Traveller reviews
Overall rating
6.7
Good
Based on 806 reviews
Boarding
7.0
Comfort
6.7
Crew
7.5
Entertainment
5.8
Food
6.6
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South African information
| IATA code | SA |
|---|---|
| Routes | 14 |
| Top route | Cape Town Intl to Johannesburg OR Tambo |
| Airports served | 8 |
| Top airport | Johannesburg OR Tambo |
South African traveller reviews
Pros
"The flight attendants were great"
(in 22 reviews)
"The crew was good and friendly."
(in 120 reviews)
""Besides that, the seats were comfortable""
(in 12 reviews)
Cons
"The food was not good."
(in 80 reviews)
"Flight attendants were rude."
(in 13 reviews)
"In flight entertainment"
(in 81 reviews)
Recent reviews
Traveller rating
309
214
162
103
0
Find reviews that mention:
long flight
good flight
crew was friendly
food was good
flight entertainment
aisle seat
entertainment system didn't work
flight attendants
business class
tv screens
seats were comfortable
seats are uncomfortable
getting old
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9.3
Cons: Nothing
review from
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8.3
Cons: Better Movies and music
review from
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8.8
Cons: It’s a hop and a skip, just 2 1/2 hours. But. Nice flight
review from
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8.0
Pros: Courteous crew
Cons: Entertainment console only partially working. Toilet vacant/occupied indicator not working fully.review from
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10.0
Cons: Wish SAA doesn’t stop their operation, friendly cabin crew and tremendous professional on deck crew
review from
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8.0
Pros: Food and service as well as pilot trying to speak other languages. Great to hear him trying. he put a smile on the teams face. Sounded liked a good leader and that is encouraging, especially as the airline is going through a tough time.
Cons: Seat comfort and tech access to USB ports etc.review from
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10.0
Cons: everything ok
review from
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7.6
Pros: Good size screen.
Cons: Check in Lagos.review from
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10.0
Cons: Absolutely nothing could be improved. The staff were the friendliest I’ve come across and the food was great too.
review from
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7.3
Pros: The crew was good and friendly. The seat was good for a domestic business class
Cons: The food was not good. Chicken was very overcooked and the mashed potatoes tasted like they came from a boxreview from
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8.4
Pros: The seat was very comfortable
review from
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9.3
Pros: The seat and the crew were fantastic! The crew was so friendly and helpful and always checking to make sure that everything was ok. Also, they proactively cleared trash from my area
Cons: The food was fine, but not exceptionalreview from
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7.6
Cons: The big four-engine Airbus has no electrical outlets or USB ports at each seat. Entertainment screen was intermittent.
review from
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7.6
Pros: Crew were amazing
review from
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8.0
Pros: friendly crew
Cons: flight was delayed 2-hours, I pre-paid for a seat but was relocated to a different less convenient seat.review from
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8.0
Pros: Crew was amazing!
Cons: In flight entertainmentreview from
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6.0
Cons: Lovely Airbus 340-600, with no USB or electrical ports at any seat, and the screen at my seat was inoperative.
review from
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6.0
Pros: Beef for lunch
Cons: The wine, the eggs and the bathroom never cleanreview from
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7.3
Pros: The food was good.
Cons: Check-in was extremely slow. Some of the screens for the movies did not work. This was not good. The maintenance on the plane is bad. That’s quite a scary thought!review from
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6.6
Cons: Various tv screens would not stay in place in row 47 where I was sitting
review from
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4.0
Cons: Seat antiquated, food was more economy than business
review from
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4.0
Cons: Seat antiquated, food was more economy than business
review from
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7.0
Pros: Crew was amazing both the ground staff and the FA on board. Food was nice.
Cons: No USB charge or personal video entertainment. It's an old plane that desperately needs upgrades. For the price point of the route compared other carriers, the only benefit you are getting is a direct flight.review from
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7.6
Pros: A very comfortable flight (with a full plane and in economy). The crew was clear, gave good instructions and were available to help. Even though the flight started bumpy, they will still able to complete service on a short flight.
Cons: Despite my status with Star Alliance (Gold...the highest), I still was not allowed to take my roller carry on into the plane. There was plenty of space as they were allowing NO one in economy to take a roller carry on. Despite requesting it twice (I was at the end of a long, 3 day journey from the US to Harare) I was denied. This was unnecessary and spiteful to those of us who fly frequently.review from
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8.0
Cons: Great short flight
review from
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10.0
Pros: The entire process was awesome
Cons: N/Areview from
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6.3
Pros: The crew was good and the seats were comfortable and had enough space.
Cons: There was no wifi and on a long flight like that I sort of felt out of date with the world.review from
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9.2
Pros: The crew was great, the food was fine; it was all very much as good as could be expected. It was a very positive experience relative to industry norms.
Cons: Boarding (and deplaning) is inherently tedious; I'm not sure what could be done to fix it. And sitting on planes for 17 - 19 hours is just brutal. This is not South African Airline's fault, it's a problem across the board, and i don't see this changing anytime soon. Also, the human air-travel carbon footprint is completely unsustainable, which is also not the (particular) fault of South African Airlines. In fact, it's my fault for participating...review from
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7.3
Pros: it's nice to be on the same plane all the way to the US va flying through Europe or the Middle East and switching
Cons: old airplane had no power point at the seatreview from
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10.0
Pros: Business Class on the Code Share, South African Air was superb
review from
Flight status
South African route map
South African contact information
- SA IATA code
- +27 11 978 1111 Call
- flysaa.com Visit
Overview of South African
SAA codeshares with many other airlines, including LAM Mozambique Airlines, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, and United Airlines, meaning they often take turns servicing one another’s flights. If you will be flying within South Africa, your flight may also be serviced by Mango Airlines, as this company is owned by SAA and is often used for shorter trips.
This airline is known for having its primary hub in Johannesburg, but it also services flights to over 35 destinations in the world. While many of the company’s destinations are located in African countries, such as Namibia and Zimbabwe, you can also fly to Europe, Asia, and South America, with some country examples being the United Arab Emirates, England, and Thailand.
For those flying with SAA, there are two primary classes to choose from, including Economy and Business. Economy is the most popular option and offers basic amenities and services, including entertainment, a blanket, and a pillow, while Business provides a more luxurious experience that gives travelers access to comfortable chairs, more leg room, and a welcome pack that includes items such as headphones.
Out of the many types of aircrafts that the company uses in its fleet, almost all of them are Airbus. While the Airbus A340-600 is one of the largest choices that is used and can fit over 300 passengers, the Airbus A320-200 is the most commonly employed option by the airline and is best for shorter flights, with its maximum capacity being 138 passengers and crew members.
Flight status, cancellation, and delay data provided by Flightstats.com. Flightstats data may not always be accurate or error free. Always confirm the information provided here directly with your airline.