Travelore News: South Africa Changes Travel Entry Requirements

The South African government just made it a bit easier to gather those documents needed when a minor is traveling to its country.

The South African Department of Home Affairs recently announced changes to South African entry requirement for minors born in the country who have a current South African passport.

According to Tim Clyde-Smith, South African Airway’s Country Manager for Australasia, people under 18 who are South African citizens and hold a valid passport will no longer require birth certificates which contain parental details to enter the country.

“This new arrangement, effective immediately, applies only to minors who have SA citizenship travelling from other countries (including Australia and New Zealand) to South Africa and who will not need the additional paperwork required until now,” Tim said.

“Those travelling and travel agents and partners should note that all other current arrangements for minors travelling remain in place and must be complied with in accordance with South African laws. If in doubt they should contact the South African High Commission in Canberra on 61 2 6272 7300 for further information,” Tim said.

South African Airways Celebrates Freedom Day With Sale Fares To Destinations Throughout South Africa, 5 Day Sale Starting April 30th

 

5-Day Sale for Summer Travel Starting at $1,299.00* (restrictions apply)

 

 South African Airways (SAA), Africa's most awarded airline, is celebrating South Africa's Freedom Day with a 5-day sale offering special fares from New York-JFK and Washington, DC-Dulles to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.  The Freedom Day Fares start at just $1,299.00* (restrictions apply) from Washington, DC-Dulles to Johannesburg and $1,399.00* (restrictions apply) from New York-York to Johannesburg for travel during the peak summer season. The Freedom Day Fares are available for sale through April 30, 2016, for travel June 1 through August 10, 2016.  To celebrate Freedom Day with SAA and take advantage of these special fares, customers can visit www.flysaa.com or call SAA Reservations at 1-(800) 722-9675, or their professional travel consultant.

"The Freedom Day holiday celebrates the first democratically-held elections in South Africa back in 1994," said Marc Cavaliere, executive vice president, the Americas for South African Airways.  "On this holiday, South Africans honor the strides that have been made to ensure a democratic South Africa and a better life for all. As the national flag carrier of South Africa, we're incredibly proud of this achievement and salute the country's achievements by inviting our customers to visit South Africa this summer with these special fares."

South Africa's first democratically-held elections took place on April 27, 1994, when Nelson Mandela was voted as president of the newly democratic republic.  For the past 22 years, South Africans celebrate Freedom Day on April 27^th, as a day to commemorate the sacrifices that were made to achieve equality, to strengthen democratic ideals and to reflect on the country's successes in fostering a free and equal South Africa.

South African Airways is one of the world's most awarded airlines, having been honored as "Best Airline in Africa" for 13 consecutive years by Skytrax.  On-board, SAA provides an inflight experience designed for pure comfort for long-haul travel. Our customers enjoy fully-flat seats in Premium Business Class, industry-leading legroom in Economy Class, gourmet cuisine and a selection of complimentary spirits and award-winning South African wines and generous checked baggage allowance. Also included are individual audio / visual entertainment systems that deliver an extensive menu of first-run movies and music choices.  Via our Johannesburg hub, SAA links the world to dozens of cities and destinations across Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands.

About South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's national flag carrier and the continent's most awarded airline, serves over 75 destinations worldwide in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low cost carrier Mango. In North America, SAA operates daily nonstop flights from New York-JFK and direct flights from Washington D.C.-IAD (via Accra, Ghana and Dakar, Senegal) to Johannesburg. SAA has code share agreements with United Airlines, Air Canada and JetBlue Airways, which offer convenient connections from more than 30 cities to SAA's flights. SAA is a Star Alliance member and the recipient of the Skytrax 4-Star rating for 14 consecutive years.

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Terms & Conditions

*Restrictions:  Fares are per person and valid for round-trip travel and include government and airline imposed taxes and fees.  Valid for travel between 6/1/2016-8/10/2016. The $1,299.00* fare is valid for travel from Washington, DC-Dulles Airport (IAD) to Johannesburg, South Africa.  The $1,399.00* fare is valid from New York-JFK Airport  (JFK) to Johannesburg, South Africa. Minimum stay: Must stay over one Sunday for fares to apply.  Tickets must be purchased within 72 hours of reservation being made or by April 30, 2016.  Seats at these fares are limited and may not be available on all flights or dates.  Cancellations before / after departure:  fares and fuel surcharge (YR / YQ / Q) are non-refundable.  Date change fee: $300.00, plus any applicable fare difference. Administrative fees may also apply.  Baggage and optional services fees may apply.  Reservations made 7 days or more prior to scheduled departure may be cancelled without penalty up to 24 hours after the reservations is made.

Marriott Rewards Members Can Now Earn South African Airways (SAA) Voyager Miles

Members can earn miles for their stays and redeem points for miles through flexible program

 Marriott Rewards, Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program, announced

 that members can now earn South African Airways (SAA) Voyager miles for stays at

 more than 4,000 Marriott hotels across 16 distinctive global brands. As part of this

 new partnership, Marriott Rewards members can now also redeem points

 for SAA Voyager miles.

"Providing our members with even more flexibility to fuel their journey of exploration is part of our

 mission at Marriott Rewards," said Kevin McCarthy, Vice President of Loyalty Member Experience

 at Marriott International. "Through our partnership with South African Airways -- our 41st airline

 partner -- our 54 million members will have the freedom to enjoy the benefits of loyalty in ways

 that are most meaningful to them -- whether earning miles during their stays, or using points to

 get the miles they need to travel even sooner."

"We are excited to launch this partnership with Marriott Rewards," said Suretha Cruse, SAA

 Executive, Customer Loyalty. "Marriott Rewards includes hotels worldwide, most recently

 adding Protea Hotels, one of the leading African hotel groups, to the program. We are confident

 that this new partnership will really benefit our members."

As of today, Marriott Rewards members who designate South African Airways as their earning

 preference will receive:

• Two (2) SAA Voyager miles per $1 US spent on qualifying hotel charges at the following brands:
  • JW Marriott®
  • Autograph Collection® Hotels
  • Renaissance® Hotels
  • Marriott Hotels®
  • Marriott Vacation Club®

• Two (2) SAA Voyager miles per $1 US spent on room rate only at the following brands:
  • The Ritz-Carlton®
  • EDITION®
  • Gaylord Hotels®

• One (1) SAA Voyager mile per $1 US spent on room rate only at the following brands:
  • Protea Hotels®
  • Courtyard by Marriott®
  • AC Hotels by Marriott®
  • SpringHill Suites by Marriott®
  • Fairfield Inn & Suites®
  • Residence Inn by Marriott®
  • TownePlace Suites by Marriott®
  • Marriott Executive Apartments®
  • Moxy Hotels®
  • Delta Hotels ® (coming Q1 2016)

Members can also earn one (1) SAA Voyager mile per $1 US spent, with a maximum of 15,000

 points per event, on events with at least ten (10) room nights on a single night or catered-only

 events. Participating hotels worldwide include The Ritz-Carlton®, JW Marriott®, EDITION®,

 Gaylord Hotels®, Autograph Collection® Hotels, Renaissance® Hotels, Marriott Hotels®,

 Courtyard by Marriott®, AC Hotels by Marriott®, SpringHill Suites by Marriott®, Fairfield Inn

 & Suites®, and Marriott Vacation Club®.

Marriott Rewards members can also convert their Marriott Rewards points into SAA Voyager

 miles at the following exchange rates:

Marriott Rewards Points	SAA Voyager Miles
10,000	1,500
20,000	3,500
30,000	7,000
70,000	17,500
140,000	35,000

In addition to earning points for their stays, Marriott Rewards members enjoy extra benefits, such

 as free Wi-Fi and mobile check-in through the Marriott Mobile app, as well as special deals only 

available when booking direct on a Marriott channel.

About Marriott Rewards

Marriott Rewards is Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program spanning 16 brands and

 over 4,000 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates and

 members can earn and redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world and

 at Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The Ritz-Carlton®.  Members can also redeem

 points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making rewards

 accessible with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards continues to be a leader in the

 industry. Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the

 Americas" for the last eight years and is a two-time winner of the Frequent Travel Award for

 "Best Hotel Rewards Program." In addition, the program has been named best hotel rewards

 program by the readers of U.S. News & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global

 Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll and for more information about

 Marriott Rewards, guests can visitMarriottRewards.com.

About SAA Voyager

South African Airways (SAA) Voyager is a loyalty program owned by SAA (SOC) Limited and

 serves as the frequent flyer program for: SAA; SA Express (SOC) Limited; and Airlink Proprietary

 Limited. Mango (SOC) Limited, SAA's wholly owned low cost carrier, is a high customer value

 ranked redemption partner of the program. Launched during 1994, the program offers its more

 than 2.5 million members earning and spending of Miles (the program's reward currency) from

 55 program partners. The program boasts more than 35 airline partnerships, including the Star

 Alliance global network which gives members access to more than 1,300 destinations in 190

 countries. The evolution of SAA Voyager has seen the program expanding from being a traditional

 frequent flyer program, by diversifying its offering to include more than 20 non-airline partners in

 categories ranging from travel-related to lifestyle, retail, property, and financial services; delivering

 on its promise to become forever part of their members' journeys.  SAA Voyager is dedicated to

 upholding the same high standards of customer service excellence today and in the future, as it

 has for decades. SAA Voyager program partners gain access to a rich partner network and one

 of the biggest loyalty databases on the continent, which has proven to translate to increased

 revenues and enhanced customer retention. To enroll and for more information about SAA

 Voyager, please visit FlySAA.com.

The Airlines With The Most Legroom: A Tall Traveler's Guide

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Is your favorite airline one of the roomiest?

Newer and more efficient airplanes means airlines are offering longer and longer flights, but can you handle 13 hours with only 30 inches of space? Condé Nast Traveler reports which airlines, both domestic and international, offer the best (and the worst) legroom.

Newer and more efficient airplanes means airlines are offering longer and longer flights, but can you handle 13 hours with only 30 inches of space? Condé Nast Traveler reports which airlines, both domestic and international, offer the best (and the worst) legroom.

"Pitch" isn't just a term used in baseball. The word is also thrown around quite a bit in air travel, where its definition is the measurement of the distance from a seat to the one behind it. The more popular, not to mention maligned, term is "legroom," and, yes, some airlines offer more of it than others. Condé Nast Traveler's rankings are not universally inclusive; only major, recognizable airlines were taken into account in our survey. Because airlines are constantly updating their cabins and fleets, the figures listed below are subject to change.

In the United States

Our previous report already named the most spacious airlines flying around the United States, and those results hold firm. The airlines in the USA with the most legroom are:

1. JetBlue: 33 inches
2. Virgin America: 32 inches
3. Southwest: 32 inches

The "big three" airlines of Delta, American Airlines, and United all average 31-inch legroom, as does Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. At the bottom, with seriously squashed legs, are Allegiant (30 inches), Frontier (28 inches) and Spirit (28 inches with no recline). Of course, upgrading ever so slightly for the "economy plus" option on these airlines changes the situation, and you're able to enjoy a few more inches for a few more dollars.

Around the World

As in the United States, 31 inches of legroom is quite standard around the world, with some notable exceptions on either end. Comparing data from searching popular routes and long-haul aircraft onRoutehappy and SeatGuru, and cross-referencing with the airline's own sites, we're happy to find that some airlines go above and beyond the minimum to provide precious extra inches. These are the international airlines with the most legroom on long-haul flights:

1. Aeromexico: 34 inches
2. South African Airways: 33.5 inches
3. Asiana: 33 inches
4. Air India: 33 inches
5. Air Tahiti Nui: 33 inches

Surprised by the winner? Don't be; Aeromexico now flies the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on its lengthiest routes, including the 11-hour non-stop from Mexico City to Madrid, as well as the five-hour nonstop to New York. The airline chose to match the generous legroom of its Boeing 777s with the delivery of the new 787s, upholding their standard of offering two or more inches beyond everyone else, a difference theInternational Business Times called "positively luxurious."

As for the least legroom, three airlines stand out for squeezing passengers in space that's below the 32-to-31-inch standard, and they are: Air Berlin, Austrian Airlines, and Aeroflot, all at a measly 30 inches. Stretch those legs before boarding, during the flight, and upon arrival to keep the discomfort to a minimum, and look on the bright side—at least a new study just found that sitting for long periods actually will not kill you.

Written by Cynthia Drescher, www.cntraveler.com

Travelore News: South African Airways Resumes Daily Round-Trip Nonstop Service Between New York & Johannesburg

Flights Conveniently Timed For Travel Between The Big Apple & Africa's Big Five

 South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's

 national flag carrier and the continent's most awarded airline, will resume its daily nonstop flights between 

Johannesburg, South Africa, and New York-JFK International Airport, on March 7^th. The resumption of the

 nonstop service on the northbound flight from Johannesburg to New York-JFK will reduce the overall travel

 time on the route by nearly 90 minutes.

While SAA's flight from New York-JFK to Johannesburg is operating daily on a nonstop year-round basis,

 the northbound flight has been temporarily making a one-hour refuelling stop in Dakar, Senegal, due in

 part to lower travel demand during the winter months. The nonstop flights in each direction are timed 

conveniently to connect in Johannesburg with SAA's extensive route network in Southern Africa of over

 55 destinations and in New York with flights to over 35 cities in the U.S. and Canada through our code

 share partners JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and Air Canada.

"We are excited to bring back our popular daily nonstop flight from Johannesburg to New York," said

 Marc Cavaliere, Executive Vice President, North America for South African Airways. "We see strong

 demand from both business and leisure travellers for nonstop service in this market and our flight

 schedules will offer greater convenience for our customers."

The nonstop flight schedule is as follows (all times are local)
New York–JFK to Johannesburg	Johannesburg to New York-JFK
SA #204	SA #203
Departs New York-JFK: 11.15am	Departs Johannesburg, South Africa: 8.30pm
Arrives Johannesburg, South Africa: 8.20am+1	Arrives New York-JFK: 6.40am+1

SAA's flights between New York-JFK and Johannesburg are operated on the state-of-the-art wide-body

 Airbus A340-600 aircraft, featuring 42 full-flat 180-degree beds in Premium Business Class and 275

 seats in Economy Class, ergonomically designed with adjustable headrests and industry-leading

 legroom of up to 34" for long-haul travel. Customers traveling in both Premium Business Class and

 Economy Class enjoy an extensive menu of on-demand audio and visual entertainment options, freshly

 prepared meals and complimentary bar service featuring award-winning South African wines.

South African Airways offers the most non-stop daily service between the U.S. and South Africa, with

 flights from New York-JFK and Washington, DC-Dulles. In early 2015, the airline further strengthened

 its position as a leading carrier in the aviation world by being awarded a Skytrax 4-Star rating for 13

 consecutive years.

For reservations and information, customers should visit www.flysaa.com or contact South African

 Airways' North America Reservations Center at 1-(800) 722-9675.

About South African Airways 
South African Airways (SAA), South Africa's national flag carrier and the continent's most awarded

 airline, serves 67 destinations worldwide in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low cost

 carrier Mango. In North America, SAA operates daily nonstop flights from New York-JFK and direct

 flights from Washington D.C.-IAD (via Dakar, Senegal) to Johannesburg. SAA has codes share

 agreements with United Airlines, Air Canada and JetBlue Airways, which offer convenient connections

 from more than 30 cities to SAA's flights. SAA is a Star Alliance member and the recipient of the

 Skytrax 4-Star rating for 13 consecutive years.