Originally Posted by
Tdgraves
We flew QR to JNB just before covid hit. Yes their lounges, hard and soft product are superior, but the additional travel time and connection still means I will choose BA in preference when going to SA. Despite travelling in business, we were more tired, as we had to wake up and change planes in the middle of the night. And to add insult to injury, one of our bags misconnected (a cooler box - vital for self-catering) on the outbound short connection, as both flights were at bus gates (they delivered it the following day to the Northern Cape after a lot of waiting and stressful phone calls). Arriving home at mid-afternoon rather than mid-morning also meant that we would have to lose a night on safari if we were to repeat the experience.
I wouldn't dream of going via the ME, not just to SA but for any flight, and not just for logistical reasons but I'd rather not support businesses in countries where my sexuality is illegal. (I know, Qatar owns 25% of BA as well as half the businesses in London etc etc, but I draw the line at touching down on their soil/sand.)
I am already relaxing at the thought of turning up at LCY 45 mins before the flight, having an appetiser and few glasses of champagne on the flight to ZRH, then dinner and a nice sleep down to JNB. We will be due to land 5 mins before the BA flight (which is regularly 2 hours late at the moment) and we will have left home maybe an hour before we would have had to schlep to LHR on a Friday night?