South African Airways

Customer Reviews

4 star Skytrax Rating
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Seat Comfort 12345
Staff Service 12345
Value for Money 12345
Customer rating from 437 reviews
6/10
4 star Skytrax Rating
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2/10

South African Airways customer review

(United States)

I have flown SAA 203 and 204 six times this year from JFK to JNB. I have done it both Business and Economy. If you must fly the route pay for economy. You will be very disappointed in the premium class price for what you get. Seat is an average business seat (almost 180 but not flat as they say) and lots of room between seats. Nothing good after that. Food is average instant coffee service is slow - they leave empty bottles and trash around seats while they are eating and talking in galley. By the way this isn't one flight with one crew. This is a constant thing. Even though you pay $9000US and up for a seat and it states "confirmed" their policy states there are "no" confirmed seats even when traveling with others. Again not that big of a deal but when you can fly a UAE flight for less money I am going that route going forward. It's really almost comical when you think about the lack of service care regard or willingness to serve. There are exceptions so this isn't a 100% of their employees however I feel the majority of interactions will fall into this review.
Seat TypeBusiness Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
3/10

South African Airways customer review

(United Kingdom)

High chance you will be bumped off the flight you have booked and paid for. As tourists arriving via BA from LHR to Jo'burg for an SAA internal flight to Durban - after an hour and 15mins! Getting through immigration and still arriving at check-in desk 1hr before flight we were bumped. Desk lady was unhelpful and ignorant. Offered place on next flight (hour later). No refund offered. Possible to get a voucher for another flight valid for 12 months - not much use to tourists not planning on using their services again or be in SA in the near future. Eventually got ourselves upgraded to Business on the next flight and access to the lounge - not a great bonus during a 50 minute hop. Check-in as soon as possible and avoid JB airport their immigration set up is positively Dickensian. Your payment and booking does not guarantee you'll be on the flight.
Seat TypeBusiness Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages N/A
Inflight Entertainment N/A
Value For Money 12345
no
8/10

South African Airways customer review

(France)

JNB-CPT-JNB C class. Nice experience on the ground (dedicated check-in counters but no priority lane for security) and in the air with flights on time and adequate service on board (meals and drinks). Anyhow lounge experience at both JNB and CPT was a bit disappointing due to poor food selection (salad wraps fruits and crackers) compensated by free wifi. The seat quality on this route depends heavily on the aircraft used. On outbound flight we had a B737 dedicated to domestic routes with limited comfort while the inbound flight was on an A340 also used for intercontinental routes meaning the seat could be transformed into a fully flat bed. As there are many flights a day on this segment I would advise travelers to pick the journeys involving long haul aircraft's.
Seat TypeBusiness Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
8/10

South African Airways customer review

(Argentina)

EZE-JNB-CPT-JNB-EZE Airbus A340-300. Seats comfortable not BA Club World equiv flat or private but quite adequate to sleep and the cabins on all flights (these and the 3 round trips in Business over the preceding months incl NYC/CPT) are of high standard. Duvet and pillow are real! Food (on long haul) excellent (didn't look at it on the SA local sections) though SAA offers the worst instant coffee. I am usually disinterested in the food on most airlines but this was notably good. I'd forgo some of the service item enhancements to have a decent cup of coffee. Staff: All exceedingly efficient. Some - I suggest those who have been there many years very efficient to their duty but not vaguely hospitable. The others all excelled in all areas. Movies: on demand large choice headsets are not noise cancelling but a good system all the same. Worst Part: Johannesburg Airport luggage delivery is consistently bad to downright pathetic and not an SAA person in sight at JNB airport to ask. Everyone blaming everyone else. Johannesburg airport remains from my living memory one of the worst signed places on the airport - network - always has been.
Seat TypeBusiness Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
10/10

South African Airways customer review

(Namibia)

Flew SA 78 From Windhoek to Johannesburg and then on ward to Lilongwe on SA 170 both flights operated by a Boeing 737-800. Food was good seats comfortable and ground crew in Windhoek were great as I arrived late for check in and they were closing the flight but they still checked me and transfer at Johannesburg was smooth as I already had my JNB-LLW boarding pass issued to me in Windhoek. Would not hesitate to fly them again.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
6/10

South African Airways customer review

(France)

Frankfurt to Durban and Durban to Munich (via Johannesburg). Economy class. The economy class seats are very tight and when the traveller in front puts downs their seat there is little or no place for anything on the tray table. The food is indifferent and tasteless. The cabin crew are very helpful.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
4/10

South African Airways customer review

(United States)

JFK - Johanesburg June 20th. I was told there will be lunch dinner and breakfast but got only lunch at 12 noon and nothing else but breakfast after 12 hours. I asked what happened to dinner the hostess mentioned they are cutting costs. I was surprised on a 15 hr flight and not enough food. Hostess service was also the worst I had seen. Entertainment did not work even after resetting the system 3 times.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
7/10

South African Airways customer review

(Australia)

Mumbai - Johannesburg return in Economy class. Plane was A330. Flights on time. Decent Indian vegetarian meals. Excellent in flight entertainment. Only complaint is that on arrival in JHB despite landing early we could not get off the plane for more than 25 minutes as the aerobridge operator did not show up and did not open the door to allow passengers to deplane!
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
5/10

South African Airways customer review

(South Africa)

Flew from JNB-JFK. Flight was good but not the SAA it used to be. Called flight attendant and asked kindly for a cool drink told to come and get it. That is terrible service and does not meet my standards.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
6/10

South African Airways customer review

(South Africa)

I flew Cape Town - JNB - Livingstone and back. The first two legs were fine flights on time and service good. However check-in in Zambia Livingstone was a nightmare. I had one regulation size carry on bag and a purse. I was told by one SAA staffer that I was not allowed to carry on a purse and a suitcase. This was not a large purse it was a small handbag. I have never in all of my travels been told that I may not carry a purse with my wallet and passport. She actually made me open my suitcase and put the purse inside of it so that I literally had one item to bring on the plane. Utter nonsense. The next leg departing JNB was 1.5 hours late no explanation was given at all. This despite the fact that later scheduled flights to Cape Town were leaving in the meantime. Generally SAA is decent but the Zambia experience was extremely off putting.
Seat TypeEconomy Class
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment N/A
Value For Money 12345
yes