South African Airways First Class Flights

South African Airways was founded in 1934 and is the flag carrier airline of South Africa. It has its headquarters at the Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park, near Johannesburg, which also serves as its primary hub. The airline is a member of Star Alliance. South African Airways operates routes to North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania - one of the few airlines to provide services to all 6 inhabited continents. It is an award-winning airline, having been named ‘Favorite Airline in Africa’ for three years in a row by the Trazee Awards, hosted by Global Traveler, in 2017. The airline has been a winner at the Skytrax World Airline Awards for 15 consecutive years, maintaining a 4-Star Skytrax rating, and taking the prize for ‘Best Staff Service’ in 2017. Travelers on South African Airways first class flights are always treated to the most exemplary services and are consistently blown away by the experience. In addition to the luxurious seating, meals, customer care, and access to first class lounges at the airports, first class travelers enjoy many other perks with this airline, including fast-tracked baggage services, priority boarding, expedited security checks, and priority check-in.

South African Airways maintains a passenger fleet that consists of 8 Airbus A319-100s, 12 Airbus A320-200s, 6 Airbus A330-200s, 5 Airbus A330-300s, 8 Airbus A340-300s, 9 Airbus A340-600s, and 7 Boeing 737-800s. The airline is constantly working to improve and expand its services, including adding more fuel-efficient planes to the fleet in the future. South African Airways operates two routes to the United States, which are to the cities of Washington and New York. Other intercontinental routes are to Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Munich, Perth, and Sao Paulo. African destinations include Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Blantyre, Brazzaville, Cotonou, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Douala, Entebbe, Harare, Kinshasa, Lagos, Libreville, Lilongwe, Livingstone, Luanda, Lusaka, Maputo, Mauritius, Nairobi, Ndola, Pointe Noire, Victoria Falls, and Windhoek. The airline also currently provides 15 regional routes to cities within South Africa, which travel to Cape Town, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Durban, East London, George, Kimberley, Mthatha, Nelspruit, Phalaborwa, Polokwane, Port Elizabeth, Pretoria, Richards Bay, and Upington.

The Airbus A330-300 is the newest addition to the South African Airways fleet, and features the best the airline has to offer in comfort, design, and relaxation. First class customers are provided with a newly designed cabin featuring seats that flatten fully into beds that are 78 inches long when fully extended. The layout of the cabin ensures maximum privacy, while allowing each passenger direct aisle access. A phenomenal amount of storage for carry-on luggage and personal items is provided, as well. These flights are equipped with state-of- the- art on-demand in-flight entertainment systems, and first class patrons’ seats each feature a large 15-inch touchscreen monitor. South African Airways first class flights on Airbus A330-0200 aircraft feature award-winning fully flat-lying seats with extra padding that guarantee travelers an excellent sleep. Noise-canceling headsets and power ports with which to charge electronic devices are provided for each of the 36 first class seats. The Airbus A340- 300/600 aircraft are renowned for having some of the most quiet and comfortable cabins ever, and first class travelers are treated to premium 180-degree reclining seats for a perfect night’s sleep. Fabulous duvets and pillows are included along with extra seat padding and linens. Each of the 38 first class seats on these aircraft are equipped with personal power ports and the same on- demand entertainment system available in all South African Airways first class cabins.

First class travelers on board the state-of- the-art Airbus A320-200 aircraft are treated to the modern ‘Proudly African’ interior décor concept, complete with rich leather seating and fully adjustable headrests and leg rests, incredible amounts of storage space, coat hooks, and more. The Airbus A319-100 is essentially a shorter version of the A320 that, despite the smaller size, is surprisingly spacious and provides first class patrons with incredible flexibility and comfort, ambient lighting and noise reduction, and plenty of overhead storage. First class travelers on long haul flights are provided with a handy premium amenity kit, which includes cozy socks, luxury lip balm and moisturizer, a comb, toothbrush and toothpaste, eye mask, and earplugs, all packaged within an attractive zip-up bag.

South African Airways is always aiming to make meals an important and memorable highlight of each and every flight. South African Airways first class flights are catered by two of South Africa’s most renowned chefs, Reuben Riffel and Benny Maskwameng, who have worked to create unforgettable signature dishes worthy of any Michelin-starred restaurant. Each dish is carefully designed, whether it’s the starter, the main course, or the dessert, and special vegetarian options are always available Carefully selected award-winning South African wines and Methode Cap Classique sparkling wine are provided to accompany and complement your meal.

Travelers on South African Airways first class flights are not only treated to sumptuously comfortable seats, meals, and services in the air, they are also treated to all of this in the airport, too. There’s nothing better than escaping the stressful chaos of the main terminal and relaxing in the beautifully chic atmosphere of the first class lounge. Help yourself to exquisite buffets and top-notch beverages. Travelers who wish to get that last bit of work finished before the next phase of their journey can make use of the convenient first centers. Alternatively, bask in complete luxury in the plush seating as you peruse the wide array of entertainment offerings, or treat yourself to an intricate spa service.

Whether you are traveling for work or you’re heading off on a fantastic holiday, be sure to book your South African Airways first class flights with a specialized luxury travel agency that will be able to connect you with the best prices for the best seats. These agencies have access to exclusive flight databases unavailable to the general public, and thus will not only save you tons of money, but also time and energy that’s better spent planning out your next trip.