Strike action on Friday 15 November 2019 onwards
Nov 14, 2019, 11:45 pm
#16
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
In the local news this morning - "Business Day" is the newspaper, they mentioned that the strike may carry on longer than expected.
My one Client (based in the USA) only gave me the green light to fly to Accra this weekend late yesterday, and after my last fiasco with SAA (Technical issues), I prefer Ethiopian anyway, even with the ADD layover / stop. So yesterday I tried an online booking and it bombed out, then tried the call centre - no luck, so now that morning traffic has calmed down, need to go to the sales office (thankfully close to where I live), and hopefully secure a booking.
My one Client (based in the USA) only gave me the green light to fly to Accra this weekend late yesterday, and after my last fiasco with SAA (Technical issues), I prefer Ethiopian anyway, even with the ADD layover / stop. So yesterday I tried an online booking and it bombed out, then tried the call centre - no luck, so now that morning traffic has calmed down, need to go to the sales office (thankfully close to where I live), and hopefully secure a booking.
Nov 15, 2019, 4:44 am
#17
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
Latest update:
SAA may reinstate long haul flights on Sunday, but for now, Domestic and Regional will not start up on Sunday.
Managed to get my ticket on ET to ACC on Sunday and the lady at the office said that they are being inundated with re-bookings and flights going out today are filling up fast.
SAA may reinstate long haul flights on Sunday, but for now, Domestic and Regional will not start up on Sunday.
Managed to get my ticket on ET to ACC on Sunday and the lady at the office said that they are being inundated with re-bookings and flights going out today are filling up fast.
Nov 17, 2019, 3:56 pm
#19
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,505
SAA has lots of updates on their site. They are not particularly encouraging. https://www.flysaa.com/about-us/lead...eases/newsroom
Nov 18, 2019, 9:21 am
#20
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 220
SAA has lots of updates on their site. They are not particularly encouraging. https://www.flysaa.com/about-us/lead...eases/newsroom
Nov 18, 2019, 4:28 pm
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
I am booked to fly MUC-JNB on SAA metal with a 220 (LH) ticket on 31/12 (booked via Expedia).
I guess if it all goes pear shaped, Expedia is my first port of call and they will work with LH for a solution?
I guess if it all goes pear shaped, Expedia is my first port of call and they will work with LH for a solution?
Nov 19, 2019, 10:59 am
#22
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
If you have not done so, get proper travel insurance. At the moment, nobody knows what will happen from week to week, so rather brace yourself for the worst.
Nov 19, 2019, 4:41 pm
#23
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
Nov 20, 2019, 9:14 am
#24
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.8MM
Posts: 6,341
Had a couple of United award tickets with SA booked, that I now changed to other carriers.
Although it doesn't appear my SA flights would have been affected for this weekend: JNB-MUC and JNB-JFK looks like business as usual?
Although it doesn't appear my SA flights would have been affected for this weekend: JNB-MUC and JNB-JFK looks like business as usual?
Nov 21, 2019, 5:52 am
#25
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,505
No, they seem to be business as usual with their few international flights.
Nov 22, 2019, 5:44 am
#26
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Colorado, US
Programs: LH Senator BA Silver
Posts: 162
It appears as though the current strike actions may have been resolved, though I'm sure SAA's larger woes are far from over...
https://www.fin24.com/Companies/saa-...-deal-20191122
https://www.fin24.com/Companies/saa-...-deal-20191122
Dec 1, 2019, 5:30 pm
#27
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
I am currently travelling (several time zones away), so am not 100% sure on what is happening on the ground. But suffice to say, several Insurance Companies have refused to issue travel insurance to people with SAA bookings. Plus, a large Travel Agent Group have refused to sell any SAA tickets, so who knows what the future will bring...........
Dec 1, 2019, 6:24 pm
#28
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
I am currently travelling (several time zones away), so am not 100% sure on what is happening on the ground. But suffice to say, several Insurance Companies have refused to issue travel insurance to people with SAA bookings. Plus, a large Travel Agent Group have refused to sell any SAA tickets, so who knows what the future will bring...........
Dec 3, 2019, 7:07 am
#29
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 220
It doesn't surprise me that travel companies are avoiding SAA. It's a big risk booking anything with them because of their financial issues. I'm flying to JNB next year and I decided to fly Emirates instead even though it was a more expensive and a much longer flight.
Hereis an interesting article about SAA
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....s-restructure/
Hereis an interesting article about SAA
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea....s-restructure/
Last edited by jiffer21225; Dec 3, 2019 at 7:16 am
Dec 4, 2019, 10:58 am
#30
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 19
Airlink impact?
I'm trying to closely follow any updates/news regarding SAA, we have multiple flights coming up in a couple weeks that had been booked months ago since we are traveling during festive season. We have 1 flight booked with SAA Johannesburg to Livingstone which I know was cancelled throughout the strike so if things collapse I'm sure that would be impacted. It looked like the Airlink flights, however, were not impacted. Would these flights be completely separate from SAA if it collapsed? I was able to find a backup option with British Air if needed for the Livingstone flight, but I have no idea about possible backup options for our Cape Town-Skukuza-JNB flights that are currently booked with Airlink. Any insight would be greatly appreciated, or is there a sense that if anything falls apart it wouldn't happen as quickly as the next few weeks hopefully?!