April 21, 2015
South African Airways São Paulo to Johannesburg 600p – 745a A340-300 Business Class
Despite the fact that I’ve logged over 5000 flights and 11,200 hours aboard 178 different airlines, I still get a thrill over the prospect of a long international flight in Premium Class. Even when I was no more than 5 or 6 years old I knew where I wanted to sit. It’s interesting because most everybody assumes that a kid with an interest in commercial aviation would want to grow up to become a pilot. Not me. I never even had any real desire to see the cockpit. Rather, I wanted to check out the First Class cabin, sit in those big seats and feast on all that glorious airline food served fresh from the trolley.
By the time I was 12 years old I’d flown a total of 15 flights aboard five airlines. Our family never flew First Class but I was always aware that the people sat up there appeared to be enjoying a much nicer flight. Not that I had any complaints with Coach, mind you. Back in those days the Coach services offered on many U.S. airlines was better than what passes for domestic First Class today – even on transcons. I was still young and inexperienced enough that any flight - regardless of class – was a huge thrill, often accompanied by such anticipation that sleep would be difficult to come by in the days leading up to our departure.
Keep in mind that I grew up when air travel – especially by jet – was still a novelty. Most of us back then considered a flight on a jet plane to be a special event. Indeed, traveling anywhere by public conveyance was considered to be pretty special – special enough that most people of all ages dressed accordingly in their best travel clothes. We always dressed up to go out to dinner at nice restaurants and sometimes even to go certain big city movie theaters, some of which were a much nicer and more ornate than the soulless multiplex boxes that pass as theaters today.
It was a great time to be alive. I’m very thankful that I was around to experience that era when a lot of things we take for granted today such as air travel really were new and different or in the case of a nice restaurant or classic old movie house held in such high regard that we honored the experience by striving to look our best when we participated.
As a kid I was as casual as any other kid of the day - my usual “uniform” being a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt as I climbed trees, built forts in the forest or tore around the fields surrounding our house on my bike. That said, I never considered it an imposition to throw on a jacket and tie to go out and fly. If anything, it lent a formality to the occasion that made it that much cooler.
These days, I still dress the part, especially in consideration of the stylish and classy premium class products that most good airlines deliver. They’ve invested substantial amounts of both time and money to provide us with stylish and well-appointed lounges, serve us with well trained and fashionably attired employees and fly us in elegant, comfortable premium class cabins. I personally like to honor their efforts and their product by dressing accordingly. But that’s just me. If you choose to show up in shorts and sandals, that’s your choice! I’d still be happy to join you at the bar for a beer or two while talking shop over your travels and mine.
* * * _ _ _ * * *
It was a little before 5:00pm when I gathered my gear and headed down to the departure gate. On my way out I stopped by a wall display where a nice assortment of local and international newspapers was available. I selected a copy of the International Herald Tribune – now called the International New York Times – and commenced the long journey down to gate 47, located at the very end of the concourse. As with my departure gate in Panama City, this gate was the farthest distance one could possibly walk from the lounge without actually leaving Terminal 3. It almost seems as if the Air Travel Gods – in consideration of all the sitting I’m doing aboard airplanes and in lounges of late – have conspired to see that I get as much exercise as possible, if only by making me walk long distances through all the airports enroute. I took a small measure of relief at being assisted down the considerable length of the concourse by eight people mover walkways.
São Paulo’s Terminal 3
When I was about 13-14 years old I’d occasionally ride my bicycle 12 miles out to Denver’s Stapleton International Airport. Once there I’d chain my bike to a pole and then head into the terminal for a few hours of fun roaming the concourses and pestering the ticket agents for things like timetables, ticket jackets and old OAGs. Down on the concourses I’d watch with envy as lucky passengers boarded aircraft such as North Central DC-9-30s, Western 720Bs and Braniff International 727s bound for the heavens. As each airplane taxied away from the gate I could easily envision myself someday boarding that very same plane, settling into a plush comfortable seat and enjoying the fabulous inflight service while headed off to exotic locales such as Minneapolis, San Diego or Oklahoma City.
Fast forward to the present and I still enjoy arriving at the gate a few minutes early to meet the airplane I’ll soon be flying upon. Granted, after 5000 some odd flights covering 4.9 million miles, I won’t come down early for just any old 737 but when flying aboard a new airline, a new airplane or on a long international flight my anticipation is such that, like an excited child on Christmas Eve, I just can’t resist a peek at the presents under the tree. As you might imagine this activity is all the more exciting when I’m in possession of a boarding pass entitling me to a seat in First Class.
One reason for a little pre-flight anticipation is that I’ve logged very few flights aboard Airbus’ A330 and A340 family of jetliners. Indeed, this would be only my fifth flight aboard the A340-300 – the others having come aboard models from Cathay Pacific and Philippine Airlines. I did once fly aboard an SAA A340-600 on a short flight between Cape Town and Johannesburg but it was in Economy Class. The scarcity of previous flights and the fact that tonight’s flight would see me traveling in SAA’s award winning Business Class combined to make this a flight that I’ve been looking forward to more so than most.
Waiting at the gate this evening was an 18 year old Airbus Industries A340-313X that was delivered new to the Spanish carrier Iberia as EC-GQK in 1997. Retired from service in 2009 and traded in to Airbus, the plane sat in storage for a year at Châteauroux in central France until SAA showed up a year later, kicked the tires and decided to see how many more flights the old girl still had left in her. Airbus was only too happy to offer a sweet deal on a multi-year lease. Now re-registered as ZS-SXH, she looked quite fetching in South African’s clean, attractive livery – poised and ready for her 4,620 mile flight across the South Atlantic.
South African’s A340-300 awaits its trans-Atlantic departure at GRU
Another reason that I’ve really been looking forward to this flight is that it will contribute to greater symmetry on my map of international routes flown. That big open space across the South Atlantic Ocean between South America and South Africa has long beckoned to me and as you can see from the map pictured below, at present it stands out like a missing tooth. I always knew I’d find my way across it someday and to be doing so aboard a quality Business Class like SAA’s while departing at sunset – well, I could hardly ask for a better scenario.
International Routes Flown prior to this trip
And finally, the ultimate reason why I’ve been looking forward to this flight is that South African Airways’ award winning Business Class has been consistently ranked as the highest rated Business Class product in Africa by a variety of air travel organizations. SAA has been awarded Skytrax’s prestigious 4-Star rating as well as "Best Airline in Africa" for thirteen straight years – the only airline in Africa to be so honored. Other 4-Star airlines include Lufthansa, Emirates, Qantas, Turkish and Swiss to name just a few, so SAA is in good company. SAA was also honored with the award for "Best Airline Staff in Africa" for the fourth time. The awards for "Best Airline Staff" are special and coveted accolades, as they represent the combined quality performance of an airline's front-line staff, including the on-board cabin crew and airport customer service staff.
Keep in mind we’re not talking about an award from readers of Travel & Holiday magazine here. The
Skytrax World Airline Awards, held each year at either the Paris or Farnborough Air Show, carry considerable gravitas and are described as "The Oscars of the aviation industry". They are the result of the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey and involve thousands of travelers from around the world.
Boarding commenced at 5:25pm with a call for Business Class passengers followed by multiple levels of garden variety elite flyers from SAA’s Voyagers frequent flyer program. Two flight attendants were on duty at the door where I was warmly greeted and my boarding pass inspected before I was directed to cross over to the far side of the airplane where I’d find my seat at 2K.
South African Airways’ A340 Business Class cabin
Photo courtesy of South African Airways
South African Airways’ A340 Business Class cabin
My seat awaits
By modern day standards, the Business Class cabin on this A340 might be considered old and frumpy. But, like the seats often found in a classic old car, these seats were large and well-padded and - best of all – they reclined to a full 180°. True, their 2-2-2 configuration meant that passengers seated by the windows would not have direct aisle access, but this I consider a small price to pay for what has to be one of the more comfortable and spacious premium class seats I’ve ever sat in and I’ve sat in quite a few.
Seat pitch is 73” so even when the seat isn’t fully reclined, there’s a wonderful sense of spaciousness about you that the more modern pod type seats can never come close to offering. The only other Business Class seat I’ve sat in that’s in the same range as SAA’s for outright seating comfort is the one offered aboard Singapore Airlines’ internationally configured 777-300s – at least as they were configured in November of 2013. United’s old cradle seats employed in the late 90s and early 2000s aboard its 747s and 777s are also worthy of mention.
Settling in for the flight, I took a few moments to take stock of my surroundings for the next nine hours. A large pillow, a bottle of water and the menu for tonight’s flight had already been placed at each seat prior to boarding. A steward soon appeared to relieve me of my jacket only to return moments later with a tray bearing Champagne, mango and orange juice. Why, a glass of Champagne would be just marvelous, thanks!
A Champagne Welcome
Amenity kits were delivered next. South African’s are presented in a stylish quilted leather bag. An inspection of the contents revealed the usual items typically found in any amenity kit. Of particular interest to me was the Calming Skin Balm. I don’t recall having ever been suffused with a sense of calm and serenity after applying skin balm. Hmm… Right – well, back into the bag with that and on to another glass of this delicious Champagne!
SAA’s Amenity Kit
SAA’s Amenity Kit Contents
Newspapers and magazines made the rounds and I selected copies of both The Star and The Mail & Guardian. Normally I’d stick to The Mail & Guardian – far and away the best quality news reporting in South Africa – but The Star had a headline that grabbed my attention: Rental Car Hijackings Increase. Just what I need to read as I’ll be picking up a rental car in Cape Town tomorrow…
Thanks to a fairly light load up front tonight, I had the luxury of an empty seat next to me. Oh goody! Now I can spread out and even relocate to the window seat without having to worry about bothering anyone if I need to get up during the flight. I’m starting to get the feeling that this is going to be a really nice flight…
* * * _ * _ * * *
So then, here I am comfortably ensconced in seat 2K sipping from a glass of deliciously chilled Champagne whilst awaiting the delights intrinsic to a premium class service aboard an airline long renowned for the quality of its inflight service. My favorite part of that service is of course the meal and SAA is known to offer a superior premium class meal service highlighted by some of South Africa’s finest wines.
Let’s have a look at tonight’s menu, shall we?
DINNER
Sao Paulo to Johannesburg
To Begin
A selection of canapés will be served with your cocktail
Appetizer
Shrimp Salad with sliced mango and marinated heart of palm
Soup
Tomato Soup with shaved Parmesan Cheese
Seasonal Salad
Offered with a choice of creamy gorgonzola dressing or balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Bread Basket
Filled with an assortment of warm fresh breads, served with butter
MAIN COURSE
Grilled Filet Mignon
Served with herb roasted potatoes, sautéed green beans, turned carrots, oven roasted tomatoes and green pepper and tomato vinaigrette
Grilled Chicken Breast
Accompanied by mashed potato with mustard, blanched chard, grilled asparagus, julienne sundried tomato and rosemary sauce
Pan-Seared Swordfish
With steamed rice, sautéed carrot sticks, snow peas and curried coconut sauce
Penne Pasta
With baked aubergine, roasted tomato sauce and buffalo mozzarella
* * * * * * * * *
Cheese Plate
A selection of fine cheeses featuring Camembert, Gorgonzola and Cheddar Cheese presented with bread and preserves. Served with South African Cape Tawny
Dessert
Lime Cheese Cake
Or
Dark Chocolate Mousse
Coffee or Tea
After Dinner Chocolates
A light rain had begun to fall as the last of the pre-flight paperwork was completed, the door was closed and the jetway was retracted. Pre-flight safety demonstrations were dispensed with and we experienced that first welcome nudge as the tractor slowly pushed us back and away from the gate. As we made our way out to the runway, Euan, the excellent steward working my side of the cabin, stopped by to inquire as to my drink choice once we were airborne. Hmm… let’s have a quick look at the beverage selections…
WINE LIST
Champagne
Taittinger Brut Reserve Non-Vintage
White Wines
Rijk’s Touch of Oak Chenin Blanc 2012
Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier 2014
Red Wines
Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Radford Dale Black Rock 2012
Dessert Wine
KWV Classic Cape Tawny
There’ll be plenty of time to check out some of those fine looking wines but for now let’s start with a glass of Bell’s, a blended Scotch whisky that I’d seen often around South Africa but as yet had never tasted. What better time for my first sampling than now, enroute to South Africa aboard its national airline while seated in the premium cabin at the cocktail hour. Let’s get this bird up in the air!
After a long taxi down to the far end of the airport our big Airbus turned into the prevailing breeze, the four CFM56s spooled up to their upper range, the captain released the brakes and we were off; rumbling down the runway at ever increasing speed until finally sufficient velocity was attained to defeat the twin forces of drag and gravity. The nose lifted skyward, the pavement slipped below and behind, the lush greenery of the Brazilian landscape disappeared beneath our wings and in seconds we were accelerating up and out over the deep blue Atlantic. Piercing the layer of slate gray rain clouds, we swiftly broke into the serene blue world of the lower troposphere – what I like to call the soft blue yonder…
* * * _ * _ * * *
This is one of my favorite times of the flight as the captain throttles back a bit from the initial takeoff thrust and the roar from the engines diminishes to a more pleasing tone. I reclined my seat a bit and watched with reverence as our 18 year old flying machine climbed effortlessly ever higher into the heavens. At this hour of day with the sun setting behind us, the sky ahead had a soft bluish-grey hue to it that contrasted nicely with the soft warm light that permeated the forward cabin. From the galley came the sounds of glass and cutlery as the crew began preparing our drinks and setting up for the dinner service soon to follow. The overwhelming sense here is one of pleasant anticipation…
My drink arrived with a small plate of canapés – a most welcome and pleasant addition to any cocktail service and one that from my experience is rarely offered on most Business Class services. Their various flavors complemented the musty essence of the whisky quite nicely and I quickly polished them off before requesting a second plate which was quickly delivered.
A great time to consider the menu
Drink with canapés
The Wine List – White Wines
Shortly thereafter Euan stopped by to inquire as to my selections from tonight’s menu. Well now, after a thorough perusal of the many delicious sounding choices, I informed him that I’d like to start with a bowl of the tomato soup with Parmesan cheese. That cheese sure sounds like a nice addition! I believe I’ll follow that with the shrimp salad appetizer. Now then, for the main course I think I’ll go with the Grilled Filet Mignon - medium rare, thanks. Oh – and for my salad, the creamy gorgonzola dressing, please.
Linens were soon laid, after which a tray was delivered bearing my soup and salad. I traded out my empty glass of Scotch for a nicely chilled glass of the
Alvi’s Drift Signature Viognier, which Euan helpfully described as a “red wine drinker’s white”. It was a delicious accompaniment to both the tomato soup and the shrimp appetizer, the latter paired nicely with ripe, sliced mango that was as flavorful as it was colorful.
Tomato Soup starter
Shrimp Salad with sliced mango and marinated heart of palm
With the exception of the soup and the shrimp having been presented on a tray, in every other respect this service was very much like what I would have expected in a proper international First Class. That was a good sized bowl of soup I was served and the shrimp appetizer was also quite substantial and very nicely plated. Euan did a great job of describing the available wines and had no problem selling me on the Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany my main course.
And what a good looking main course it was! The steak was good sized by airline standards - about 6-7 oz. or 170-200 grams – and attractively plated with generous portions of the accompanying vegetables. I particularly enjoyed the green beans which had been sautéed in something quite tasty. Although the filet was on the medium side of medium rare, it was still juicy and flavorful. Throughout each bite the Cab demonstrated amply why it had won the International Trophy for Best Bordeaux Varietals (under £15) at the
2014 Decanter World Wine Awards.
If there were any downside to all this it’s that I was so impressed by the steak in both presentation and taste that I completely forgot to photograph it. I believe that’s a first for me when it comes to trip report photography and I can only hope that you’ll be able to find it in your hearts and stomachs to forgive me this unthinkable transgression.
It’s a good thing I limited my snacking at São Paulo’s Star Alliance Lounge because the dessert and cheese were still yet to come and at this point everything had been so good that I’d hate to have missed any part of the service. My camera sat ready at my side.
Plates and trays were cleared while I savored yet another glass of the delicious cabernet. During the meal I’d been watching what I consider to be Stephen King’s finest movie – The Crankshaft Reduction. SAA’s inflight entertainment system, while not in the same class as those offered on the best Asian and Middle Eastern carriers, still provided an impressive library of films both old and new to entertain us with. With the seat next to me empty, I used its screen to display the sky map and keep track of our progress.
For dessert I chose the Lime Cheese Cake. The whipped cream appeared to have suffered somewhat in transit, thus detracting from the presentation of this dish. However, what was lost in appearance was more than made up for in flavor. The accompanying mango slices paired nicely with the tangy lime flavored filling of the cheesecake.
Lime Cheese Cake with Mango
I brought this repast to a close with a good looking plate of Camembert, Gorgonzola and Cheddar cheese presented with sliced French bread, a fig and some crudités. To accompany this I requested a small serving of the tawny port. Euan returned with an entire glassful and assured me that I’d enjoy every bit of it. Now I’d hardly call myself a wine connoisseur but over the years I’ve had the good fortune to be served some very nice wines both on the ground and in the air. Veteran readers of my reports may recall how impressed I was with the Warre’s 1986 Reserve Tawny Port that British Airways was serving its First Class patrons back around the turn of the century. That was a marvelously nutty and complex port that remains the standard by which I compare all others. The KWV Classic Cape Tawny I was served tonight was perhaps the second tastiest port I’ve ever been served aloft.
A nice ending to the meal
Plates were cleared and I politely declined Euan’s offer of a refill on the port. Had this been a longer flight I would have surely indulged but at this point we were a little more than two hours into the flight and - with just six and a half more hours to go - I had to start giving serious consideration to getting some sleep. I had a long day planned for tomorrow, starting with waking up in time for the breakfast service. After that, I had a connecting flight down to Cape Town followed by a 120 mile drive over to Bredasdorp. As such I requested that my seat be prepared for sleeping while I repaired to the lav to brush my teeth.
I returned to find the outer half of my seat pair nicely laid out with a soft white duvet and a large plump pillow. Atop the seat cushions a thin mattress had been placed for extra comfort. I really prefer the openness of this seat in its bedtime configuration as opposed to being surrounded by the plastic walls of a seat pod while having my feet and lower legs wedged into a narrow compartment. As for the bed, at 21” wide and 74” long, it provided plenty of room to stretch out without feeling walled in. A bottle of water had been thoughtfully placed on the center console. As we sped onward through the inky black skies over the South Atlantic, I read for a half hour or so before finally dropping off into a comfortable sleep.
South African Airways Business Class Bed
Was it my excitement at returning to South Africa that woke me from my slumber or was it the delicious aroma of breakfast foods wafting through the cabin? Whatever it was, adrenaline quickly kicked in and I was soon on my way to the lav to freshen up and get ready for the day ahead.
In my absence the ever vigilant cabin crew set to returning my seat to its daytime configuration and so when I returned I had not only a ready seat but also a breakfast menu awaiting my perusal on the center console. A quick peek out my window revealed a beautiful day in the troposphere though thick cloud cover obscured any views of the land below. The Sky Map revealed we were cruising high over central Namibia, soon to cross over into Botswanan airspace. An hour and seventeen minutes remained in the flight.
Euan appeared seat side to bid me good morning and inquire as to my breakfast choices. Oh! I’m sorry, I hadn’t actually gotten around to checking the menu yet! Euan offered to get me started with coffee and juice while I did just that…
BREAKFAST
To Begin
Selected Fruit Juices
Sliced Fresh Fruit
Natural or Fruit Flavored Yogurt
Cereal
Muesli or Cornflakes
MAIN COURSE
Cheese Omelette
Served with grilled ham, roasted tomatoes with herbs, sautéed button mushrooms and roasted potatoes
Continental Breakfast
A selection of cold meats and cheeses
Waffles
Served with apple compote and whipped cream
Bread Basket
Filled with an assortment of warm fresh breads and pastries, served with butter and preserves
Some services are so good you can’t help but want to savor every bit of them. While at home I’m usually content with limiting breakfast to a large cup of coffee and a bowl of cereal, when inflight aboard an airline of SAA’s caliber I want to try it all. Within reason, of course. As such, I requested the entire continental breakfast starter set with muesli rather than cornflakes. As for the main course, that cheese omelet sure sounds good. Euan concurred and soon returned with a tray bearing a colorful collection of my continental breakfast starters. Wow! Now that is a fruit plate worthy of an international First Class service! I enhanced it with a drizzle of lime juice and got started. Oh yeah!
Continental Breakfast Starter
My first set of dishes was removed and the next course was delivered. Ah… now that’s a good looking plate of food! The omelet was decently sized with nice portions of the accompanying vegetables. As much as I love breakfast potatoes in their many styles, I do wish we’d see more broiled tomatoes and mushrooms back home in America. As it is I generally only get to enjoy them overseas and most commonly onboard airplanes. Today’s serving was delicious as always.
Cheese Omelette
With grilled ham, roasted tomatoes with herbs, sautéed button mushrooms and roasted potatoes
All too soon the pressure change in my ears alerted me to the fact that we’d commenced our descent into Johannesburg. Plates were efficiently cleared, tray tables stowed and carry-on items repacked and returned to their storage spots. Out my windows I watched as we descended through multiple strata of morning clouds…
Descent into Johannesburg
Our wheels kissed the concrete of Runway 03R at 7:50am local time. A quick glance at my watch indicated it had been just over eight and a half hours since we’d departed São Paulo. In the interim I’d enjoyed a quality dinner and a movie, knocked off five hours of restful sleep and awoken to a full hot breakfast service that rivaled First Class on some airlines. Frankly, I’d like to stick around and see what’s for lunch.
Some flights you just wish would last longer. This was certainly one of them. Well done, SAA!
April 22, 2015
South African Airways Johannesburg to Cape Town 1100a – 110p A330-200 Business Class
From my experience, the hardest part of clearing South African Customs and Immigration at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport is the brief wait in line I’ve had to endure before explaining the purpose of my visit to the Immigration officer. Upon receiving the perfunctory passport stamp, it’s always been a nonstop stroll to the arrivals hall. I don’t recall even having ever had my baggage x-rayed.
Over the years I’ve developed a routine for Johannesburg arrivals that works quite well for me. First, I stop by a nearby bank of ATMs to withdraw a couple hundred dollars’ worth of colorful South African Rand. Then I head next door to the airport post office to purchase stamps for the obligatory postcards that will be sent to those less fortunate than I when it comes to their ability to travel. Finally, it’s off to the SAA Arrivals Lounge, conveniently located just down the hall. Awaiting me there is a small but blissfully air-conditioned facility that provides an invigorating shower, a hot cup of coffee and a variety of light refreshments.
Refreshed and ready to take on the day, I’d normally relocate from the Arrivals Lounge to the much larger and nicer Baobab Business Class Lounge. Unfortunately that lounge was undergoing renovation and the temporary facility we were being directed to was not convenient to my departure gate. As such I languished in the Arrivals Lounge until an hour before my scheduled 11:00am departure, at which time I headed out to clear security and check out the A330 that would be flying me down to Cape Town.
It’s a good thing I left the Arrivals Lounge a bit early because I was unaware that the gate assigned to my flight was the one serving remotely parked aircraft. I remember thinking it a bit odd that I had to go downstairs. By the time I arrived they were just beginning to load the busses that would take us out to the plane.
Following a scenic ride past a collection of South African domestic airliners that included colorful examples from Kulula (green) and Mango (bright orange), our bus pulled up to the waiting Airbus and passengers surged toward the mobile stairway. For most of them this was just another flight aboard a big airplane. For a very few others – like me – it was a flight aboard a South African Airways A330-243, a relatively young example of this model that was just entering its fourth year with SAA.
Of the 5,005 flights I’ve logged so far, only five have come aboard A330s via flights with Air Canada, Asiana, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Thai. To be sure, only an airplane geek like me would even be aware of such facts but this is the kind of stuff that makes flying fun for me and boring for others. I mean – this isn’t just another nameless A330. Because this is my first flight aboard SAA’s version of the A330, this is essentially a “new” plane for me. I can’t help but wonder what it looks like inside. How much different Is the Business Class cabin going to be from the A340 that I just came in on? What color is the carpet? What color are the seats? I know, I know what you’re thinking. Still, I am unrepentant. This is exciting stuff!
All my questions were answered shortly after I’d settled into my window seat at 2K. Aside from a slightly smaller forward cabin, the Business Class section of this A330 features the same beige upholstered seats and international standard seat pitch as the A340 that I’d just come in on. A flight attendant stopped by with a tray of orange juice and water, then returned moments later to hang my jacket.
Pushback was right on time and thirty minutes later we were leveling out at thirty some odd thousand feet, cruising along at 900 km/h under bright sunny skies. Once again the seat next to me remained empty, so I took advantage of the extra space to spread out with today’s newspaper, my camera and daypack occupying the open seat. Unfortunately the electric outlet mounted in my seat didn’t work. Nor did the one in the empty seats behind me. When I brought this to the attention of the flight attendant I was informed that the problem had been noted off the inbound flight but that repairs were not possible during the aircraft’s short layover in JNB. Right. Well then, let’s see what’s for lunch.
Part of the anticipation process for trips like this involves researching product reviews on sites like airlinequality.com and FlyerTalk. Most of the Business Class reviews I came across reported on long haul flights, but of the few I found covering domestic services, I got the impression that a 760 mile one hour and fifty minute flight would feature a decent meal.
Unfortunately, it would seem that our 11:00am departure meant that this flight was catered as a snack rather than a proper luncheon. As a result I was presented a small tray bearing a fruit starter and a cold potato cake topped with a folded over slice of roast beef. Three cherry tomato halves added color but did little to detract from the notion that I’d just been presented an appetizer.
SAA Business Class Snack Service JNB-CPT
Oh well. It tasted alright if a bit dry, though thankfully I was able to remedy that with the addition of some Grey Poupon mustard of which I had several packets stashed in my daypack.
Descent into Cape Town was routine and, following a smooth landing (I suspect most landings feel “smooth” from the perspective of a seat up in the front of the airplane…) we taxied over to a remote stand and boarded busses that delivered us to the terminal.
Outside the terminal building, I found a complimentary golf cart service that delivered me straight to the Rental Car “Center”. I use the quotation marks in jest of course as the reality of Cape Town’s rental car facility is a low single story building housing a row of kiosks representing seven or eight companies. I had booked my car over the internet a few weeks ago and encountered no problems in procuring a silver Volkswagon Polo with automatic transmission and 25000 miles on it. Minutes later I was speeding east along the N2, bound for the little town of Bredasdorp and a week of adventure along the beautiful Garden Coast.