Although Cape Town International Airport is still busy with visitors arriving from overseas, and events taking place in the city will bring more in the next few weeks, we shall soon lose the seasonal services with German airline Lufthansa, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Air France withdrawing for the winter.
And British Airways will reduce its flights from two to one a day on March 25. But, on the same day, it will increase its service from Joburg by adding three more flights a week – or 700 seats – to the twice daily service it has now. The new Boeing 777 Extended Range aircraft it will use will have the improved economy and economy-plus seats that are part of the R60 billion upgrade it is carrying out over five years.
The flights will be overnight from London to Joburg, but the return flight will be in daylight, arriving in time to catch a connecting flight to New York. Many business travellers prefer to go to the US via London.
The flights will also have the upgraded business and first-class seats introduced earlier, and the airline is making a special offer to business-class travellers from Joburg, starting from R29 990, including all taxes and surcharges. It can be combined with flights to other destinations in Britain or in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland or Luxembourg.
BA was the first airline to introduce an economy-plus class – which it calls World Traveller Plus – 10 years ago and since then many other airlines have copied it. One of the reasons for its popularity is that it gives more legroom and has more steeply reclining seats. Now World Traveller Plus passengers can choose from two of the main dishes offered to business-class passengers. Those in the cheaper seats will be offered a box with snacks, in addition to the meal.
Unfortunately, the service will have to revert to two flights a day in May when, the airline explains, the new aircraft are needed on other routes. But it promises to bring the additional flights back in time for Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the London Olympics in July.
Emirates adds Seattle
Emirates, which flies to Cape Town twice a day, has added Seattle to its destinations in the US. Its five others are New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Its chairman and chief executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, said the new service was the latest step in the airline’s strategic programme of expansion across the US. Seattle, of course, is one of Boeing’s bases, where the Boeing 777 Extended Range aircraft are manufactured and, naturally, the airline used one for the inaugural flight. Emirates is already the world’s largest customer for the aircraft and recently ordered 50 more, with the option to buy another 26.
One of the airline’s strengths is the variety of destinations it offers in several countries, encouraging business travellers to go by way of connecting flights from Dubai and catch a local flight from there. It flies to 22 destinations in Africa.
Arik resumes SA flights
Nigerian airline Arik Air has resumed its daily flights to Joburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, in competition with SAA. The airline withdrew them last week for an indefinite period in protest against some of its passengers being refused entry to this country by the health authorities who were dissatisfied with their yellow fever certificates. Nigeria is one of several countries in Africa from which visitors, and returning South Africans, have to produce certificates showing that they have been immunised against the illness, which, like malaria, is caused by an insect bite.
Keelan Morris, the airline’s head of communications, said it had been decided to withdraw the flights in protest when the number of passengers refused entry, over several weeks, reached 100. But they were resumed on Saturday after a meeting between the South African and Nigerian authorities.
Nigeria is an important business destination, and there is heavy two-way traffic. SAA flies to Lagos and Arik between Joburg and both Lagos and the Nigerian capital city of Abuja. - Weekend Argus