Any experiences on Air Tanzania?
Oct 16, 2007, 9:15 am
#2
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 344
I flew JNB-DAR-ZNZ return a few years ago (in Y). The JNB-DAR flights are codeshared with SAA, so you might be lucky, but the Air Tanzania plane was old and very shabby. service in Y was ok though, but lots of broken and/or uncomfortable seats.
DAR-ZNZ was a tiny 20-or-so seater, with no ventilation, and no service that I can remember (but the flight only takes 15 minutes!)
ZNZ airport is an experience in itself though!
-- Mike
DAR-ZNZ was a tiny 20-or-so seater, with no ventilation, and no service that I can remember (but the flight only takes 15 minutes!)
ZNZ airport is an experience in itself though!
-- Mike
Oct 16, 2007, 1:59 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
I flew JNB-DAR-ZNZ return a few years ago (in Y). The JNB-DAR flights are codeshared with SAA, so you might be lucky, but the Air Tanzania plane was old and very shabby. service in Y was ok though, but lots of broken and/or uncomfortable seats.
DAR-ZNZ was a tiny 20-or-so seater, with no ventilation, and no service that I can remember (but the flight only takes 15 minutes!)
ZNZ airport is an experience in itself though!
-- Mike
DAR-ZNZ was a tiny 20-or-so seater, with no ventilation, and no service that I can remember (but the flight only takes 15 minutes!)
ZNZ airport is an experience in itself though!
-- Mike
Oct 16, 2007, 2:34 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 344
But for a 4-hour flight, it wasn't too bad.
Oct 13, 2008, 10:11 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: CO plat, DL plat, SPG gold, HH
Posts: 16
Air Tanzania is the worst airline
I flew Air Tanzania from JNB-ZNZ with my girlfriend and had been without a doubt the worst experience i have had in 20 years of flying.
I reached ZNZ 36 hours late..yes 36 hours.
As a quick list of things that went wrong:
1) Flight delayed from JNB-DAR
2) In DAR put for 4 hours in a transit lounge with no access to even water (you arent supposed to change plane)
3) No information for 4 hours and no air tanzania person to ask what was going on
4) Flight cancelled from DAR-ZNZ
5) Put in a 1 star hotel full with cockroaches, insects, etc in the rooms and a lobby full of prostitutes.
6) At this stage no access to water for 7 hours (dont even mention food) and there were families travelling with kids
7) As we were only supposed to clear immigration in ZNZ in order to take us to the hotel in DAR they took us through theback exit at the airport without clearing immigration and getting visas - VERY LEGAL INDEED
and the list could go on and on.
Response from Air Tanzania so far.....just waiting to hear from them after 2 months and multiple calls and emails
I reached ZNZ 36 hours late..yes 36 hours.
As a quick list of things that went wrong:
1) Flight delayed from JNB-DAR
2) In DAR put for 4 hours in a transit lounge with no access to even water (you arent supposed to change plane)
3) No information for 4 hours and no air tanzania person to ask what was going on
4) Flight cancelled from DAR-ZNZ
5) Put in a 1 star hotel full with cockroaches, insects, etc in the rooms and a lobby full of prostitutes.
6) At this stage no access to water for 7 hours (dont even mention food) and there were families travelling with kids
7) As we were only supposed to clear immigration in ZNZ in order to take us to the hotel in DAR they took us through theback exit at the airport without clearing immigration and getting visas - VERY LEGAL INDEED
and the list could go on and on.
Response from Air Tanzania so far.....just waiting to hear from them after 2 months and multiple calls and emails
Oct 18, 2008, 7:05 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Sounds familiar... I thought I had posted my experience, but I can't find it so evidently not.
I arrived back from JRO more than 24 hours late with a detour via a town on the shores of Lake Victoria and an escorted forced march through some of DAR's labyrinthine passageways . (At least I can now claim I have seen Lake Victoria.) We were put up in a hotel but TC stopped communicating with us and even answering their phone at JRO or in town. What a mess!
The problem is they have very few aircraft - 3 when I travelled - and have severed ties with SA. So there is no depth in the operation and every little glitch causes the whole thing to collapse. The poor numpties in the ground who get to deal with the flack must be so punch drunk they go into hiding as soon as they can fob off the irate pax.
I notice the TC web site is still not operational a year later! In all honesty, avoid this airline at all costs - the chances of a major cockup are just much higher than with the alternatives.
I arrived back from JRO more than 24 hours late with a detour via a town on the shores of Lake Victoria and an escorted forced march through some of DAR's labyrinthine passageways . (At least I can now claim I have seen Lake Victoria.) We were put up in a hotel but TC stopped communicating with us and even answering their phone at JRO or in town. What a mess!
The problem is they have very few aircraft - 3 when I travelled - and have severed ties with SA. So there is no depth in the operation and every little glitch causes the whole thing to collapse. The poor numpties in the ground who get to deal with the flack must be so punch drunk they go into hiding as soon as they can fob off the irate pax.
I notice the TC web site is still not operational a year later! In all honesty, avoid this airline at all costs - the chances of a major cockup are just much higher than with the alternatives.
Oct 18, 2008, 7:24 am
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC, LH M&M
Posts: 938
Another tail of wow from me. Arrived at DAR for my DAR-JNB flight. waited for 4 hours before they finally decided to cancel the flight. Booked on the next days flight and taken a hotel in the middle of nowhere about 2 hours from the airport. Got back to the airport the next day at least the flight did go although two hours late. However it soon became clear that we were no heading to JNB and 15 minutes later we landed at ZNZ. After two hours we took off for JNB again. After about 1 hour in the air the captain came on the PA and announced that the plane has a problem and was not going to make it to JNB so we were turning around and heading back to DAR. Obviously after an announcement like that everyone was a little nervous. The pilot then did the worse landing I have ever experienced (might have been due to the mechanical problem but my feeling is that he just made a mess of it). By this time it was 1am we got back into DAR airport and everything was shut. We sat around for 6 hours with not a single message about what was going on. Eventually they found another plane (probably out of a museum it was so old) that finally got us to JNB 36 hours late.
But it is alright they did offer us compensation for this delay - A I love Air Tanzania t-shirt
But it is alright they did offer us compensation for this delay - A I love Air Tanzania t-shirt
Oct 18, 2008, 11:11 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,418
The 737-200's are ex AA. The C seats are standard US domestic F seats, noting special. My one very short trip with them - ZNZ-DAR - was notable for a dreadful safety briefing, no smiles from the crew, an overhead locker that wouldn't stay shut and a tatty cabin.
Can't you take SA to DAR and then pick up Precision Air to JRO?
Can't you take SA to DAR and then pick up Precision Air to JRO?
Oct 20, 2008, 1:53 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Nov 2, 2008, 1:41 pm
#11
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: CO plat, DL plat, SPG gold, HH
Posts: 16
Just avoid Air Tanzania 
In all honesty this airline shouldn't be flying as the number of mechanical failures on flights is just a matter of time before an accident.
Also their service is a disaster!
After having lived in Africa for a while I have spoken to 20+ people that have flown with them and not a single one has had a smooth ride and been on time
In all honesty this airline shouldn't be flying as the number of mechanical failures on flights is just a matter of time before an accident.
Also their service is a disaster!
After having lived in Africa for a while I have spoken to 20+ people that have flown with them and not a single one has had a smooth ride and been on time
Jan 4, 2018, 12:24 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: DAR / CDG
Programs: A3 Gold; FB Gold; Hertz Gold
Posts: 54
Being based in Dar, I fly them regularly for work. While they're definitely nothing special in terms of service, etc. they've always been reliable for me.