South African Airways

South African Airways was founded in 1934, more commonly known as SAA, it's the flag carrier airline of South Africa and Africa’s second-largest airline after Ethiopian Airlines. From the first flight, SAA has welcomed the world to South Africa by showing off the country's warm, generous heart. The airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg. It operates a hub-and-spoke network, flying to over 35 destinations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Australia, North America, South America and Oceania. The carrier joined Star Alliance in April 2006, making it the first African carrier to sign with one of the three major airline alliances.

Becoming the best airline in Africa does not happen overnight. South African Airways has more than 80 years of excellence and innovation to draw on. 

As of March 2025, South African Airways operated a fleet of 20 aircraft: it has 12 Airbus A320-200, 2 Airbus A330-300, 2 Airbus A340-300 and 4 Boeing 737-800.

SAA offers two booking classes: Economy Class and Business Class.

Whether you are jetting off for a business meeting or taking a well-deserved holiday with your family, South African Airways has you covered?

As a premium airline, SAA takes pride in ensuring that every need of its passengers is met. From providing a delicious meal paired with some of the finest wines to offering personalized, warm service, SAA strives to ensure that travelers arrive feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Passengers can sit back, settle in, and enjoy extensive inflight entertainment featuring the latest blockbuster movies, listen to current music hits, or even catch up on work.

Economy Class seats provide extra space and generous legroom for travelers’ comfort. To enhance the flight experience, Economy Class passengers receive a convenient amenity kit containing socks, eyeshades, a toothbrush, and toothpaste.

SAA believes that traveling should be a pleasure for the entire family, so parents are welcome to pre-order meals for children and babies and pre-book a baby bassinet if necessary. Depending on the length of the flight, SAA serves travelers a light snack or a delicious multi-course meal made using the very best local products. All snacks, meals, and beverages are complimentary and included in the ticket price. The airline also provides a fun activity pack for children, and the inflight entertainment system features channels specially designed to keep young travelers amused for hours. For those traveling with a wheelchair or small children, SAA offers access to a larger lavatory in the middle of Economy Class, thoughtfully designed at double the size of ordinary lavatories and equipped with a spacious baby-changing table.

The A330-300 Economy Class is fitted with 203 newly designed, slim-line seats, each offering extra personal space and generous legroom for traveling comfort. Every seat is equipped with a 10-inch screen, individual USB charging ports, and access to shared PC power points. These high-tech touchscreens are engaging and user-friendly, providing passengers with access to many hours of entertainment.

Business Class: From the moment passengers board, the thoughtfully designed Business Class experience ensures their journey is as comfortable as possible. An easily adjustable headrest with adaptable ears, ample storage space, generous legroom with leg rests, and a handy coat hook welcome travelers as they settle in. SAA pulls out all the stops to provide Business Class customers with an unforgettable journey. Passengers are welcomed onboard with a refreshing drink and receive an amenity bag stocked with travel necessities and indulgent cosmetics.

An exquisite à la carte menu, a proudly South African cheese board, and a skillfully selected wine list deliver a high-class dining experience for travelers. On long-haul flights, SAA aims to make meals a highlight of the journey. To achieve this, three of South Africa’s most sought-after chefs—Chef Siba Mtongana, Chef Coco, and Chef Song—have come on board to create signature dishes that could be served with pride in any top restaurant.

From starters to desserts, each dish is carefully designed for its taste, texture, and traveling star qualities. SAA always offers a vegetarian option as well. Award-winning South African wines and Méthode Cap Classique bubbly are specially selected to pair with the chefs’ designer dishes.

Each Business Class seat also features its own USB and laptop charging point, ensuring passengers’ devices remain powered and ready to use.

For Business Class customers traveling on the new A330-300, SAA provides a newly designed flatbed that extends to almost 2 meters in length. With an updated cabin layout, each of these seats offers increased privacy, individual aisle access, and even more personal stowage. Travelers enjoy the added comfort and enhanced privacy provided by the innovative, luxurious new cabin.

SAA has been awarded the 4-Star Airline certification by Skytrax for the quality of its airport and onboard products and staff service. Product rating includes seats, amenities, food & beverages, IFE, cleanliness etc, and service rating is for both cabin staff and ground staff.