Africa - Two New SAA South African Airways Developments

In the past couple of days have been researching an upcoming trip between the US and SA. Stumbled across two items of interest.

First, it seems that SAA is either eliminating the Dakar stop on its JFK-JNB service or adding a second scheduled flight/return (that does not include the stop in Dakar). See,
http://www.flysaaspecials.com/site-4/air-only/nonstop-from-ny/?mpch=mail
"Effective May 1, 2011, South African Airways will offer round-trip nonstop service, between New York (JFK) and Johannesburg, South Africa. The new nonstop service on the northbound flight will eliminate the stop in Dakar, Senegal and reduce the overall flying time by more than 90 minutes."

I didn't play around with announcement (in particular to determine whether it is a new/additional flight or a change to the existing flight) but it's new to me nonetheless.

Second, SAA 207, JNB-IAD is now leaving SA later in the evening at 10:05 p.m. out of JNB rather than late afternoon (wasn't it 5:35 p.m. departure) and, arriving later into IAD (10:20 a.m. v. 6:00 a.m.). Don't know (didn't ask during a call with SAA when this change goes into effect but it is in effect at least in Jan 2012 (when I have upcoming travel JNB-IAD).

Worth noting, or ignoring.

Woohoo:
I'm so glad they're dropping that Dakar stop. Its so annoying as its right about when you want to fall asleep and they wake everyone up for a useless security check.

Booo:
I am very disappointed about the later IAD departure. Now I miss all the same-day connections onward to other African destinations. I have to fly out of JFK now just to get around a 19-21 hour JNB layover.

I'm not sure when this change happened, but I just noticed that SAA only gives 70% EQM's towards United status.

Woohoo:
I'm so glad they're dropping that Dakar stop. Its so annoying as its right about when you want to fall asleep and they wake everyone up for a useless security check.

Booo:
I am very disappointed about the later IAD departure. Now I miss all the same-day connections onward to other African destinations. I have to fly out of JFK now just to get around a 19-21 hour JNB layover.

Wait, wait...
Just to be clear, it's the JFK-JNB flight that seems to be dropping the DKR stop and, as I mentioned, it is unclear whether they're
(a) dropping the DKR stop on their current flight between JFK and JNB or adding a second JFK-JNB flight that doesn't include the DKR stop
and
(b) whether they're dropping DKR on the return flight from JNB to JFK (or, for that matter, dropping DKR from their JNB to IAD flight).

PLUS,
As I mentioned above, SAA 207, JNB-IAD is now leaving SA later in the evening at 10:05 p.m. out of JNB rather than late afternoon (wasn't it 5:35 p.m. departure) and, arriving later into IAD (10:20 a.m. v. 6:00 a.m.).

I don't understand how that will make you "miss all the same-day connections onward to other African destinations" - wouldn't that give you MORE time to get from somewhere in Africa to JNB to catch the 10:05 p.m. departure to IAD? It may, of course, mess up you connections from IAD to elsewhere in the US / North America (since you're landing at IAD later in the morning).

FINALLY
As I hinted at above (and never mentioned in my original post), I've heard NOTHING about dropping DKR from either IAD-JNB or JNB-IAD. Like I mentioned, the only thing I heard about DKR was re: JFK-JNB and the only thing I heard about IAD was the change in departure FROM JNB TO IAD. DKR and the schedule change are two completely different SAA developments.

I'm not sure when this change happened, but I just noticed that SAA only gives 70% EQM's towards United status.

Nor do I know when the change happened. But, I do know that mileage accrual with United (and US Air) is based on fare class.