Make it your business to double-check that airline's business class offer

Imagine trying to convince someone that the “business class” air ticket they’d bought was actually economy class, but with access to the airline’s business class lounge before the flight.

That's what happened to Harare-based attorney Shaun Lightfoot, who thought he was treating his family to business class flights to Mauritius earlier this month - and he had the invoice to prove it.

But when he received the travel vouchers - from Student Flights, part of the Flight Centre group - he saw that air tickets were actually economy class.

“I raised the issue with the agent who booked the flights and the holiday accommodation as a package, who said that the sale under “Business Class” was simply to enable me and my family access to the business class lounge in ORT International in Jo'burg,” he told In Your Corner.

“My understanding of the law is that that is fraud.”

Intrigued, I took up the case with Flight Centre shortly before the Lightfoots were due to depart for Mauritius.

Responding, the group’s customer care team leader Kim Taylor said deal was based on economy class flights on Air Mauritius with an access voucher to the business class lounge in Johannesburg, but the consultant concerned “incorrectly advised that the class of travel would be business class”.

“This error was made with no malice or premeditated intent on our consultant's part and Mr Lightfoot thus accepted our invoice which stated the class of travel as business class on Air Mauritius.”

When Lightfoot queried the fact that the family’s travel voucher stated the flight class as “economy”, the consultant got hold of the travel company supplying the deal - World Leisure Holidays - which confirmed that the deal was for economy, not business class tickets, Taylor said.

“She conveyed this feedback to Mr Lightfoot and we sincerely apologise for the matter not being directed to our customer care department at this time.”

• Is your bag thin enough to fly?I found the recent announcement of the "new" domestic hand luggage rules a tad confusing. 

Having “reviewed” the matter, Flight Centre upgraded the Lightfoots’ tickets to business class, absorbing the extra cost of just over R17 000.

“We trust that our gesture is seen as a genuine attempt to rectify this matter and assure you that we at all times have a strong commitment in ensuring that we conduct business in a manner that is both transparent and fair,” Taylor said.

And that’s not all. As a gesture of goodwill, Flight Centre upgraded the Lightfoot’s Mauritius hotel room from the cheaper garden facing one to an ocean facing one.

Lightfoot was delighted with the resolution and told In Your Corner that the family had “a great time” in Mauritius.

So since economy class tickets teamed with access to a business class lounge is clearly a thing, this probably wasn’t the first or the last time such confusion has arisen.

Make it your business to make sure a business class offer means a seat in the business class of an actual aircraft, and not just the airline’s business class lounge.