SAA Cycad First Class Lounge JNB
 

Are there any reviews of this lounge anywhere? It seems really nice and would love to see what more information there is. Also, do you know if you get access into this lounge arriving from a LH F flight then connecting on SAA in J?

The lounge is very nice, and in my opinion the best lounge at JNB. The reason I like it so much is that its generally very quiet due to strict access policies.

To use the lounge you must be an SAA platinum member, or flying in first on one of only a handful of airlines, LH LX if memory serves me correct. I also heard SAA allows top tier LH members in, although I have written to SAA to ask them if it is true to stop this as LH doesn't allow SAA plat members into their F lounges, reciprocation being key. Dont start me on all *A members who should be blocking SQ members from using their premium cabins.

Back to the lounge it has a lounge area seating about 30 or so people, and then a separate restaurant area. There are meeting rooms, bathrooms (with very nice showers) to the left as you pass reception. The showers have always been available whenever I have passed through.

Food, drink, & snacks are via waiter service and up to a very high standard.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...7ecfde136856c0

Prawn Soup:

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.n...90f4bc81ff8ae6

LX F pax use the Virgin Clubhouse. Or they did when I flew them a few years back. Always thought that rather odd.

I was here this summer as a LH FC passenger and was entirely underwhelmed. 5pm in the afternoon and they had hard, stale donuts out. Getting hot food or a drink required chasing down staff who all seemed to prefer to sit at the front registration desk together and chat. Wifi was very slow and furniture was worn out.

In the future, I would plan to arrive as late as I thought I could get away with and skip this lounge entirely. I feared what the Business Class Lounge must have been like.

"I also heard SAA allows top tier LH members in..."

They do.

The sign states (and has since HON Circle was introduced even with the old/previous Cycad lounge) "Lufthansa First Class Passengers and Honorary [sic] Circle Members"

Let your imagination run wild and you will get a pretty accurate idea.

Johan

:D

I actually don't find the SAA business class lounges to be that bad:

- seating is comfortable, though the lounges can get very crowded
- drink selection is decent
- food selection is rather pathetic
- bartenders are generally cheerful while the other staff are hit and miss

Flying LH F next week JNB to FRA. Is this lounge still open and accessible for LH F?

The hot food is better than the maple leaf lounge

The food offering has indeed improved a lot in the SA JNB J lounge since I made that post over three years ago.

The buffet used to offer very few options, but no there's a separate buffet area with multiple hot dishes that are quite good.

Seems this might be the only/best place to ask.

If arriving on LH F and continuing on SA Y, would I be able to access any lounge in JNB?

If you're flying LH F then I assume that you have some *A status? If yes, then yes.

If I had *A status, the access would be obviously given. Arriving flight info would be irrelevant.



I am more interested if arriving in F grants it [like it does on some other airlines/alliances] or not.

Then no. Domestic and international terminals are separated. SAA have an arrivals lounge in the international terminal, but I don't believe that LH have paid up for access. The domestic departure lounge will only be treated on departing flight/status.

Thanks for the response.

As I'm flying to Namibia, would that be from the international terminal [shows as B]? If so, would that make any difference?

Sorry for the noobs questions, I've been through JNB quite a few times, but mainly on BA and/or SA through tickets.