BEWARE -- SAA 340-300 not all the same!!
Mar 6, 2011, 7:25 am
#16
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: QRPC Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHg Diamond Amb, Sixt Diamond, Avis Pres, AmexCenturion
Posts: 488
These aircraft - which are not normally scheduled for the North American market - will undergo a cabin refresh in June, 2011. This will bring the interior up to par with the excellent cabin comfort and inflight entertainment system for which we are known.
For those wanting to know ahead of time which aircraft is scheduled for their flight, the simplest way to recognize these models is by the number of seats offered in Business Class; 38, whereas the "regular" models have 42.
Regretfully, SAA does not have the luxury of "spare" aircraft so that we must wait for the regularly scheduled maintenance to refit these models. We ask for patience and understanding while we work to streamline the entire fleet.
Regards,
South African Airways, North America
For those wanting to know ahead of time which aircraft is scheduled for their flight, the simplest way to recognize these models is by the number of seats offered in Business Class; 38, whereas the "regular" models have 42.
Regretfully, SAA does not have the luxury of "spare" aircraft so that we must wait for the regularly scheduled maintenance to refit these models. We ask for patience and understanding while we work to streamline the entire fleet.
Regards,
South African Airways, North America
Regarding the fleet, why these two planes cant get assigned to one route, that way your customers dont have to resort to checking seat assignments in advance.
secondly fares on that particular route could be reduced, in line with the reduction in advertised services.
lastly to put the AC in service on super long hauls like IAD / JFK is borderline criminal. Im flying this week to IAD return JFK and Id be super annoyed if I dont have flat seats or AVOD.
Looking at the 38/42 J rule it seems like ill be fine. Heres hoping.
Mar 6, 2011, 7:30 am
#17
Suspended
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 2,621
Thanks
Be aware – SAA has recently leased two additional 340-300 aircraft ex IBERIA. These aircraft are different from SAAs other 340-300 in that:
- Economy seat pitch is NOT the normal SAA 34” on 340-300
- Economy has NO personal TV
- Business is NOT Flat bed – but Lie Flat at an angel and the pitch is significantly tighter
- Business does NOT have on demand entertainment.
Frequent SAA flyers know to avoid the 340-200 for these same reasons – now having a 340-300 does not guarantee the “standard” award winning SAA product. The website has been craftily adjusted to reflect the changes.
These planes have been on the IAD and LHR routes – in the last two days – hard to believe SAA would put an inferior product on their longest and most prestigious routes.
- Economy seat pitch is NOT the normal SAA 34” on 340-300
- Economy has NO personal TV
- Business is NOT Flat bed – but Lie Flat at an angel and the pitch is significantly tighter
- Business does NOT have on demand entertainment.
Frequent SAA flyers know to avoid the 340-200 for these same reasons – now having a 340-300 does not guarantee the “standard” award winning SAA product. The website has been craftily adjusted to reflect the changes.
These planes have been on the IAD and LHR routes – in the last two days – hard to believe SAA would put an inferior product on their longest and most prestigious routes.
Mar 6, 2011, 10:02 am
#18
Company Representative - South African Airways
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 67
Thanks, Peter... We stand corrected: the difference is in the number of seats in Economy Class. We have edited our original post accordingly.
Thanks for catching this!
Thanks for catching this!
Mar 6, 2011, 12:54 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
@SAAUSA Thanks for getting involved, hopefully other SAA offices, especially those in SA and very especially those in senior management gets internet access in the future, so that they too can have a voice.
Regarding the fleet, why these two planes cant get assigned to one route, that way your customers dont have to resort to checking seat assignments in advance.
secondly fares on that particular route could be reduced, in line with the reduction in advertised services.
lastly to put the AC in service on super long hauls like IAD / JFK is borderline criminal. Im flying this week to IAD return JFK and Id be super annoyed if I dont have flat seats or AVOD.
Looking at the 38/42 J rule it seems like ill be fine. Heres hoping.
Regarding the fleet, why these two planes cant get assigned to one route, that way your customers dont have to resort to checking seat assignments in advance.
secondly fares on that particular route could be reduced, in line with the reduction in advertised services.
lastly to put the AC in service on super long hauls like IAD / JFK is borderline criminal. Im flying this week to IAD return JFK and Id be super annoyed if I dont have flat seats or AVOD.
Looking at the 38/42 J rule it seems like ill be fine. Heres hoping.
Mar 6, 2011, 1:57 pm
#20
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: QRPC Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHg Diamond Amb, Sixt Diamond, Avis Pres, AmexCenturion
Posts: 488
As well as the JFK-JNB route for the week starting 14MAR
If I need to change my flights I would like to do so early. NOT WILLING to fly on those 2 AC
Mar 7, 2011, 8:40 am
#21
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: SK Eurobonus Silver, DL, AA, AY, US
Posts: 600
BTW does the row numbering also differ? The regular SAA config at least has 1-5 and the 15-16 in J. Iberia didn't have such a system, but simply 1-7, has SAA changed this or this another easy way to identify the plane.
Mar 7, 2011, 11:31 am
#24
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: QRPC Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHg Diamond Amb, Sixt Diamond, Avis Pres, AmexCenturion
Posts: 488
you can be almost be 100% sure of a A346 on this route, unless the plane goes tech and a last min change takes place. otherwise should be fine.
Mar 7, 2011, 12:42 pm
#25
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP; HH Gold; SPG Gold; Hertz Pres
Posts: 99
I justed landed at IAD this morning from JNB on one of these "substitutes"... definitely not a super pleasant experience for such a long flight - especially with no warning from SAA ahead of time. (note - My outbound flight from IAD-JNB 2 weeks ago was on the "normal" upgraded A340-300.)
I had myself all prepped for my inflight movie watching (after checking out the movies on the CPT-JNB route yesterday morning) and voila, nothing. Plane seems old, seats are terrible (my armrest popped off a couple of times during the flight). Flight attendant told gentleman behind me that the planes are leased while they are waiting for new aircraft...
All I can say is come prepared... thank goodness my Kindle and iPod were fully charged, along with bottle of sleeping pills.
I had myself all prepped for my inflight movie watching (after checking out the movies on the CPT-JNB route yesterday morning) and voila, nothing. Plane seems old, seats are terrible (my armrest popped off a couple of times during the flight). Flight attendant told gentleman behind me that the planes are leased while they are waiting for new aircraft...
All I can say is come prepared... thank goodness my Kindle and iPod were fully charged, along with bottle of sleeping pills.
Mar 7, 2011, 2:43 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Bømlo, Norway//Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Programs: QR Silver
Posts: 222
Thanks for your reasurring answer. It sure would suck to pay for the renowned inflight business class product and get stuck with the old Iberia hard product. I surely feel for you guys who have ended up on these two birds on the IAD and LHR-routes.
Mar 17, 2011, 7:58 am
#27
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: QRPC Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHg Diamond Amb, Sixt Diamond, Avis Pres, AmexCenturion
Posts: 488
Happy to report I flew ZSSXA and ZSSXE on my two US flights.
IFE selection for MAR2011 was good, however those seats do need re-doing, their age is really showing, lumpy, and metal poking through.
Also both planes toilet in front of 1A 1C was apparently out of action, until I insisted on checking, only to find that all three cabin crews to and from the US were removing it from passenger use to reserve it for themselves and the SAAGODS aka Flight deck crew.
IFE selection for MAR2011 was good, however those seats do need re-doing, their age is really showing, lumpy, and metal poking through.
Also both planes toilet in front of 1A 1C was apparently out of action, until I insisted on checking, only to find that all three cabin crews to and from the US were removing it from passenger use to reserve it for themselves and the SAAGODS aka Flight deck crew.
Mar 18, 2011, 1:08 am
#28
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: CPT
Programs: BA BD SA
Posts: 4,467
Do these numpties think that the airline is run for their benefit? This is a shocking reminder of how much SAA has to learn about customer service. In fact it appears to be unlearning what it once knew.
Mar 18, 2011, 7:32 am
#29
Company Representative - South African Airways
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 67
@SAWorldVoyager:
If accurate, this is unacceptable. Please forward your travel dates/itinerary so that we can report this. Please email us at [email protected].
Apologies for any inconvenience.
Regards,
South African Airways - North America
If accurate, this is unacceptable. Please forward your travel dates/itinerary so that we can report this. Please email us at [email protected].
Apologies for any inconvenience.
Regards,
South African Airways - North America
Mar 18, 2011, 8:13 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Johannesburg
Programs: QRPC Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, IHg Diamond Amb, Sixt Diamond, Avis Pres, AmexCenturion
Posts: 488
@SAWorldVoyager:
If accurate, this is unacceptable. Please forward your travel dates/itinerary so that we can report this. Please email us at [email protected].
Apologies for any inconvenience.
Regards,
South African Airways - North America
If accurate, this is unacceptable. Please forward your travel dates/itinerary so that we can report this. Please email us at [email protected].
Apologies for any inconvenience.
Regards,
South African Airways - North America