From: Clemencia Garcia & Jean Paul Sauvage Booking ref: SQY87L (Business Class) This will inform you of an unfortunate event and harrowing experience we encountered at Capetown International Airport, South Africa specifically with the Immigration people and your QR agent. On September 27, we flew from Windhoek to Capetown to catch our connecting flight to Doha, onwards Manila. Our flight to Doha, QR 1372 was supposed to depart at 7:40 PM but was delayed due to technical problem. After about 5 hours, Qatar made an announcement that flight had been cancelled. An advice was made that Qatar will provide hotel accommodations. When we reached the Immigration counter, our nightmare started. We were told we could not leave the airport because I do not have visa. From the very start, we did not have any intention to get off in Capetown, it was not included in our itinerary; the obvious reason I did not have visa. The situation was that Qatar Airways flight was cancelled, no available flight on the same day, and as a result, passengers were forced to stay overnight. The Immigration officer took our passports and advised us to wait. Please note that I, together with French national Jean Paul Sauvage and a young man from Indonesia flew in from Namibia. Our passports were then endorsed to a QR agent. After a long wait, at about 02:00 AM, we were led to a very small room with two beds, smelly pillows and bedsheets, a dirty floor mat and no toilet and bath. The Indonesian was given another room beside our room and was locked-in by the security. We felt so insulted that we were detained at the airport like criminals. We were escorted and watched by the Security when we need to go to the bathroom or other necessities. For what crime have we committed to deserve this kind of treatment by the South African government? I expected that a transit or special visa will be provided as a courtesy to stranded tourists. Exactly the same situation had already happened to me in other countries, but I was given a more humane treatment with a special visa to enter that country. Immigration officers in those countries know, understand, and have more compassion in assisting tourists with their predicament. The circumstances surrounding cancelled flights are beyond control of airline passengers. On your part, your QR agent did not even bother to check the room that was given to us. We expected that at least a decent room will be provided. We were totally shocked when we saw the room! Your agent did not extend any form of assistance either (no water, no food). While our co-passengers were sleeping comfortably in hotels, we were in a small, smelly dirty room, with no toilet, no water, no electrical socket where we could charge our mobile phones. We were so inconvenienced, felt harassed and insulted. Qatar made us feel hopeless and helpless. Adding insult to injury, Qatar emailed us the next morning informing that our next flight will happen on September 29; which means another night at the airport horrible accommodation or should I call it jail. This is totally unacceptable, the situation was already unbearable, I started to have heart palpitations (due to heart ailment). Something bad could have happened to me at that moment and I thank God nothing serious that may lead to my death or hospitalization in a foreign country. As my mobile phone started to run out of battery, I could not call the number you indicated in your text message. I sent a reply to that text message, but I did not get any answer. We waited for the lounge to open so we could ask the reception to call Qatar Airways for us. After a while, we were connected. Mr. Sauvage demanded two things: 1-QR to instruct the reception at the lounge for us to allow access: 2- That we should be put on the 01:00 PM flight bound for Doha. We saw this schedule from the departure screen. We were advised to wait at the lounge and that our luggages will be checked-in and our boarding pass and passports will be delivered to the lounge. As of boarding time, we did not receive anything, so we decided to proceed to the boarding gate where our passports and boarding pass were delivered. No message from Qatar that these documents are already at the boarding gate. Mr. Sauvage who turned 78 on the same day (September 27) commented it was the worst birthday and the worst moments in his lifetime which holds true to me. What a way to end our nice and wonderful trip in Namibia. It spoiled and cut short the beautiful memories without mention that we spent a fortune for this trip. We were given a flight with 18 hours wait in Doha. We would rather wait for several hours than sleep in the same filthy room at Capetown Airport. Through an agent we met at the Information Counter in Doha International Airport, we booked a hotel so we can rest comfortably while we waited for the flight to Manila. We were so exhausted after we went through a real harrowing experience! A fair and just compensation is due to us. Considering we are business class passengers loyal to Qatar Airways, you did not even care to help or assist us in any possible way. Futher, we need to raise voice for you to start to do something. You made us feel that what happened to us was nothing. No apologies heard from your end either. The mental anguish brought about by this incident, is just unbearable and hard to forget. Clemencia F. Garcia Mobile: +63 917 8****71 Email: clemzabfer@***.com Jean Paul Sauvage Mobile: +63 917 5****33 Email : jpsauvage@***.com