South African Airways

✅ Trip Verified | Accra to Washington Dulles. Given the current situation globally, just glad that I got home. South African Airways is way below current standards for business class. My seat arm rest was broken and wouldn't collapse. This took about 6 inches off my sleeping space. My food was unappealing and limited options. Even though it is a flight with a late departure with only a light meal offered for dinner, I found that I was hungry after that service and there were not even biscuits or any sort of snack available. Service was obliging but seems their company has left crew with limited options to satisfy their premium cabin customers. Flight departed and arrived on time. Pursers announcements were the classiest I have heard in ages and announcements from the cockpit equally charming and informative -- something I told the captain when we met near the baggage carousel.

✅ Trip Verified | Washington to Accra in business class. South African Airways uses TK lounge in Dulles which was jam packed with line ups for the washrooms. Boarding smooth with early departure from IAD. I was initially in 2A, but moved to 9K in the second business class cabin when I saw some kids a couple rows behind me. Big mistake because there was a young woman two rows behind me who wanted everyone to know that she was there and travelling in business class. She fussed over everything, talked loudly from her seat to a passenger behind her, flirted shamelessly with the male cabin crew and in the middle of the flight, when everyone else was asleep, talked a full volume in the galley. I had to get and tell the crew to tell her to shut the hell up. To no avail. Then, on final approach to ACC, she was sound asleep and couldn't be woken up. She was a complete idiot. At one point, she stood in the second galley and pointed to the first, larger business class cabin and announced, "that must be business class, but where I am (the smaller second business class cabin) must be first class because it is small". A complete idiot. Shame on the crew for letting her talk so loudly in the galley in the middle of the night. Service was ok but definitely no way near the standard of many airlines. The business cabin was just over half full, but the crew did the minimum possible. When I inquired as to how the seat is made up for sleeping, one FA just pointed at the two packages of blankets/padded cover and said, "there they are", as if I hadn't already seen them. No effort at all to help prepare my seat for sleeping. During the meal service, when it was time for dessert, I was asked what I wanted. I said I'd have the cheesecake and the cheese plate, then was told that it was 'company policy' that I could have one or the other. Really? In business class with a nearly half-empty cabin? Food was mediocre overall. I liked the bulkhead seat in the second cabin (row 9) because the foot area is double size, unlike a lot of the new coffin-like business seats where you feel like you are undergoing the world's longest MRI.

✅ Trip Verified | On March 5, we were scheduled to depart at 1 p.m. from Livingston to Johannesburg on Flight SA49. But, without warning, the airline cancelled the flight, and all passengers were transferred to the swing flight SA9040/SA41, which we had to fly from Livingston to Victoria Fall, and only then to Johannesburg. Since we had to catch a flight from Johannesburg to Istanbul at 7:15 p.m., we requested confirmation of the cancellation of the flight in order to return the money, buy other tickets and fly off a normal flight of another airline, British Airways. A Nsw representative from SA refused to do so, assuring us that we would arrive in Johannesburg just 1.5 hours later than the originally set arrival time (15:15 instead of 14:45). That was still enough to catch our plane from Johannesburg at 7:15 p.m. We were denied the return of tickets and sent to board the plane, where we and other passengers were simply blocked for several hours. The plane did not take off at 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. First they sorted the luggage, then it turned out that they did not have a flight permit to fly to Victoria Fall. At the same time, we were not allowed back from the plane and were physically deprived of the opportunity to fly on a flight of another airline, British Airways, which took off from Livingston on schedule at 13:30 and arrived in time for Johannesburg. As a result, we flew to Johannesburg at 6:25 p.m., 3 hours 40 minutes late than the scheduled arrival time. Despite the assurances of the crew that we would be helped to board our flight at 19:15 through the transfer corridor, this was not done. We were just escorted out of the plane and dumped at the airport. When we independently found the South african Airways office at Johannesburg airport and asked us to issue a certificate about the late arrival of the flight due to the fault of the airline, we were rude, our passport was taken away and did not want to give it away. To get the document back, we had to call the police. After that, immediately returned the passport and issued the required certificate. As a result, we lost our flight to Istanbul at 19:15, were forced to purchase tickets for alternative flights at our own expense. One of the passengers became ill at the SA (South African Airways) office, but the spokeswoman refused to call a doctor. The reason for the situation was the greed of South African Airways, which instead of two planes (the airline sold two flights to Johannesburg - from Livingston and from Victoria Fall) sent one plane, which was supposed to gallop around Victoria Falls, picking up and unloading passengers of two flights. At the same time, the airline did not even have permission to fly under such a scheme, but knowing that the flight in time is impossible, denied passengers their law the right to return tickets and tricked them to the plane, which was doomed to fly with great delay. The fact that the airline has problems is already written in the media. But perhaps it's time to stop selling tickets for flights that no airline is going to perform? We are preparing to sue for compensation for late services, denial of the right by law to a forced return of an cancelled/altered flight, and for leaving a passenger in danger in a state threatening his health, an official of South African Airways and refusal to call for medical assistance. We hope that Star Aliance, of which South African Airways is a member, and IATA will also pay attention to the situation.

Not Verified | My wife and I booked and paid for exit row seats 70 days before departure for the 15 hour flight from JFK to South Africa. We were notified at the gate that we were not in exit rows and not even in the same row. We both had middle seats. When we complained we were told there was nothing to be done. The wouldn’t refund our charges and we are still jumping through hoops. There is absolutely no customer service.

Not Verified | Frankfurt to Cape Town. It's not a review of a flight but about customer care before the flight. SAA canceled my flight, bought two weeks before. Considering it was a multi-track flight (6 flights) i booked all the seats, but after the cancellation of two of these, they erased all the booking seats. I asked to proceed to re-book the seats for free, because I already paid for them. I contacted the customer care on twitter and one operator was good and wrote me he/she rebooked all the 4 SAA flights. After 3 days the seats seems not yet booked and I'm trying again to have an answer from them on twitter, without success. I'm really disappointed.

Not Verified | Maputo to Perth via Johannesburg. Two great flights. Maputo-Johannesburg: The A320 is a brand aircraft with the new cabin. The seat is a comfortable leather, similar to the ones on the A330-300. The crew were really friendly. We had a delay leaving Maputo because our engines wouldn’t start due to a faulty APU. The captain and first officer were very nice and told us the situation. Johannesburg-Perth: The A340-300 was showing it’s age. I believe our plane was made in 2003. The economy seats were a bit old but comfortable. There was lots of legroom for the 8hr flight. The food was great and the service was amazing. The entertainment system was quite old but had up to date movies so you wouldn’t get bored. The two things I found a let down. The arm rest wouldn’t go all the way up due to the remote for the IFE situated there. Also how you couldn’t store any baggage during takeoff or landing if you are seated in the aisle. But all in all a great flight.

✅ Trip Verified | Cape Town to Johannesburg. Once again a very pleasant flight on SAA. The cabin crew was extremely professional and friendly. I fly many different airlines regularly and SAA ranks in my top 3 due to their excellent service. Their hard product may not be very competitive (still very comfortable though) anymore, but they surely make up for it in service and catering.

✅ Trip Verified | Washington to Accra. South African airways was the most affordable way for me to travel. If you are flying out of Washington, be mindful of your carry on luggage. All pieces of carry on luggage were weighed at least 3 times. If anything was over the limit, you were obligated to pay. If you go with South African, expect bad behavior and rudeness.

✅ Trip Verified | Johannesburg to Cape Town. I was skeptical given the strike that only recently ended but I was pleasantly surprised by the ease and speed of the check-in. The plane was on time and the ground staff were excellent. Boarding was beautifully done and quick. We had a bus gate but that's a small qualm. Seats are old but comfortable. There were warm smiles all through the journey from the cabin crew. Drinks were a bit late in being served due to turbulence but we were informed accordingly. When they did come through, I was able to get more than one beverage. We arrived on time and my luggage was intact. Will definitely fly SAA again.

✅ Trip Verified | Johannesburg to Cape Town. Good flight, very friendly service, helping and take care of customers. Good food, nice lounge before departure. Nice to fly with a friendly crew on board.