Holiday Nightmare With Despegar

[Markgeezer]

Thanks for those replies. Today I feel a little better in having recuperated a lot or deferred it for another trip.

GS... we did book everything independently, but the thing about Despegar is its around 60% of the costs on flights generally. Booking through S. African airways direct is much more expensive than going to Europe even, and we would have also lost part or all of the fare if we'd have booked directly with them, possibly even more.

nikad... I think there is a browser issue here, you and I see different things on the screen re. banners and pop-ups.

I'd say that the main thing that threw us and screwed us, is that S. Africa changed its rules, As I said, we went in 2001 and there was no YF certificate requirement, so in our case we didn't go reading all the small print since we'd been before, but NO we don't really have a leg to stand on. Yellow Fever isn't something I really think about living here, or when travelling abroad even though I've had the jab a couple of times. If our flights had been from Uruguay or Chile, we'd be exempt.

Today, the motorhome company deferred our trip (would have been a massive loss) and the hotels have also been understanding. Despegar were better today and we are still negotiating, Our only losses are with them now.

irina... yes I've read that they can quarantine passengers without the certificate for 6 days upon landing, so South Africa is being super strict.

 

[syngirl]

I'm sorry, this sucks, and I know you're looking for some positive feedback from the group. Unfortunately I was in SA in 2008, we fly from Buenos Aires and I remember the yellow fever requirement -- I think it told us about it when we purchased the tix online but it also says so in our 2008 Footprint guidebook.

HOWEVER -- here is something you may be able to argue, but you will have to find out if it is still true -- from the guidebook:

"Vaccinations:
South Africa requires yellow fever vaccination certificates from visitors who have travelled through the yellow fever zones in Africa or South America. If you arrive from these areas without the certificate, you will be given the jab at the airport before being permitted entry. This currently costs around R400 at Johannesburg Airport, so it will be more than your arm that will feel the sting."

So you need to find out if it is still true that you can just get the jab when you land -- if so, the airline should not have prevented you from flying. but here's the really sore part -- DID they prevent you from flying, or did they just warn you of what may or may not happen when you got to Brasil? if they had outright prevented you from boarding when the fact is you can be given the jab on the ground, you could argue the airline was in the wrong... However the airline could also twist the case to say that you never boarded your plane in BsAs therefore they don't owe you anything since you opted out of flying.

If you had flown to Brasil you might have had more of a case against Despegar as your journey would have been interrupted and you would have been stranded away from home.

 

[bdk1]

"Vaccinations:
South Africa requires yellow fever vaccination certificates from visitors who have travelled through the yellow fever zones in Africa or South America. If you arrive from these areas without the certificate, you will be given the jab at the airport before being permitted entry. This currently costs around R400 at Johannesburg Airport, so it will be more than your arm that will feel the sting."

I was just about to mention the same thing. I had to get the YF vaccine to go to French Guiana a few years ago and as far as I remember if you didn't have it they would just give it to you at the airport (whether you liked it or not). I think it's strange that they wouldn't allow you to fly there and be given the vaccine at the airport. You would have also needed it for Réunion, by the way.

 

[sergio]

Are you at all worried about getting this live vaccine? I did years ago and was greatly concerned about it but have not had adverse effects.

 

[syngirl]

Are you at all worried about getting this live vaccine? I did years ago and was greatly concerned about it but have not had adverse effects.

Are you at all worried about getting this live vaccine? I did years ago and was greatly concerned about it but have not had adverse effects.

Sergio, like any vaccine it is the minimal dose necessary to activate the production of antibodies. Don't tell me there is now an anti-vax group against yellow fever.

 

[Rich One]

I was just about to mention the same thing. I had to get the YF vaccine to go to French Guiana a few years ago and as far as I remember if you didn't have it they would just give it to you at the airport (whether you liked it or not). I think it's strange that they wouldn't allow you to fly there and be given the vaccine at the airport. You would have also needed it for Réunion, by the way.

What about the 10 day period needed for the vaccine to become effective???? if given at the airport ??

 

[sergio]

Sergio, like any vaccine it is the minimal dose necessary to activate the production of antibodies. Don't tell me there is now an anti-vax group against yellow fever.

Yes I know this which is why I finally decided to get the vaccination however one still has some lurking fears. I believe there is still a minor risk. A few years ago there was a heated debate on this forum about live vaccines.

 

[Markgeezer]

No, I'm not worried about having the vaccine (had it before), and would have had it at Jo'burg airport if that had that been an option. You can't just get the jab anymore when you land.

Just to clarify, S. African Airlines are bumping anybody off their flights without the YF certificate and it must be at least 10 days after the jab. TAM staff said a handful of Argentines were returning back from each S. Paulo flight having been rejected, I understood that this was on a daily basis.

Yes... we could have flown to S. Paulo only to return later... could have been a long day !!

 

[johnw100]

I feel your pain, but just typing this "south africa entry requirements" into google and it comes up in a box at the top stating this..

"You will need: ....
Yellow fever certificates – if your journey starts or passes through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America."

So i`m not sure how much of a chance you`ll have on getting refunds with this one. Keep at them though you might be get something, good luck anyway.

On another note, never use third party companys here in Argentina if you can help it. Its bad enough working out problems with first parties here. We had a change of our flight date with despegar, they charged us $400us to change and took 3 months to give us a refund , when going direct with the airline we couldve changed free of charge 2 hours before our departure.

 

[ben]

I feel your pain, but just typing this "south africa entry requirements" into google and it comes up in a box at the top stating this..

"You will need: ....
Yellow fever certificates – if your journey starts or passes through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America."

So i`m not sure how much of a chance you`ll have on getting refunds with this one. Keep at them though you might be get something, good luck anyway.

On another note, never use third party companys here in Argentina if you can help it. Its bad enough working out problems with first parties here. We had a change of our flight date with despegar, they charged us $400us to change and took 3 months to give us a refund , when going direct with the airline we couldve changed free of charge 2 hours before our departure.

This is true. With agencies 90 days refund is standard. This is not because the agency is dragging its feet, this is how long it takes the airline to refund the money to the agency. It's taken longer as well in the past. Why? Just Because. This is of limited relevance though, as most cheap tickets these days are non-refundable to start with.

As for change penalties, there are some limited circumstances where an airline employee will have more leeway to waive the change fee than an agent does. Then again, most often in such an event the airline would do it even if the ticket were issued by an agency.

On the other hand, in a case such as the general strike a couple of months ago, good luck getting the airline on the phone in the first place. An agent, especially a small one (NOT despegar) will be far more able and available to help - as a couple of clients of mine who had flights during the strike will know.