Strike action on Friday 15 November 2019 onwards
Dec 4, 2019, 1:46 pm
#31
Ambassador, Emirates
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: LGW / AMS / CPT
Programs: SA KL BA EK
Posts: 4,273
Dec 7, 2019, 3:51 pm
#32
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Colorado, US
Programs: LH Senator BA Silver
Posts: 162
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?!
Dec 7, 2019, 5:03 pm
#33
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Bregenz, Austria
Programs: AA, BAEC, Alaska, Flying Blue, United, IHG, Hilton
Posts: 2,950
How "independent" this entity will be remains to be seen.
Dec 14, 2019, 11:43 pm
#34
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: JNB
Programs: Flying Blue, Miles and Smiles, Hhonors, ICHotels
Posts: 1,307
Well, as an update: Just got back from Russia and I need to go to Harare tomorrow. As I mentioned earlier, some travel agents (well, who uses them), and several insurance company's are not supporting SAA tickets. As a result, prices have climbed to silly levels, to the extent that I ended up booking BA (Comair) in J class for around ZAR 900 more than a return Y class ticket would have cost.
Spoke to a friend of mine yesterday, and his parents are coming out from Harare to JNB tomorrow for the holidays, and, since they booked several weeks ago, their TWO Y class tickets (together) on BA were still cheaper than my one. They came in at around ZAR 10 000 for two tickets return. Just shows what the SAA issue has done to pricing.
Spoke to a friend of mine yesterday, and his parents are coming out from Harare to JNB tomorrow for the holidays, and, since they booked several weeks ago, their TWO Y class tickets (together) on BA were still cheaper than my one. They came in at around ZAR 10 000 for two tickets return. Just shows what the SAA issue has done to pricing.
Dec 19, 2019, 3:35 am
#35
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK - the nearest airport is named after a motorway !
Posts: 4,235
I flew back JNB-FRA last week on SAA (only booked the week before, reckoned that once they had been in business rescue for a few days that nothing was going to happen immediately) - pretty full flight, but mostly tourists and families moving for the holidays, so probably booked well in advance. I spoke to the cabin crew briefly, mentioned that I hoped that it would work out okay for them, and they were very confident / blase / naive (delete as you think fit) that all would be fine.
I have noticed that ebookers are no longer offering SAA options on their flight plus hotel 'holidays' ex-UK, which is only the second time in the six years that I've been looking that that has happened. I won't be booking on SAA again until the administrator has made some announcements about his plans.
[PS roadwarrier - Foundry is now my favourite pub in JHB!)
I have noticed that ebookers are no longer offering SAA options on their flight plus hotel 'holidays' ex-UK, which is only the second time in the six years that I've been looking that that has happened. I won't be booking on SAA again until the administrator has made some announcements about his plans.
[PS roadwarrier - Foundry is now my favourite pub in JHB!)
