Destination Golf Global Guide (Winter 2018) * | Page 31

Virgin Atlantic, a great flying choice to Southern Africa.
snakes and ladders with a board on which there
are only snakes!
So although there were certainly no ‘snakes on
a plane’ in this instance, my experience with
various airlines over the years has been mixed
to say the least.
It has ranged from mostly ‘great’ with Virgin
Atlantic on the ‘Africa run’, Gulf Air from Oman
to London and with Oman Air from Muscat
to London. This would be in contrast to the
trials and tribulations of using Fly Dubai (Fly
Eventually as I finally rechristened them) on the
visa run to Dubai and with Emirates. On my
last trip with Emirates they managed, on a four
leg business class flight (marketed to us with lie
flat seats throughout and a limousine airport
transfer), through to France, to give us inclining
seats on the 3 night legs and lie flat ones during
the only day flight!
On this same trip, the so called ‘limousine
transfer’ to OR Tambo airport, from my home
in Dainfern, was in a Mercedes C200. The C200
is a very nice car, but it is only a sedan and
definitely not a limousine and as final insult, the
airline also managed to lose my luggage and
then tried to blame me for the problem. To
this day I have never had a meaningful apology
from the airline and as a result I have studiously
avoided booking with them ever since…which is
now 11 years and counting!
Mind you on my last flight on BA (normally
there are no issues) from London to
Johannesburg, the Premium Economy cabin was
so cold it was like being inside a flying Popsicle.
The cabin manager asked if there was a problem
and I pointed out that he might like to adjust
the temperature. I observed that it felt like we
were in a sleuth of Polar Bears, or at a hoodie
convention, because if he cared to look around
Volume 4 • Issue 46
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