SA News has it that SAA will walk out a 4 AM Friday morning over wage demands.

Another reason to avoid flying SAA.
I feel bad for all the RSA operators that have to put up with having such a crappy national airline.

This should be the end of them. Unbelievable arc into the abyss.

SAA is broke, so what do the employees do... make it worse. That's job security for you.

If they win, it will be a quick finish of the airlines. Who knows, maybe they will save lives... not their own of course.

The concept of tomorrow doesn't exist on planet Africa. If you have money, you should spend it all today. If you have food you should eat it all today. If you have fuel you should drive till you don't. And if you just got paid, you won't remember you have a job tomorrow... of course you'll be too drunk to show up if you did.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
SAA is broke, so what do the employees do... make it worse. That's job security for you.

If they win, it will be a quick finish of the airlines. Who knows, maybe they will save lives... not their own of course.

The concept of tomorrow doesn't exist on planet Africa. If you have money, you should spend it all today. If you have food you should eat it all today. If you have fuel you should drive till you don't. And if you just got paid, you won't remember you have a job tomorrow... of course you'll be too drunk to show up if you did.

If the company is broke, and they are not getting paid, can you blame them??

We have an absolute policy in our companies.

Employees MUST be paid on time.

No excuses.

Thos who do not pull their weight, are fired.

Great policy! But no unions there, correct?

Who would have thought a monopoly could be so badly mismanaged as to lose so much money they can't maintain their equipment or pay their employees. Only in Africa.

Where have we seen this before? Oh, that's right, Zimbabwe.

They just announced that they will have international travel to 8 locations.

That will only get you to Joberg. they do not have any domestic flights flying at this time.

I know of 4 individuals who are booked to fly next week on SSA and this will get them to Joberg and i am not sure how they will move on from there. They need to be in Cape Town by Friday to start there excursion.

quote:

They need to be in Cape Town by Friday to start there excursion.

Might need to hire someone to drive them there.

There are other South African domestic carriers .. Mango and BAA come to mind (not sure they are still operating though).

Cape Town is a 2 day drive from JNB. So you may consider charter if all else fails.

It looks like SA airlines is considering selling at least part of the airline to foreign airlines, Ethiopian Airlines and Richard Branson appear to be interested.

https://news.yahoo.com/south-a...lator-095640275.html


Finance Minister Tito Mboweni said last month the government is talking with potential investors in SAA, which is technically insolvent and reliant on bailouts and other forms of state support to survive. The carrier last week triggered a plan to cut 944 jobs to reduce costs -- leading to an ongoing strike that started on Friday.


Investor Interest

Ethiopian Airlines Group Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebre Mariam has said the continent’s biggest airline would consider taking a stake in SAA, a partner in the Star Alliance. Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. founder Richard Branson has also indicated an interest.

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
There are other South African domestic carriers .. Mango and BAA come to mind (not sure they are still operating though).

Cape Town is a 2 day drive from JNB. So you may consider charter if all else fails.

I will see one of them in the morning at the gym and will pass along your thoughts. I was thinking the same thing. This is a trip the wives booked and wanted to go on. I have no idea on what their travel agenda is.

Flight Centre SA to stop selling SAA tickets until 'certainty' returns to the market

Nov 28 2019 20:07 Carin Smith & Marelise van der Merwe

Travel group Flight Centre South Africa has made the decision to stop selling South African Airways tickets, citing "ongoing concerns" about the airline's financial stability and the unwillingness of their travel insurance providers to continue covering SAA.

According to its website, Flight Centre South Africa, a subsidiary of the Flight Centre Travel Group, is the country's largest travel specialist with 170 businesses across leisure, wholesale and corporate brands.

The decision is included in a letter letter, signed by Andrew Stark, managing director for the Flight Centre Travel Group in the Middle East and Africa, and dated November 28, 2019.

"Over the last month there have been several publications in the media regarding ongoing concerns in respect of the financial stability of South African Airways," it states.

"On 27 November 2019, we were informed that our preferred Travel Insurance Provider [...] and their underwriters, are no longer willing to cover SAA under their Travel Supplier Insolvency benefit, due to doubts concerning the long-term viability of the airline.
"We have been advised further that a number of other global insurers have taken a similar approach."

It adds: "In light of the above developments and the continuing concerns regarding SAA, Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa has made a decision to no longer sell SAA, until such time as we have obtained certainty in the market." Customers would still have the option to book with SAA if they wished, Flight Centre said, but "we would strongly advise that alternative options are utilised until certainty regarding the airline’s long-term sustainability is obtained".

Contacted by Fin24 on Thursday evening, Stark did not comment in detail, but confirmed the authenticity of the letter.

Solidarity's chief operating officer, Dirk Hermann, told Fin24 on Thursday afternoon that the move was a significant and radical step, citing "extreme uncertainty" at the airline. Solidarity wants SAA placed in business rescue.

Fin24 contacted a SAA spokesperson via phone and WhatsApp message on Thursday evening. At the time of publication, a response had not yet been received.

Does this problem extend to SA Airlink, an SAA subsidiary? We see scheduled to fly with them on 1 Dec from Kasane Botswana to Joberg.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana338:

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
There are other South African domestic carriers .. Mango and BAA come to mind (not sure they are still operating though).

Cape Town is a 2 day drive from JNB. So you may consider charter if all else fails.

I will see one of them in the morning at the gym and will pass along your thoughts. I was thinking the same thing. This is a trip the wives booked and wanted to go on. I have no idea on what their travel agenda is.

I have flown Mango from CT to Joberg. No complaints.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana338:

quote:

Originally posted by Russ Gould:
There are other South African domestic carriers .. Mango and BAA come to mind (not sure they are still operating though).

Cape Town is a 2 day drive from JNB. So you may consider charter if all else fails.

I will see one of them in the morning at the gym and will pass along your thoughts. I was thinking the same thing. This is a trip the wives booked and wanted to go on. I have no idea on what their travel agenda is.

I have flown Mango from CT to Joberg. No complaints.

Yes but Mango does not carry arms. Ask how I know!

Good Hunting
Carl Frederik

One has to consider looking to fly on alternative carriers to Africa with out using South African air or there connections to other African countries. Let the planning begin.

Consult your travel agent and look for alternatives. I became caught up in this n a prior trip when South African Air changed my flight to a mango flight. Gracy Travel found out in time and was able to get me on an earlier flight so that i could make my other connections.

From my African friends, South African air agreed to provide a pay raise due to be paid in 2020, plus not lay anyone off. It is running in the red and has been since 2011. The government has to come up with money to keep it operating and right now that is an issue. So who know what will happen.

They are worried about the travel for the conventions, thinking that the airline will be in business and tickets are good.

quote:

Yes but Mango does not carry arms. Ask how I know!

On my last trip to Jo'burg, a couple that stayed at Africa Sky with me was also flying down to Port Elizabeth, but on Mango. I was flying on SAA. When we all checked in, they discovered, to their dismay, that Mango does not carry firearms. Their travel agent had not told them before booking their tickets. Had to quickly rebook on SAA. They were not amused! They did make the flight with me, but not by much and double the cost for their leg to Port Elizabeth!