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SAA, JetBlue Airways join hands

August 5, 2013 Business


SOUTH African AirwaysBusiness Reporter
SOUTH African Airways and JetBlue Airways, New York’s Hometown Airline (TM), announced a bilateral code-share agreement to seamlessly connect the carriers’ networks via New York’’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington’s Dulles International Airport. The agreement is pending both the US Department of Transportation and South African Department of Transport regulatory approval.
The partnership — an expansion of an interline agreement first inked in 2010, allows customers to purchase a single ticket combining SAA and JetBlue-operated flights and enjoy day of travel conveniences such as one-stop check-in and baggage transfer.

JetBlue intends to place its “B6” code on South African Airways operated flights between the US and both Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dakar, Senegal, as well as on connecting flights to select destinations beyond Johannesburg, including Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Tickets will be available for sale at a later date, pending regulatory and government approvals.



The fastest way to more of South Africa and Southern Africa, SAA flies non-stop each day between New York and Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport and daily from Washington to Johannesburg via Dakar’s Léopold Sédar Senghor International Airport. SAA has had a similar arrangement in place with JetBlue since 2011, placing its “SA” code on JetBlue-operated flights from its U.S gateways to top destinations including Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida.

“South African Airways’ partnership with JetBlue has been a successful one from the start, and so we’re pleased that it has now grown into a bilateral code-share arrangement, providing our customers with even more convenient booking and travel options,” said Manoj Papa, SAA’s acting general manager-commercial. “Our customers have raved about the ease of travel on both airlines. It was only fitting that we expand the partnership and introduce the JetBlue code onto SAA flights and into the African continent.”

Mr Scott Laurence, JetBlue’s vice president of network planning and partnerships said: “We are excited to expand our successful relationship with South African Airways through this new code-share via Washington and JFK, where JetBlue is the number one domestic airline,” he said. “South African Airways has been a terrific travel partner for JetBlue, consistently delivering a great experience for our customers. We look forward to working with them to offer even more travel options in the years to come.”

South African Airways is one of the world’s most awarded airlines, recently named Best Airline in Africa for the 11th consecutive year at the World Airline Awards presented by Skytrax.