There are still plenty of overseas visitors in Cape Town, but by the end of the month the seasonal flights between Europe and Cape Town will have withdrawn, although British Airways, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines and the Middle Eastern airlines will still be here to save us from having to catch connecting flights from Joburg.
Air France, which returned to Cape Town at the end of last year after flying to Joburg only for 10 years, carried average passenger loads of 92 percent on the route, which should ensure its return in our spring. It should be at least as busy in the next holiday season because the French tourism development agency has launched a campaign this winter to encourage more South Africans to go to France while SA Tourism is encouraging more French people to come here.
Virgin Atlantic will also withdraw from Cape Town for the winter, although SAA carries its passengers from here to London under codeshare arrangements. It had average passenger loads of 90 percent on the route this summer. It has formed a partnership with Homecoming Revolution – a nonprofit company that encourages South Africans living overseas to move back to this country – and offers them a double baggage allowance to help them bring back possessions they have accumulated during their years away.
Brigitte Britten-Kelly, managing executive of Homecoming Revolution, said its market was mainly skilled professionals in their thirties who were often married with young children and tended to bring back a lot of luggage and even pets. She said most of these returning expatriates were bound for Cape Town, not Joburg.
Baggage allowance
Middle Eastern airline Etihad, which flies daily to Cape Town and offers a wide range of connecting flights from its home airport in Abu Dhabi, has increased its baggage allowance for business class and first class passengers by 10kg to 40kg. It points out that this is 8kg more than premium class passengers are allowed on British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. Etihad’s gold frequent flyers are allowed up to 65kg. But the 20kg allowance for economy class passengers with Etihad is unchanged and is 3kg less than they can take on BA or Virgin without paying an overweight charge. So far none of the Middle Eastern airlines has joined any of the three big international airlines, but a curious situation has been created by Etihad, which has acquired a controlling stake in German airline Air Berlin, a member of the One World alliance.
Into Africa
The economic troubles in Europe are encouraging airlines to move into Africa, or increase their services to our continent. Several African countries have become more prosperous, with growing middle classes and developing tourism industries and business opportunities. Sky Team, the alliance of international airlines to which Air France and KLM belong, has launched a Go Africa pass for business and leisure passengers visiting several countries or on a round-the-world trip. It can be used for visits to a minimum of three or a maximum of 16 destinations with any Sky Team member airline. Fares calculated on the number of miles flown, with discounts of up to 75 percent off the standard fare. There is no minimum stay and you can visit each city several times.
Kenya Airways, which flies between Joburg and Nairobi, is Sky Team’s sub-Saharan member and has 45 destinations in 36 African countries including Lagos, Accra, Luanda, Dar es Salaam, Lusaka, Kinshasa and Cairo. In addition to Air France and KLM, other Sky Team airlines flying into Africa include Alitalia and Delta and Korean Air is due to start flying to Nairobi in June.
The Go Africa pass is the latest in a number offered by Sky Team. It also offers Go Round the World, Go China and Go Europe passes and at present its members offer more destinations in China than either of the two other international airline alliances. In addition to those offered by other Sky Team members, Kenya Airways flies from Nairobi to Hong Kong and the Chinese industrial city Guangzhou. - Weekend Argus