Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - BA to SA connection in JNB and baggage allowance

Hello - did a quick search and found some useful info but wondered whether anybody could advise on connection times in JNB, and SA baggage allowance before I call reservations in the UK tomorrow.

My wife and I are flying to JNB on BA in F in October and need to connect to an SA flight to either HDS or PHW which I gather will be in Y only. We'll be on BA55 arriving JNB 06:55. I was thinking of either SA1225 to HDS at 10:15 or SA8853 to PHW at 10:40. Both seem like they give us plenty of time to connect and maybe even use the BA arrivals lounge (which I think is at the IC?).

The luggage question then is that from what I read on the SA website we're allowed 20kg per person (checked)? We might end up slightly over this (say 23kg in each bag) and I gather for SA domestic flights the excess baggage charge is ZAR30 per kilo. Seems reasonable enough. Can anybody confirm this? When do SA take payment if we are indeed over the free baggage allowance?

On the return we'll be connecting to CPT on BA6427 departing 16:00 so I was thinking of taking either SA1226 from HDS arriving JNB at 13:40, or SA8854 from PHW arriving JNB at 13:40. Again, sounds like plenty of time to make the connection so don't envisage there will be any problems there. Will SA check our bags in to CPT for this leg?

Any help greatly appreciated!

1. Over 3 hours should be more than enough to connect from Int. to Dom. in JNB (including a visit to the arrivals lounge).
2. I would be most surprised if you get charged if your checked luggage is 23 Kgs (i.e. 3 Kgs over). The only thing is that for HDS and PHW they use smaller equipment so they may be abit more strict than on the 'normal' JNB to CPT or DUR runs.
3. Again, for the connection to CPT, 2 and a bit hours should be more than enough. Not sure if SA will interline the luggage to CPT (assuming it is on a different ticket, otherwise the answer would be 'yes').

Hello from JNB (out on business).
SA are strict on baggage weights at JNB airport. For Y customers they weigh your bags before you join the check-in queue and give you a slip of paper with the luggage details - payment is taken at this point. They don't tend to be so strict for business or *G (who get extra allowances anyway).


2 hours or more is plenty of time to make an Int'l-Domestic change. The terminals are now linked by a very short walkway (where previously you had to march through the multi-storey carparks). I've never seen a large domestic check-in queue at this time.

Incidently - you can take bottled water on board domestic flights - none of that 'terror by toothpaste' stupidity here.

BA55 and SA235 from LHR tend to land within 5 minutes of each other, as the early intercontinental flights - I would advise making swift progress through to passport control so that you get through before the German flights, and others which arrive soon after. The passport control queue can grow extremely long quickly after this point as the other ic flights arrive.

I would ask at check-in at LHR to have your luggage checked through to your final destination. Not sure how it works customs-wise in SA but I have used this solution on numerous occasions for other destinations with no problems, thus eliminating the potential weight problem.

I would ask at check-in at LHR to have your luggage checked through to your final destination. Not sure how it works customs-wise in SA but I have used this solution on numerous occasions for other destinations with no problems, thus eliminating the potential weight problem.

No, that unfortunately wont work. You have to clear customs at JNB and re-check your luggage for domestic flights.

Hello,

Does anyone have thoughts about how much time is sufficient for a connection at JNB for an international arrival connecting to an international departure (arriving from Paris on Air France and connecting to Windhoek on a yet to be decided airline)? Will I need to go through customs or security?

Thanks.

Hello,

Does anyone have thoughts about how much time is sufficient for a connection at JNB for an international arrival connecting to an international departure (arriving from Paris on Air France and connecting to Windhoek on a yet to be decided airline)? Will I need to go through customs or security?

Thanks.

You won't have to clear customs in SA - not sure about an additional security screening but I would think so, which wouldn't take long anyway.

The official minimum connecting time in JNB seems to be 90 minutes for both domestic and international connections (it's definitely 90 minutes to a domestic connection but there is no separate mention of international transfers). I suppose 60 minutes should be do-able easily for an international connection

Both seem like they give us plenty of time to connect and maybe even use the BA arrivals lounge (which I think is at the IC?).I'm afraid this plan will be scuppered by the closure of the BA arrivals lounge at JNB from May this year (http://www.britishairways.com/travel/lcnews/public/en_za).

You won't have to clear customs in SA - not sure about an additional security screening but I would think so, which wouldn't take long anyway.

The official minimum connecting time in JNB seems to be 90 minutes for both domestic and international connections (it's definitely 90 minutes to a domestic connection but there is no separate mention of international transfers). I suppose 60 minutes should be do-able easily for an international connection

Thanks. And can I check in for the JNB to Windhoek flight with Air France? Or do I do that at a transfer desk in JNB? How about luggage?

Thanks. And can I check in for the JNB to Windhoek flight with Air France? Or do I do that at a transfer desk in JNB? How about luggage?

Unfortunately, there are no transfer desks in JNB, so depending where you are coming from, you may need to clear customs and re-check you luggage with the connecting carrier to Windhoek. If you are originating from outside of South Africa, you can have your bags checked all the way through and they will be transferred for you in JNB.

Air France does not fly between JNB and WDH, so perhaps it is a code-share flight operated by Air Namibia. I believe SA and BA are the only two carriers that fly the route and doubt they have a code-share with AF.

Unfortunately, there are no transfer desks in JNB...
Is that true?!

Some while back I was sitting in the SA departures lounge when I suddenly realised I had forgotten to check in for my connecting flight to DUB. (Doh!) I was directed to the transfers area (obviously going against the stream) where an agent checked me in for that flight (on EI) and issued my boarding pass. Surely they have not done away with this area?

Obviously this depends on one's luggage not being a problem.