.As there were two seats unoccupied in business class (3C and 3D), while the plane was taxiing towards the runway, she went to collect two ladies traveling in the economy class, suggesting that sit in business class.In flight, the said air hostess went to the one woman, and asked her to pay 50 US$ dollars for the change of class.The passenger, incredulous, agreed and gave her 100 US$ and when she asked for the change, the air hostess told her that the other 50 US$ would be used to pay for the similar change for the other passenger.After the intervention of another passenger, a lot of complaints and exchange of words in Portuguese and English, the said airhostess returned the 100US$.The steward, who also served the business class, never intervened.He saw what was happening, but made as if he did not understand.After arriving in Luanda, there was another incident at the airport.Passengers had to wait 55 minutes for their luggage, as Air Namibia prioritised the delivery of over 500 items sent to the Embassy of Namibia in Luanda, for the international fair.This was one thing, but the unimaginable behaviour of the air hostess was totally unacceptable.I was told that in Namibia, the corruption indices have been increasing visible.But I did not expect to encounter such shameless greed as passengers on that flight did with said air hostess.Hendrik Ehlers Via e-mail Note: This letter has been shortened – Ed