is there meal service on CPT-JNB in J?
#18
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#19
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#22
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Hi everyone. OP here. First of all, thanks for all the helpful replies. So I just took the flight this past Sunday. I DID, however, wind up switching to the 15:20 flight and here's my brief summary:
the GOOD: THRILLED that flight came w/ lounge access. Lounge was comfy and food was decently good.
Neither GOOD nor BAD: why in the heck did we have to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to board the plane? In fact, an A-340 had departed from the gate before our 340 arrived so, clearly, there was a gate avail and one that could accommodate the 340. Still don't see the logic in that. No pre-boarding of any kind. PDB's were offered. Crew was very nice. In terms of meals: they offered a prepackaged snack as others had said: few slices of deli turkey, few slices of cheese, and some seasoned olives (I think) with some sliced fruit and a very unattractive dessert. This may sound harsh but, actually, I wasn't all that disappointed b/c in the US they wouldn't even offer this AND I knew enough from this site to fill up a bit more in the lounge so I can't say I was all that hungry. If this needed to constitute my afternoon, "meal" though, I probably would have been a bit more disappointed.
BAD: come on SAA, no pillow or blanket available? I know it's only a 95 minute flight but geez?
VERDICT: If the price I paid was just a tad less expensive in the future, I MAY take the J product again. The lounge access, though, was very worthwhile especially considering I arrived at CPT 2+ hrs early (thanks, car service. LOL)
the GOOD: THRILLED that flight came w/ lounge access. Lounge was comfy and food was decently good.
Neither GOOD nor BAD: why in the heck did we have to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to board the plane? In fact, an A-340 had departed from the gate before our 340 arrived so, clearly, there was a gate avail and one that could accommodate the 340. Still don't see the logic in that. No pre-boarding of any kind. PDB's were offered. Crew was very nice. In terms of meals: they offered a prepackaged snack as others had said: few slices of deli turkey, few slices of cheese, and some seasoned olives (I think) with some sliced fruit and a very unattractive dessert. This may sound harsh but, actually, I wasn't all that disappointed b/c in the US they wouldn't even offer this AND I knew enough from this site to fill up a bit more in the lounge so I can't say I was all that hungry. If this needed to constitute my afternoon, "meal" though, I probably would have been a bit more disappointed.
BAD: come on SAA, no pillow or blanket available? I know it's only a 95 minute flight but geez?
VERDICT: If the price I paid was just a tad less expensive in the future, I MAY take the J product again. The lounge access, though, was very worthwhile especially considering I arrived at CPT 2+ hrs early (thanks, car service. LOL)
#23
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Hi everyone. OP here. First of all, thanks for all the helpful replies. So I just took the flight this past Sunday. I DID, however, wind up switching to the 15:20 flight and here's my brief summary:
the GOOD: THRILLED that flight came w/ lounge access. Lounge was comfy and food was decently good.
Neither GOOD nor BAD: why in the heck did we have to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to board the plane? In fact, an A-340 had departed from the gate before our 340 arrived so, clearly, there was a gate avail and one that could accommodate the 340. Still don't see the logic in that. No pre-boarding of any kind. PDB's were offered. Crew was very nice. In terms of meals: they offered a prepackaged snack as others had said: few slices of deli turkey, few slices of cheese, and some seasoned olives (I think) with some sliced fruit and a very unattractive dessert. This may sound harsh but, actually, I wasn't all that disappointed b/c in the US they wouldn't even offer this AND I knew enough from this site to fill up a bit more in the lounge so I can't say I was all that hungry. If this needed to constitute my afternoon, "meal" though, I probably would have been a bit more disappointed.
BAD: come on SAA, no pillow or blanket available? I know it's only a 95 minute flight but geez?
VERDICT: If the price I paid was just a tad less expensive in the future, I MAY take the J product again. The lounge access, though, was very worthwhile especially considering I arrived at CPT 2+ hrs early (thanks, car service. LOL)
the GOOD: THRILLED that flight came w/ lounge access. Lounge was comfy and food was decently good.
Neither GOOD nor BAD: why in the heck did we have to take a shuttle bus from the terminal to board the plane? In fact, an A-340 had departed from the gate before our 340 arrived so, clearly, there was a gate avail and one that could accommodate the 340. Still don't see the logic in that. No pre-boarding of any kind. PDB's were offered. Crew was very nice. In terms of meals: they offered a prepackaged snack as others had said: few slices of deli turkey, few slices of cheese, and some seasoned olives (I think) with some sliced fruit and a very unattractive dessert. This may sound harsh but, actually, I wasn't all that disappointed b/c in the US they wouldn't even offer this AND I knew enough from this site to fill up a bit more in the lounge so I can't say I was all that hungry. If this needed to constitute my afternoon, "meal" though, I probably would have been a bit more disappointed.
BAD: come on SAA, no pillow or blanket available? I know it's only a 95 minute flight but geez?
VERDICT: If the price I paid was just a tad less expensive in the future, I MAY take the J product again. The lounge access, though, was very worthwhile especially considering I arrived at CPT 2+ hrs early (thanks, car service. LOL)
Consider yourself lucky as PDB have never been offered to me in addition to a friendly crew ! Regarding the stand , your aircraft was parked at the international terminal hence the bus to shuttle you there from the domestic terminal.Blanket and pillow are available on request ...
Regarding my DUR-JNB flight , only a snack served in J , so the usual ....^
#24
Original Poster
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Location: Washington DC
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Thanks Flame and re: "Blanket and pillow are available on request ..." Um, I did request and was told that there were none available, hence my belief that they were not part of the standard offering.
#25
Join Date: Dec 2010
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Posts: 449
There is only one widebody gate at CPT at the domestic terminal (A7). SA operate a number of widebody JNB-CPT-JNB rotations around that time (up to six or seven a day on occasion, although usually three or four). Not all the flights can get A7 since several overlap and since the gates of common use ACSA have to ensure equitable use for all airlines. Hence the use remote stands (usually B17 and B20) for some flights.
#26
Join Date: Oct 2015
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Interesting , i guess it must be on the basis of if there are any left on the aircraft once it has landed. I have asked a few times and got 100% of the time , i really recommend if you are going to pay for J on the domestic sector , to try BA's ( Comair's) version of J , superb !