CarleenD

Thanks for all the feedback. It's encouraging to know that I wasn't being unreasonable.

2Afrika did offer to "help me" get my money back from Nationwide (I did have to purchase other tickets), but only, and I quote, "...if indeed you choose to communicate with me as opposed to slandering my company for an issue way beyond our control."

banares

I had used 2afrika on a Kenya safari, and I found their service as a TA had a lot to be desired.

Ken is from South Africa (and makes regular trips there) and presumably has many contacts on the continent, although working out of an office in NJ. WHen I was dealing with him, there were often problems with him communicating with his contact, and I had many delays with the planning.

RBCal

Looks like 2Afrika won't be helping you get your money back from Nationwide since you posted here instead of communicating with him. I doubt you'll get any money back anyway. I never did from an airline that went under halfway through a trip.

DonTopaz

Whenever anyone shows up in a Fodor's forum and slams a specific business in their first post, I tend to take that poster's comments with a grain of salt.

Now it might be that Carleen has recounted the facts as accurately and as fully as she knows them. In my experience, though, it often turns out that some key facts were for one reason or another omitted from the retelling of the story.

Others may well disagree, but my sense is that Carleen is angry and she wants to really put it to 2Afrika. Maybe they deserve it. Maybe they don't. But my best guess is that there's a considerable amount of information that is missing from this story.

CarleenD

Well, as I said, if you're interested I can forward you the entire conversation between myself and the owner. There's not one detail I did not include. And I'm not interested in "slamming" 2Afrika - just warning others of my experience.

CarleenD

I will say that it is unfortunate this has to be my first post. I had no idea this forum was here, and it's far more informative than Frommer's (which is where I have posted several times before).

ShayTay

One point to consider: a travel agent/safari planner is NOT the outfitter on the ground in Africa. In my experience, the agent plans the trip but it is the outfitter that handles everything once you are "in country." I would think that Bushtracks should have taken care of this for you while you were in Africa. 2Afrika should have monitored the situation, however, and confirmed with Bushtracks that it was taken care of. Perhaps Bushtracks assured 2Afrika that they had done so when they hadn't. I think that it would be beneficial for you and the agent at 2Afrika to sit down and calmly discuss the issues, point by point. Right now, it seems that both sides are being defensive, which will make resolution difficult.

The posts regarding Wilderness Safaris and Go2Africa are referring to outfitters and agents located in Africa. While I was on safari in Tanzania, our flights to Zanzibar were changed (time and departure airport.) Even though we hadn't booked those flights through our safari outfitter Kibo Guides, they were monitoring them and took action to make sure we made those flights. This would have been impossible for an agent in the US to do.

Another point: no one knew how long the CAA was going to keep Nationwide grounded. From the local newspaper articles I read, there seemed to be some political games going on unrelated to safety issues. Nationwide is in direct competition with South African Airways, the government's airline.

CarleenD

Point taken, ShayTay. But keep in mind that this was a complete package provided by 2Afrika. I had no say as to what airline I flew or what outfitter I used. Regardless of who dropped the ball, any problems were ultimately 2Afrika's to fix, be it with the outfitter, lodge, or airline. If they can't handle end-to-end responsiblity like that, they shouldn't offer an end-to-end package. I booked with 2Afrika precisely because I wanted someone to coordinate all aspects of the trip (a mistake I won't make again).

Placing a phone call to my room or my cell phone, or heck, even e-mailing me to tell me what was happening, was not a lot to ask. I'm not the least bit interested in discussing the situation with them now, even if I ultimately have to eat the cost of the additional airfare.

nyama

...and it was weekend.

Mohammed

Sorry to hear about your situation but really this sort of thing does happen very rarely that airlines are totally grounded. I guess communication is difficult especially when you are travelling in Africa, and have an agent in USA.

Look on the bright side - you had a great safari and came home safe!

CarleenD

Nyama, here's a quote from 2Afrika's website:

"Our offices are closed during the weekends but there is always one Associate ‘on-call’ in the unlikely event of any emergency situations which might arise."

nyama

CarleenD -- I wasn't only thinking about the office in the States, I also thought about ground handlers and operators in Africa.

Two months ago I 'lost' my luggage when flying to Vic Falls on a weekend. It took some time until I reached the responsible emergency contact of my ground handler (a renowned company), catching her at a garden party with her friends. She was quite willing to help, but also told me that it wouldn't make big sense to start any action on the weekend because most of her contacts would be out of office. She finally did it on Monday morning, and she did a good job.

Your 7-time-zomes-behind TA had only one day (Saturday) to be of any help during this crisis, and I can imagine that it isn't quite easy to manage much on such a day.

The important question remains: why did the management of Chobe Safari Lodge not immediately contact you after they'd received the mail by your TA? For me it looks like here is the weak link in the chain.

afrigalah

I think nyama is right to a point...the Chobe lodge would have to share some of the blame.

But I used to have to work at weekends, on Christmas Day, Good Friday etc as a matter of routine, and we had to be just as efficient and our lines of communication had to be just as good as on a weekday. Sure, the job was harder to do, but there was no leaving a message with the janitor because the CEO is not in. I suspect 2Afrika has now sorted that out with the on-ground people it deals with.

John

HariS

Is Nationwide airlines running a normal schedule again? anyone know.....

RBCal

They are running limited numbers of flights.

Note that the reason Nationwide was grounded was that an engine fell off one of their planes after taking off from CPT.

I don't think I would want to fly with them.

nyama

So what would you do if all SAA/Comair flights to/from VicFalls/Livingstone are booked out? Cancel your trip?

I used Nationwide two months ago to get back from Zim. I was happy that I got a flight at all. Booked three months ahead.

matnikstym

I've flown Nationwide four times and I like the airline. All our flights were on time, the flight attendants pleasant, free sandwich and a drink. I'm sure they'll be maintaining their planes better if that was the problem. Years ago the side peeled off an Aloha plane and they're still flying. As nyama says, if everything else is booked what are you going to do?

nyama

I remember a picture of that Aloha flight. What an adventure!

afrigalah

Remember this old joke? Commander in the field radios HQ: <i>Send reinforcements, we're going to advance</i>; HQ receives message: <i> Send three &amp; fourpence, we're going to a dance</i>.

Much more chance of people failing to communicate properly (as in the instance which started this thread) than a plane having an accident.

John

kerikeri

i'm sorry about what happened, but for what it is worth: years after a first safari that was filled with similar air related &quot;adventures&quot; i can't remember anything but the lovely lodges and great game...

i wish you the same amnesia for this experience.

kerikeri