Book South African Airways Flight and Reservation Deals
Being the major airline of South Africa, South African Airlines offers a great travel experience. South African Airways was founded in 1929 and is headquartered in Johannesburg. The airlines joined the Star Alliance in 2006, and it operates flights to around 15 destinations from its hub, O.R. Tambo International Airport, with a fleet size of 18 aircraft. So, book your flight with South African Airways, and to get a flight at lower prices, book your ticket via TuesdayTickets. However, before you proceed to book your flight, you must know about the important policies of South African Airways, its booking process, and more. This article contains all the essential information that will help you have a trouble-free travel experience from booking to the time you arrive.
South African Airways Hub
South African Airways' hub is the central location where the airline manages all its aircraft to ensure a safe journey and offers flights to various international and domestic destinations. Here are some of the most popular hubs of South African Airways that you must know about:
O.R. Tampo International Airport (JNB)
- South African Airways flies from Terminal B at Tampere International Airport.
Cape Town International Airport (CPT)
- South African Airways operates its flights from Terminal 3, so visit accordingly.
Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (PLZ)
- Terminal 3 serves the South African Airways at Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport.
Top International Destinations of South African Airways
Here are some of the top destinations of South African Airways that you must know about are listed below:
- Mauritius (MRU)
- Lilongwe (LLW)
- Lagos (LOS)
- Kinshasa (FIH)
- Harare (HRE)
- Entebbe (EBB)
- Maputo (MPM)
- Lusaka (LUN)
- Washington (IAD)
- Sao Paulo (GRU)
- Perth (PER)
- New York (JFK)
- Frankfurt (FRA)
- Dubai (DXB)
- Windhoek (WDH)
- Victoria Falls (VFA)
- Nairobi (NBO)
- Dar es Salaam (DAR)
- Accra (ACC)
Top South African Airways Routes
Here are some of the popular routes, including domestic and international, where South African Airways offers flights more frequently, carrying a large number of passengers. To find the South African Airlines' top routes, go through the list below:
- Mauritius (MRU) to Cape Town (CPT)
- São Paulo (GRU) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Salaam (DAR) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Kinshasa (FIH)
- Perth (PER) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Accra (ACC) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Lagos (LOS)
- Abidjan (ABJ) to Accra (ACC)
- Cape (CPT) to Sao Paulo (GRU)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Mauritius (MRU)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Lubumbashi (FBM)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Harare (HRE)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Port Elizabeth (PLZ)
- Victoria Falls (VFA) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Windhoek (WDH) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Durban (DUR) to Johannesburg (JNB)
- Johannesburg (JNB) to Cape Town (CPT)
Code Share Partner of South African Airways
A code-share agreement provides airlines with a valuable means of expanding their network and connectivity, particularly when they do not provide direct flights to a destination. In this situation, with the code-share agreement, you can book a connecting flight with various partner airlines of South African Airways. Here are the code share partner airlines of South African Airways listed below:
- Lufthansa Airlines
- SAS Airlines
- Mango Airlines
- Swiss Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- TAP Airlines
- RwandAir
- LAM Airlines
- JetBlue
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Emirates
- Egypt Air
- Asiana Airlines
- United Airlines
- GOL Airlines
- African World Airlines
- Virgin Australia
- LATAM
- TAAG Angola Airlines
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air Mauritius
- Air New Zealand
- ANA Airlines
- Air Seychelles
- All Nippon Airlines
Types of Classes of South African Airways and their Facilities
South African Airways offers various travel classes, each with its own facilities to suit your preferences. So, you can proceed to book your flight ticket, but during the process, you will need to choose the travel class. You can only choose the preferred travel classes if you already know about the facilities you want in your travel. So, here is the information about the South African Airways travel classes that will help you to pick one as per your needs:
1. South African Airways Economy Class
- Comfortable seats with a headrest facility.
- You get the seats with enough legroom.
- You can enjoy the meal on the long-haul flight.
2. South African Airways Business Class
- You get the lie-flat beds for immense comfort.
- Enjoy the delicious cuisines prepared by SAA chefs.
- Enjoy advanced entertainment during your journey.
- Get the dedicated storage, power outlets, and USB ports.
- You are offered on-demand catering.
South African Airways Booking Process through TuesdayTickets
TuesdayTickets is not just a reliable platform for booking flight tickets, but also a source offering great deals and offers that can provide you with a significant discount. However, if you are unaware of the process, go through the steps that are as follows, and understand the booking process:
- Visit www.tuesdaytickets.com.
- Select your arrival and departure destinations, dates, times, number of passengers, and more on the screen.
- Click on the "Search" option.
- Then, you will reach the next page where you will find all the available flights.
- Choose the flight accordingly and proceed to book your ticket by following the onscreen guidelines.
- Select your preferred payment method at the checkout page.
- Make the payment, and you will complete your booking process.
Change or Cancellation Policy of South African Airways
South African Airways understands that situations may arise when your plans change or are shifted to another date, and therefore allows you to cancel or make changes to your ticket. However, there are some rules and regulations under the change or cancellation policy of South African Airways that you must know to determine if you are eligible for it or not:
- South African Airways allows you to change or cancel your flight for a fee that is generally approximately R230. However, the fee is not specific and may change depending on the various factors, including your fare type, the time you make changes or cancellations, and your route.
- There may be some additional charges that you will need to pay under the change or cancellation policy, which may vary depending on your fare type and several other factors.
- In situations when your flight ticket is cancelled by South African Airways, do not worry, as the airline will still rebook you to the next available flight. Otherwise, you can also request a refund for your ticket.
- If South African Airways makes changes to your booking, you have the option to cancel it and receive a refund for your ticket.
- If you have purchased a South African flight through a travel agency, you should contact your travel agent to request changes or cancellations to your ticket.
Change or Cancellation Process of South African Airways
To make changes or cancellations to your South African Airways ticket, follow these easy steps. You can only cancel or make changes to your ticket if it allows it. So if you are eligible but do not know about the process for the same, go through the steps below to understand the process:
- Visit the official website of the South African Airways.
- Then, go to the Manage and Fly and choose the Manage My Booking option.
- Then, you will reach the next page.
- There, you will have to enter your surname and booking reference number on the screen.
- Click on the login button to retrieve your booking.
- You will find both the change and cancellation options on the booking review page.
- Select accordingly and proceed through the process by following the on-screen prompts.
- Pay the charges if you are asked to make changes to your South African Airways ticket.
- Cancel your ticket, and you may also be eligible for a refund.
South African Airways Loyalty Program
South African Airways offers a loyalty program named "Voyager" that is one of the amazing ways to improve your travel experience and make it more comfortable and enjoyable. This is because of the benefits and perks that are included in your travel. From the time you start your trip to the time you arrive at the airport, you have various benefits that make you feel privileged. If you're looking for an elite experience, consider joining the South African Airways Loyalty Program, which is free to join. However, the benefits and perks you get vary depending on the tier you hold. Additionally, to gain a deeper understanding, you can review the information provided below, which includes the process for joining and details about the benefits.
How to Join the South African Airways Voyager Program
It is very easy to join the South African Airways Voyager program. To understand the process, go through the steps listed below:
- Visit the official website of South African Airways.
- Click on the Voyager page to reach the Voyager loyalty program page.
- Then, click on the 'Register' option, and you will be directed to the next page, where you will find the registration form.
- Fill in all the details required on the page.
- After entering all the details, click on the 'continue' button.
- Continue the process by completing the steps.
- After completing all the steps, you will become a member of the Lyager Loyalty Program.
South African Airways Loyalty Program Benefits
To know the importance of the South African Airways loyalty program, knowing about its benefits would be a great way to decide if you want to join it or not:
1. Blue Membership Benefits
- It provides you with around 2500 enrollment bonus miles.
- You get the personal assistance.
- Get mileage validity for up to 3 years.
- Your miles will not expire if flown 6,000 SAA Tier Miles during a calendar year.
2. Silver Membership Benefits
- Get enrollment bonus miles.
- Get personal assistance if you have any queries.
- Mileage validity of up to 3 years.
- Get SAA status threshold bonus miles.
- You get the SAA appreciation bonus miles.
- Enjoy the status bonus miles while flying with SAA-operated and marketed flights.
- Waitlist priority is available for you.
- You get the preseating of bout 24 hours before the departure is chargeable.
- Get access to the first rows based on availability, and seats are chargeable.
- Can check in at the premium class counter.
- Get priority baggage handling upon arrival.
- Priority boarding for members only.
3. Gold Membership Benefits
- You get personal assistance.
- The validity of the miles you earn is for up to 3 years.
- Your miles do not expire if you have flown 6000 SAA Tier Miles during a calendar year.
- The waitlist priority is available for you.
- You get the pre-seating about 24 hours prior to departure, which is chargeable.
- You can check in at the premium class counter for your SAA flight with a guest.
- Enjoy the priority airport standby and priority baggage handling upon arrival.
- Priority boarding with a guest.
- Get access to the departure lounges with a guest.
4. Platinum Membership Benefits
- Get dedicated platinum and premium service.
- Earn up to 12000 bonus miles, about 75% of the awarded SAA Tier Miles.
- You earn appreciation bonus miles when you achieve or retain platinum status.
- Get the mileage validity of up to 3 years.
- You get the status bonus miles of about 2000 miles for every 15000 SAA Tier Miles flown on SAA.
- Get the waitlist priority
- Get a preferred check-in with 2 guests.
- You get the priority airport standby and baggage handling at the airport.
- You receive priority boarding with 2 guests.
- Can carry an extra baggage of up to 1 additional piece of 32 kg.
- Enjoy the exclusive facilities in the lounges as you gain access to this tier.
5. Lifetime Platinum Membership Benefits
- Enjoy dedicated platinum and premium travel services.
- You get your preferred seat at no additional cost.
- You get the mileage validity up to 3 years.
- You receive priority check-in with up to 3 members.
- Enjoy priority baggage handling and airport standby services.
- Get access to SAA-owned lounges with three guests.
- You get access to the Gold card for a companion of your choice.
- Access to the SAA contracted departure lounges with a guest.
Refund Policy of South African Airways
After you cancel your South African Airways flight ticket, you can also get a refund for your ticket under the South African Airways refund policy. So, if you want to know about your refund eligibility and the amount of refund you will get, go through the rules and regulations given below:
- You can request a refund for your South African Airways flight ticket online on its official website.
- To receive a refund for your SAA flight ticket, you must request it from the airline within the eligible timeframe specified by the airline, which is typically up to 6 months for domestic flight tickets. For the international flight ticket, it is about 1 year.
- During the refund process, you will need to provide some of your booking details, including your ticket number, travel dates, and any other required information.
- If you hold a non-refundable ticket and cancel it, you will still receive a refund for the taxes and charges paid during the booking.
- South African Airways provides you with a refund to the same source from which you made the payment for your booking.
- If you purchased a ticket through a travel agency rather than directly with SAA, contact your travel agent regarding your refund.
South African Airways Seat Upgrade Policy
To enhance your travel experience with additional services and facilities, consider upgrading to a seat option. To upgrade your seat, simply follow an easy method. However, you can only upgrade your ticket if you are eligible. To know your eligibility, you need to go through the South African Airways seat upgrade guidelines given below:
- The South African Airways flight upgrade is not eligible for tickets if you have booked the ticket using the Voyager miles or if you hold a free or rebate ticket.
- To submit an upgrade offer for your South African Airways ticket, you must be of legal age.
- If you submit an upgrade offer in association with a booking made with SAA, whether directly through SAA or indirectly, you shall be entitled to the name of the person in the offer. If there are more people in your booking, the upgrade shall apply individually to each passenger.
- You are allowed to submit one offer per flight, which resembles the purchased ticket issued by South African Airways. Additionally, you are required to pay for the upgrade using a credit card.
- Whether the SAA will accept your upgrade offer depends on the availability of the seats you want to upgrade to.
- When you make an upgrade offer with the SAA, your offer will remain open for acceptance by the South African Airways at any time up to 36 hours before your scheduled departure time. You may revise or cancel your offer for as long as it has not been accepted by the airline.
Name Change and Date of Birth Change Policy of South African Airways
After you have found the mistake in your name on the SAA ticket or found some specific need to change or make corrections to your name, it is essential to know about the name change and correction policy of SAA. The following name change or correction terms and conditions are as follows:
SAA Name Change Terms and Conditions
- You cannot change the name on your SAA ticket if you have flown the first sector or already checked in.
- The name change is not permitted on booking classes with Saver Fare.
- You cannot change your name on an SAA ticket if you booked your ticket on classes like G, W, and L on a saver fare.
- You can only change your name if the first sector of your ticket is not used.
- You must submit the request for the name change at least 8 days prior to your flight's departure.
- SAA does not allow the re-routing.
- You cannot make the name change if holding an IT Fares.
- SAA does not allow you to make a complete title change on your ticket.
- Cannot make the name changes if you are holding a group PNR.
SAA Name Corrections Terms and Conditions
- You cannot make corrections to your name if the first sector of your ticket is flown or already checked in.
- You can only make the name corrections if the first sector of your ticket is used.
- You are only allowed to correct up to three characters for the surname and first name. If you make corrections to your name for more than three letters, it will then qualify as a name change.
- The name change is permitted to you up to 90 minutes for international flights and up to 60 minutes for domestic flights.
South African Airways Group Booking Policy
Group booking is one of the best facilities that South African Airways offers, providing you with the opportunity to travel with your family and friends, enjoy more, and feel comfortable and safer. However, SAA applies some rules and regulations that define your eligibility. So, you can go through the group booking guidelines and understand more about the SAA group booking:
- You can only make a group reservation with SAA if there are 10 or more people in your group.
- While traveling in a group with the SAA, you can earn the Voyager Miles.
- To make a group booking with SAA, you must submit a reservation by completing the form available on SAA's official website.
- If you have purchased your SAA group booking through a travel agency rather than directly with SAA, please contact your travel agent regarding your group booking.
Last Minute Deals of South African Airways
Last-minute deals are one of the best options to consider when booking your ticket at the last moment, especially given the high prices of flights. To know the applicable last-minute deals tips, you can go through the information below:
- To get the discount during the last-minute booking with South African Airways, you can consider joining the Voyager program of South African Airways. After becoming a member, you can access exclusive deals and offers that can be applied to your booking, allowing you to purchase tickets at lower prices.
- South African Airways also provides updates about the deals and offers that it offers on its social media handles. You can visit the official social media pages of South African Airways on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. There, you can find the required information if any deals or offers are available. Apply it during your last-minute ticket booking and receive a discount.
- South African Airways offers promotional deals and last-minute offers on its official website. So, always check if there are any deals available that can provide you with a significant discount.
South African Airways International Travel Rules
For a smoother travel experience on your international trip with SAA, it's essential to be aware of some key international travel rules and regulations. These will help you to prepare for international travel, carrying all the essentials so that you do not have to face any problems during your travel:
- Ensure you carry the following important documents for your SAA international travel: a government-issued identity card, a Passport, a Refugee identity document, a South African-issued Driver's license, and a Birth certificate for children under 18 years old.
- Prepare a visa for your travel according to the destination you are traveling to.
- Ensure your passport has the required validity for the destination you are traveling to, as some destinations require a minimum validity of up to 6 months.
- Whether you need a visa or not depends on the destination you are travelling to and your citizenship.
Cheapest Time & Date of Booking Flight with South African Airways
The cheapest time and date to book a flight with South African Airways is during off-peak times, when the number of bookings is lower, and therefore, you can get the ticket at a lower price. The off-peak times to consider are the off-season, booking in advance, and weekdays on a budget. These are some of the best and cheapest times when you can grab a South African Airways ticket at reasonable prices. The cheapest weekdays are generally Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when fewer bookings are made compared to the other days of the week. Alternatively, you can book your ticket during the off-season when there are sufficient available seats at lower prices.
Additional Tips to Get Cheap South African Airways Flight
Here are also some useful tips to consider when booking your flight ticket with South African Airways, especially when prices are high, and you can take advantage of a discount. Read and understand the tips and apply them during the booking process:
- Choose an OTA like TuesdayTickets to book your flight, as this will provide you with great deals and discounts, and you will save money.
- Book your flight ticket off-season when flight prices are lower due to increased seat availability.
- Book a red-eye flight, which is usually cheaper than regular flights due to their timing, as not many people prefer to travel late at night. Hence, you can book your SAA flight at lower prices. Also, you have to face fewer crowds at the airport.
- Always search for your flight in incognito mode, as it helps you avoid paying a hefty amount for booking a flight. This prevents your activity from being saved by the website, and the prices of the flight ticket remain stable.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to cancel my South African Airways flight online?
To cancel your South African Airways flight online, you will need to go to the manage booking option provided on the official website of South African Airways.
How can I get a refund after cancelling my South African Airways flight?
To receive a refund, if you are eligible, you can fill out the refund request form provided by the SAA on its official website.
Can I cancel my SAA ticket if booked with TuesdayTickets?
Yes, you can get a refund for your ticket if booked through TuesdayTickets by contacting an agent via phone and then requesting a refund for your ticket.
Is it allowed to make name changes to my South African Airways group booking?
South African Airways does not allow changes to your name on an SAA group booking; however, you may request the necessary changes from the airline.
Where will I receive the refund for my South African Airways flight ticket?
You will get the refund for your SAA ticket from the same source from which you made the payment for your SAA flight booking.