SAA A340 economy experience?

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Mar 7, 2024, 5:10 am

ATD

Original Poster

Join Date: Aug 2008

Programs: Emirates Skywards, Delta Skymiles, Continental Onepass, etc.

Posts: 114

SAA A340 economy experience?

We're booked to fly SAA from JNB-PER in May on the A340 in Y. Just wondering if anyone's flown their A340s or taken any long-haul flights with SAA recently (especially in economy) and if you have an idea of what we could expect from them onboard in terms of meals, entertainment, amenities, comfort, service, etc.
Thanks!

--ATD

Mar 8, 2024, 1:19 am

IntrepidAfrican2

Join Date: May 2020

Location: DXB and JNB

Programs: EK Plat; QR Gold

Posts: 507

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATD

I’m not certain, but I think you might struggle to find people with recent experience of the SAA A343s, as they have not flown very much in the last five years.

What I can say is that even pre-pandemic the onboard hard product was dated. The A346s were better maintained because they flew less, but the A343s and A342s were not great. IFE is dated; often doesn’t work. The seats were also dated (though in Y, that’s sometimes a good thing). There has been no press regarding a recent retrofit.

I have flown SAA (at gunpoint, lol) in J recently and the service was friendly (generally always was), the food was average (generally always was). The overall experience is no better or worse than it was in 2019 and prior. YMMV.

Mar 8, 2024, 3:03 am

B747-437B

Join Date: Aug 2000

Location: Exile

Posts: 15,656

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATD

Service standard is pretty much the same as it always was - down to the same menu still being served out of JNB. Entertainment is iffy - the A340 (there is only one left) has always had problems and a lot of stuff is frequently just left alone rather than fixed. Plan for alternatives and be pleasantly surprised if it works. But service has never been SAA's problem - they have always delivered a decent quality product even at the depths of their other issues.