Around The World In 72 Days - International Incident or At Least I'm Not In A Ghanaian Jail

Let's be clear.

Africa World Airways (AWA), the home airline of Ghana, is, bar none, the WORST AIRLINE I HAVE EVER FLOWN! Period. There isn't even a close second. (Well let's not forget the horrible JetStar Asia experience. Or the Spring Airlines in China either). But for pure malicious incompetency, lack of caring, combined with a rigidity designed to fleece their customers of as much as they can get from them, I am not sure any other airline in my half a century of flying can meet this standard.

Let's just list what we experienced this trip. We had three scheduled trips encompassing four flights over a three week period.

First - Accra to Takoradi

 

This was our last day in Accra when we had the torrential downpour and it took over an hour to get to the airport that was less than 5 miles away. Do you think these kind of things might happen often in a tropical climate like Ghana? We got to the check-in counter two minutes past its cutoff. They told us we had to rebook on a later flight even though at that point the airline knew the flight we were on was running hours behind schedule due to the weather. This little rigidity of policy extracted double the cost of the original ticket from us, and had us waiting five hours to finally depart.

 

Second - Takoradi to Accra connecting to Kumasi

 

We check in Takoradi, no one knows how to do a connection. Evidently this must be something of a rarity. We are hit up with an overweight baggage fee. We're told when we get to Accra, we cannot just change planes. We have to exit security, go to the ticket counter and get some kind of form. (BTW there is no way at the Accra domestic terminal to go directly from arrivals to departures. You have to walk out, around and up a long traffic ramp to get back to departures. 

 

Getting to the ticket counter, we are told the flight to Kumasi is canceled. We have to go to a different office (where two people are dealing with everyone off this flight) to rebook. We've done this. Our earliest option is late afternoon the next day. Meaning we loose one of our two days in Kumasi. Working with my team we decide getting a driver who can go the five (hellish) hours of Ghana roads is the best, and safest option. Once again we arrive late and exhausted, having spent four times the amount we would have paid. 

 

Third - Kumasi to Accra

 

We'd debated. Do we chance it again with AWA? Or do we just bag it and get a car? We didn't want the added expense or having to deal with Ghana roads again so we took our chances with AWA. Our flight turned out to be an hour and half late. But it was at the check-in counter that our incident took place

 

The Incident

We're checking in  (imagine one line, a small dingy building, no modern equipment one associates with an air terminal). I get to the agent. They weigh our bags and tell us we need to pay an overage fee (this will involve getting out of line, going to another line, paying, getting back in line, so you can actually check in.). I tell the agent, 

 

"Comp us. Your airline's errors have cost me over $500 over the last two weeks. You owe us."

 

"I'm sorry sir. I can't do that."

 

"Yes, you can. Just print out the baggage tags, put them on the bags and be done with it."

 

"No I can't. Our system won't allow it. You will have to talk to our manager." She points to a door with a darkened glass wall."

 

Now I am starting to lose it. The weeks of dealing with various issues in Ghana all coming to a head. Normally when I fall into my notorious temper, Wife, will pull me to one side and get me calmed down. Not today. She is pissed too. And it is not easy to get Wife pissed.

 

I go back and forth with the agent. I keep insisting she must comp us and print out our baggage tags, she insisting she can't make the system do it without paying the extra fee. Finally, I take out a 100 Cedi note (the cost is 70 Cedi) and throw it down on her station. (BTW, the cost was about $5, but it was the principle of it all.)

 

"Here take it. Print out our baggage tags."

 

"No you have to go over to the payment line, make the payment, and come back."

 

Now I say loudly so everyone in the line can hear it (and the line is getting quite long at this point), "I am not going anywhere. No one else is going to check into this flight until you have someone get the payment done for me."

 

And that's exactly what I do. I just stand there. Finally, the agent gets someone else to take the payment over. She asks me to leave the line. I refuse. I tell her I will stand by the side watching her until I'm sure my baggage tags get printed out and on my bags. This takes about 15-20 minutes, I there glaring the whole time. 

 

Almost two hours later when we are getting ready to finally board our plane for the stupid 40 minute flight to Accra, I'm telling Gloria,

 

"Listen, if they grab me and take me into custody. Just get on the plane. Call our people in Accra when you get there. Get on the plane Sunday and get back to the U.S."

 

In the event, we are in Accra at our hotel. And thus far, I am a free man.