Originally Posted by
Stewie Mac
This is a dom-int'l connection, so the same as my reply above. The key is to understand that it's not a 'transit' in the usual sense, ie you don't stay airside but exit domestic arrivals back into the main terminal, and then do through the usual int'l departure procedure (security and immigration).
Therefore, to answer your points in turn:
- yes, very reasonable, you should have plenty of time.
- the 'terminals' aren't physically separate, they are just two ends of the same building, B is nominally domestic and A is international, but there is no real indicators of A or B in the terminal, and in fact your VFA flights, being international, actually departs from terminal A.
- from domestic arrivals to int'l departures is about 5-600m
- as noted, there is no separation between terminals so no wait
- iirc, luggage storage is one level down, underneath international departures. From dom arrivals, walk straight ahead through a hallway of shops and a food court. At the end, you come to the main atrium, walk around that and you'll be at int'l departures. Bear left (there's a security point straight ahead) towards int'l checkin, and after you've gone past KFC on the right there will be an escalator down to parking and left luggage.
- from left luggage, it's back up the escalator and through security and immigration. At that time, I would think anywhere between 2 and 15 minutes.
- flights do sometimes run late, but I would personally be very relaxed about that connection. If you do arrive to a bus gate (not uncommon on SAA) then you gain much of your 'lost' time back by being dropped right in the baggage reclaim area, saving quite a lot of walking.
Relax - this is an easy connection. Just make sure that your bag is well secured (probably worth investing the R20 in getting it polywrapped, facilities available throughout the airport) before leaving it.