Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - SAA First class LHR-JNB

Any recent experience on the SAA F product ?

Sorry nobody has replied. I've talked to death about SAA, so I'll remain silent on the topic, however if you do a search here and/or in Trip Reports you'll find some interesting/contradicting observations about SAA 1st.

Will

Last time I flew SAA F class was HKG-JNB, about 3 years ago. I was the only person in F on this 747 overnight flight, and the flights attendants could not have been more wonderful (o.k., so they were probably really bored!). But SAA tries hard and I found their service to be very good. They didn't have lie-flat beds at that time (at least on that route), so that put them behind LH in terms of seat comfort, for instance. The food was very good, but not nearly as fancy or extensive as LH F class. That said, I'm flying LHR-JNB in F class early next year with my fiancee, and we'll be flying LH on the way back. Since switching jobs, I haven't been going to Africa much in the last couple of years, so I'm interested in seeing how both services stack up now. Others can correct me, but I think LHR-JNB-LHR is the only SAA F class these days? If so, I'd imagine they put some attention into it.

TravelinWilly: what's the F class lunge situation in LHR T1 (assuming that's where SAA flies to JNB from)? Wondering if I have something to look forward to or not.

Almost correct. According to their timetable, SAA also still fly 744s (the only SAA aircraft with F class) to Lagos and Luanda as well as LHR. Apparently only cities that begin with the letter L qualify for F class! :)

All SAA F class beds are new fully flat. I have not sat in one in 3 years, but they were very comfortable.

I would love somone to give a detailed account of their experience. I've flown first to SA on Lufthansa, Swiss, and British Airways this year and decided to try SAA. Can someone help? Did I make the right choice? Should I switch airlines?

The absolute best of the three has been, BA, hands down. (This is to JNB, EK, SQ et. al. are not included).

Please advise even if it's for the 100th time! :)

Thank you in advance!
UG

I have flown SAA several times...however, not in the last three years. I did post a trip report a few years ago. My personal experience have been excellent and I would not choose another First Class ticket to South Africa. I truly enjoyed the First Class Lounge at LHR and the service on board was fantastic. I cannot say enough good things about SAA--I know I am in the minority. Feel free to ask about any specific questions.
I also have to add the lounge in JNB was great...Menu on demand with fine tasting food....a great airline--too bad they have chosen to do away with the First Class Cabin--they did it well.

I would love somone to give a detailed account of their experience. I've flown first to SA on Lufthansa, Swiss, and British Airways this year and decided to try SAA. Can someone help? Did I make the right choice? Should I switch airlines?

The absolute best of the three has been, BA, hands down. (This is to JNB, EK, SQ et. al. are not included).

Please advise even if it's for the 100th time! :)

Thank you in advance!
UG
Since no one is biting, I'll rehash my experiences. :)
For starters the bad news is that there is very little consistency with regard to the soft product. Crews are sometimes totally clueless and sometimes unbeatable. It's a lottery which you'll get given the massive staff turnover they have had in recent years. I have never had them be intentionally rude or surly (except sometimes the ground staff) but they can be woefully inept.

As for the "hard" product:
- In JNB you can do kerbside check-in - actually a nifty reception area right off the sidewalk - and then get escorted through the godawful zoo that is JNB at peak time in the evenings. At other locations you get separate check-in desks and seldom have to wait at all.
- The lounges in LHR and CPT are very nice but not spectacular as is the arrivals lounge in LHR (not exclusive to F). Shower facilities are excellent; there is a snack menu and the drinks are adequate. The JNB departure lounge is supposedly a cut above but I haven't experienced it. The JNB arrivals lounge is tiny but IME not much used, so quite up to its job. Staff generally very friendly in all once you pass the dragons at the front desk.
- The cabin ambience is quite nice and spacious with only 10 or 11 seats in F. The high backs and seat "wings" give a fair deal of privacy (but not as much as the crafty BA layout manages to do). The only seat I would avoid is the single in the middle on the configuration with 11 seats.
- I find the seat slightly uncomfortable in the fully upright position, but very comfortable otherwise including as a bed. It has an electically operated ottoman that is nice for getting your reclining position just right.
- In full recline the arm rest goes down to bed level giving you a really nice wide bed. This is made up with a fitted sheet and duvet combination which works well unless you toss and turn a lot in which case you end up tied in knots and need to be Houdini to disentangle yourself.
- Food is generally of a good standard and the wines are excellent, but only SAfrican - except for the champers (which I feel is not truly top drawer - but it may have changed).
- The IFE is better than BA technically (not that they are much competition! on this score) and the screen bigger IIRC. The selection has always been adequate for me, but I tend to only listen to a few classical CD's or watch a sitcom.
- The amenity kit is nothing special - in fact it's the same as the one in J. Still, not cr@p (like the shocking one VS is introducing) and the bag is useful even if the contents are undistinguished.
- The PJ's are a tad colourful and "sporty". OK, "tacky". (Not everyone can carry off a "soccer jersey" in blue, red and black and I've seen some very sheepish looking older ladies. I'm sure I look a right fright in them too. :rolleyes: But the bottoms are very nice.)

What have I forgotten? Overall experience: as good as the others you mention on a good day. On a bad day... be very afraid. But see TravelinWilly's posts and you will see that YMMV radically. ;)

If so, I'd imagine they put some attention into it.
Not sure that conclusion is necessarily the logical one... In the case of the amenity kit, for example, they just give you the J one nowadays. In some aspects it may be more trouble than it's worth to support a vestigial F service. If that extends to training F crews...

TravelinWilly: what's the F class lunge situation in LHR T1 (assuming that's where SAA flies to JNB from)? Wondering if I have something to look forward to or not.

Not wanting to usurp TW's position, here is my view:
The lounge is nicely situated close to the gates that SAA use so you can wait until the frantic, but tediously slow, boarding scrum has abated before boarding in a civilised manner. There are separate J and F lounges (right and left of the entrance). F lounge is usually not too full (J is often packed) and so nicely calm. (Has this changed since SAA joined *A? It certainly beats the pants off the BD lounge so would attract their elites if eligible.) There is a smoking section. Fully enclosed, no windows or views. Full booze bar, though to be honest I have only ever drunk soft drinks and bubbly so I can't swear to the quality of the other stuff. Apart from nuts, biscuits etc. there is a small snack menu and items get plated in a kitchen before being served. The showers are very nice: spacious and fully marble tiled. There are a couple of computer terminals with internet access.

We're not talking the Wing or EK's F lounge in DXB here. But not too shabby, IMO. Especially given that it isn't their home base and they only have 3 flights a day from LHR.

...The JNB departure lounge is supposedly a cut above but I haven't experienced it....The F JNB lounge is excellent, one of the 5 best airline lounges in the world. Small, but they don't need much space as this lounge is not accessible by status. An order of magnitude nicer than the CPT lounge, fwiw. They no longer do this (thanks to the infamous SAA staff turnover and their years of turmoil), but a decade ago the staff would bring in homemade cakes and other delicacies to the F lounge, to supplement the already quite good dining menu. I forget the names of the cakes, but they were Boer delicacies (unlike any that I've seen in other countries) and really delicious.

TravelinWilly: what's the F class lunge situation in LHR T1 (assuming that's where SAA flies to JNB from)? Wondering if I have something to look forward to or not.I think Cheetah answered this already - I've not flown SAA 1st out of LHR, only BA.
I would love somone to give a detailed account of their experience...Please advise even if it's for the 100th time! :)I'm sorry for posting this link (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=451074) for the 100th or so time (okay, everyone shut up!! :) ), but for the sake of economy I'm not going to copy and paste the text. I'm only adding the link again as a part of my never-ending quest to make SAA improve...

I didn't realize that SAA is flying 744's w/1st to Luanda. I'm flying TAAG 1st (at least, I'm paying for a 1st class ticket; not sure what I'll really get...) back from Luanda the week after next.

Finally (and this hurts me to say it, 'cause you all know how I feel!), I really think the JNB SAA 1st lounge is terrific! ^

Will

In a few months time I'm flying LHR-JNB in F then on to MRU in C, I'll post a trip report when I get back. But I've got a couple of quick questions. Will we be able to get into the F lounge at JNB during the stopover or will we have to go for the C lounge? Are there showers in the C lounge? Any transit tips for JNB?

Thanks.

W.

In a few months time I'm flying LHR-JNB in F then on to MRU in C, I'll post a trip report when I get back. But I've got a couple of quick questions. Will we be able to get into the F lounge at JNB during the stopover or will we have to go for the C lounge? Are there showers in the C lounge? Any transit tips for JNB?SA is pretty protective of its superb F lounge (to the point of having 2 F lounges, the 2nd being much worse and for the use of pax who have F lounge access but not flying F on SA -- at least I noticed this a few years ago). There is an arrivals lounge with showers which is excellent, but you have to clear SA immigration/customs (which you don't want to do if in transit to MRU). Your best bet is to phone SAA in advance and they will make a notation on your record to allow F lounge access while in transit, if you are on a revenue F ticket LHR-JNB (they won't do it otherwise). I've never done a transit in JNB (always a stopover) but the shopping airside seemed unusually good.

Really appreciate the additional comments regarding the F lounge situation at LHR. Would be interesting to hear what--if anything--has changed since SAA joined the Star Alliance (in terms of hours, which side of the lounge they are letting *Golds into, etc.).

The JNB "Premium" F Lounge truly is excellent. I've been in cabanas at The Wing at HKG (before my SAA F class flight from HKG-JNB a few years back...does SAA still contract with Cathay or has this changed since joining *Alliance?)...and I'd certainly imagine that JNB's true F Lounge is amongst the best in the world at this point. I particularly enjoy the dinner service there, and find the staff eager to please. And as someone who frequents WAY too many Red Carpet Clubs, most other lounges are a welcomed respite from an otherwise uninteresting lounge existence.