South African Airways

DUR to JNB (SA 562) on 24-Jun-13. Enjoyed this flight not only because I had an emergency exit seat (which was more spacious compared to other airlines) but also because the service by the FA's was brilliant. The food was also notably good and the flight arrived on-time.

Flew on SA531 Johannesburg to Durban on 12 July. The economy class service was excellent and efficient. I was very impressed with the service on this short flight.

SA078. From JNB-WDH. Boeing 737-800 good tasting food chose the chicken option which was well cooked. Service on the other hand was below average as one of the air hostesses was unfriendly to one of my friends. Inbound flight from WDH-JNB was a very pleasant experience. Flight SA075: A Star Alliance Boeing 737-800 jet was a little outdated on the seats but the service was very good before I knew it a hot lunch was being served and tasted great for airline food good portion size and plenty of water after a long tour of Namibia. Very smooth landing on both flights. Looking forward to flying with South African Airways in the near future.

Flight from JNB to LHR was an overnight flight in business class. Service was very attentive wine nice and food good for airline fare. Service was better than Lufthansa on par with Turkish Air and much better than United or US carriers. Only problems was the seat and video. In could not get the lumbar comfortable for sitting (minor problem) but sleeping was difficult. Felt that there were rods in the sear when I put it in the lie flat position. The video system seemed to run all the movies in sync and did not give a menu of choices.

Day trip to Johannesburg from Cape Town. Early morning flight from CPT to JNB and then evening return. Both planes fairly full. Left slightly late on both occasions but made up time. Did on-line check in so went straight to security. Boarding easy. Upgraded on first flight which was very pleasant - more comfortable seat and extra leg room. Staff on both flights helpful and courteous. Food - business and economy excellent - full cooked meals - for a short two hour flight.

Travelling from Heathrow to Cape Town via Johannesburg is horrendous. Please bring back direct flights. The journey from Heathrow to Cape Town involves long walks and long waits between flights. I found it more than a little tiring as an older person.

Flew from Hong Kong To Johannesburg. The cabin crew entered the terminal passenger area prior to boarding to check boarding passes and passports. They were rude in their manner. On the plane they were rude and noisy. On my return from Johannesburg to Hong Kong I found the staff at Johannesburg airport to be slow and unhelpful. There was a long queue at the security counter and only two checking lines were operational this was in spite of the fact that people were arriving for a number of international flights. My flight was also delayed and eventually left nearly an hour late. I find the service for SAA formally one of the world's best airlines to be one of the poorest and although Johannesburg International Airport has improved since the World Cup Football it still has a long way to go to become the international hub it once was.

On a recent round trip JFK to Johannesburg in Business class we found SAA to be excellent in every way. Business class seats are very good. Entertainment is more than any human could need and the cabin crew was professional and friendly. The Business class club in Johannesburg was OK if not outstanding. We were pleasantly surprised at the overall experience.

I am currently in Entebbe (Uganda) and awaiting to board the delayed flight SA161 to JNB. It was scheduled to take off at 07.25 in Uganda but we have been informed that it will only take off by 10am today (25 May 2013). My concern is that I have a connection flight to PE scheduled to take off from JNB by 13.10pm (SA417). My incoming flight will then literally arrive minutes before SA417 will depart for PE. I am therefore looking forward in anticipation to see how SAA will deal with and co-ordinate linking myself up with the flight to PE later today. If SAA can pull this one off without a passenger having to be inconvenienced it will be great. Time will tell as it is currently impossible to inquire about this at the Entebbe Airport and having cleared customs already.

CPT-JNB return. Both flights on B737-800. Cabin crew very friendly. I sat at the emergency exit and cabin crew member explained what I should do in case of an emergency in a professional and friendly manner. IFE could use some work but I suppose its acceptable for a 1hr 45min flight. Food was great. Liked the announcements from the pilots they were regular and very informative. Both landings were greasers (smooth landings). SAA pilots are definitely amongst the best in the world. Overall a great experience and great value for money.