SAA and its service

Several people I work with were left stranded by SAA due to the recent strike.  Two were on their way to Rio for an HIV conference, and couldn't get from Cape Town to Johannesburg for their connecting flight - which was cancelled anyway.  So they never made it to the conference.

One was in the UK at a shooting competition, and got stranded there, waiting for a flight back.  She got back safely without being shot in the head several times, or even once, in spite of the fact that she and her team were carrying around cases filled with rifles and other such items.

And one was meant to be back today for the rugby at Loftus - although the strikes are over, with pilot strikes threatening on the horizon, there may still be a backlog of passengers to get back to South Africa.  I have yet to find out if he made it back for the rugby, or if he had to waste R350 (something like that) because of the SAA strikes.

Some links on the strike:
SAA sends jets to pick up stranded - SAA has has sent eight jets to collect stranded passengers at various international destinations as a ground and cabin staff strike enters its fourth day. - 25 July 2005 11:00
SAA and unions agree on CCMA intervention
South African Airways officials and labour union chiefs have agreed to seek assistance from the CCMA in a new bid to resolve the workers' strike that has crippled the airline. - 25 July 2005 18:23
Strike is costing SAA millions every day
Economist Mike Schussler says the South African Airways strike is costing the airline more than R20-million a day and is also having an effect on the catering and hotel industries. - 26 July 2005 16:13
SAA strike is over, say union officials
The South African Airways strike is effectively over, according to the United Association of South Africa, whose representatives have promised that airline workers will return to work before the end of the week. - 27 July 2005 19:13
SAA back in business again, says chief
South African Airways CEO Khaya Ngqula has announced that the national pay strike is officially over. The two labour unions involved in the recent mass action have accepted a wage offer from the airline. - 28 July 2005 15:52
Now pilots' protest may add to SAA's woes
Just as South African Airways recovers from a crippling week-long strike by cabin crew and ground staff, the national carrier could find itself hit by a pilot strike. - 30 July 2005 16:26

And on the rugby:
Springboks squeeze past the Wallabies
The Springboks had to dig deep before they recorded yet another Tri-Nations victory over the touring Wallabies, 22-16, at a packed Loftus Stadium in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.