Complaint Review: Ethiopian airlines

Ethopian airlines in Cameroon needs serious attention. After they made me miss my flight on Monday  to Lesotho which is a visa free country for Cameroonians, they made me go to Yaounde that same day to get further advise from the South African Embassy. They even told me I don't need a transit visa to enter Lesotho and they asked me to show the Ethopian airlines manager an email from the south African embassy that says so. No visa for Cameroonians.

I have been in one dress, since Monday sleeping at car parks in my own country,  like a vagabond because I am waiting for Ethopian airlines conclude and decide on when to send me to execute my project in Lesotho with 4 communities waiting for me. I unwilling had to take the risk to go to Yaounde just to be sure I don't need the visa even after receiving their email that said so.

I was asked by a kind staff at the Bonajo office in Douala to wait so they could conclude decisions for my flight. After waiting for her to call today I decided to go to the office my self after I had sent her an email. She told me the manager at the airport says I have to deposit 5000 USD before I make the trip. I appreciated her and left the office for the airport.

I  just left the airport and the Ethopian airlines staff there asked that I make my flight tickets one instead of two as was initially presented. So I don't have to show a transit visa as before. But there's this lady_ the same lady who told the staff at Bonajo that I had to give 5000 USD as caution before leaving for Lesotho.  At the airport, she now said I need to leave 1200 USD as a caution fee even after her colleagues mention repeatedly it's a round trip.

Worst was when I couldn't hold myself and burst into tears that she came out shouting that I stop crying and  if I am not comfortable with the caution fee I might as well take another airline. It's not just the Ethopian airlines I can fly in.I think the problem is not actually about me not having a transit visa like she said earlier ( which her colleagues have finally acknowledged I don't need it) someone has a character issue and poor customer service ethics.

She doesn't care if I book another flight and she doesn't care about the money I am losing as a client. She doesn't care about the company either as far as I can see.I work with many organizations and I know what it takes to keep a single client. For anyone who cares to hear my story, I will advise them never to take the Ethiopian airlines for any reason.