Travelwings review: Extremely unsatisfied 1

Subject: Urgent Complaint: Seat Booking Issues Despite Additional Payment
Dear Travelwings Team,
I am extremely dissatisfied with the service we received regarding our flight booking.
In January 2024, we made a booking for 4 adults and 1 child to travel from Cape Town to the UK in December 2024. We were required to pay an additional R10,000 for seat bookings to ensure we were seated together as a family. However, this payment proved entirely pointless, as we encountered significant issues with our seating arrangements:
1. Outbound Flight: During online check-in the day before departure, we discovered that our seat assignments were completely different from what we had initially booked and paid for.
2. Return Flight: The same issue occurred on our return journey. None of us were seated together, contrary to our original booking.
This is completely unacceptable. Why were we charged an additional R10,000 for seat bookings if the arrangements were not honored? We feel misled and unfairly charged.
I have also lodged a complaint via Hello Peter but only received an automated response stating that the matter would be investigated. How can this be done without even requesting our booking reference or further details?
I demand a detailed explanation regarding:
What the R10,000 payment was actually for.
Why our seating preferences were disregarded despite paying for them.
What steps will be taken to resolve this issue and prevent it from happening again.
Please respond promptly with a resolution. Should I not receive satisfactory feedback, I will escalate this matter to the relevant consumer protection authorities.
I look forward to your immediate attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Caroline Vasconselos
[protected]