SAA makes cuts to Johannesburg-Cape Town, Johannesburg – Durban routes

As of Monday (22 January 2018), SAA has given up some of their flights to low-cost airline Mango.

The airline has surrendered a large number of domestic flights between Johannesburg and Durban and a third of their flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg to Mango. According to both airline websites, the move will not happen at once but take a month to be in full effect. 

It will affect more than 80 return flights a week. On the route between Johannesburg and Durban, both SAA and Mango run 200 flights a week, SAA operates 112 and Mango 88. SAA will operate 68 flights on the return route and the rest will be run by Mango.

Changes along the Johannesburg and Cape Town are less drastic, 278 return flights are run in a week, 162 of those flights will be operated by SAA and the balance of 116 will be run by Mango, meaning an increase of flights operated by Mango by 40 return flights. 

According to Business Day, “New SAA chief executive Vuyani Jarana announced in December that the airline had been flying wide-body aircraft from Johannesburg to Cape Town and Durban, when these aircraft were, in fact, more appropriate for long-haul travel. These changes are part of cost-containment measures being taken by the airline.”

The good news is,  members of Voyager, SAA’s frequent flyer programme, will continue to earn Miles on Mango operated flights if booked on the SAA code and will continue to enjoy the SAA baggage allowance, lounge access and a seamless transfer on to the regional and international network services of SAA, the airline has promised.

For the traveller, the change simply means that they might need to opt for a Mango flight instead of for an SAA flight.