South African Airways' Featured News

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Dear Valued SAA Corporate Travel Partner:

We hope you enjoyed a joyous holiday season with your family and loved ones. On behalf of all of us at SAA, we wish you much success and prosperity in the new year and look forward to working together in 2020.

In this month’s newsletter, we offer our readers insight into some of our biggest trending topics; detailing major announcements, updates to our fleet, and honorable accolades. As always, we also highlight fun events and destinations for your clients to visit and enjoy, along with a South African Airways Vacations’ special air- inclusive package to kick-off 2020.

The topics below include our big news of being named as one of the top on-time performing airlines, the exciting details surrounding our first successfully operated commercial flight on the newly added A350-900 in the domestic South Africa market, the prestigious recognition of being named Africa’s Best Airline, and the regional economic overview of the Western Cape for 2020.

We hope you enjoy this month's SAA E-News and we invite your feedback and comments. We look forward to the pleasure and privilege of serving your clients onboard South African Airways in 2020. Thank you for your continued support.

Warm regards, South African Airways North America

South African Airways' Featured News

SAA Named as One of The Top On-Time Performing Airlines

South African Airways has been named as one of the top performing airlines globally for on-time performance (OTP) by travel data and analytics company, Cirium. SAA was ranked fourth in the category for Middle East and Africa mainline carriers, ahead of some of its major competitors, making SAA the leading African carrier on OTP. SAA’s overall on-time performance across its route network is 85.69%.

Cirium works with over 90 percent of the world’s top 50 airlines. The company, which has published its annual On- time Performance (OTP) Review for the past 11 years, provides a definitive list of the world’s best performing airlines and airports for on-time flight operations.

“According to the International Airlines Transport Association’s benchmark of OTP, an airline is on-time when it arrives within 15 minutes of the scheduled time of arrival or departs within 15 minutes of the scheduled departure time. Customers always have a choice and those who elect to fly with us recognize that we are a dependable airline. The results speak volumes about consistency and reliability of our operations – a key feature underlying our customer value proposition. This is an important attribute of our business,” said Zuks Ramasia, SAA Acting CEO.

As a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance, SAA serves 57 destinations within South Africa and across the continent in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low-cost carrier, Mango. SAA also flies to eight intercontinental destinations from its Johannesburg hub.

“We place a high premium on punctuality as measured through OTP. It is one of our most important customer impact performance indicators. The more punctual we are, the happier the customers we keep. Any flight delays could lead to costs for the airline and inconvenience to the customer. Delays could snowball into more delays, requiring more re-planning to recover the schedule for the rest of the day and bring inefficiencies,” concluded Ramasia.

South African Airways Operated its First A350 Aircraft

South African Airways started our first commercial flight with the highly anticipated Airbus A350-900 aircraft in the domestic market. The first flight was to one of our popular destinations, Cape Town, via Johannesburg, departing and returning this past Christmas Eve.

The aircraft is one of four new Airbus A350-900 jets in SAA’s fleet, which is set to improve the airline’s customer offering and commercial prospects. “We are pleased to offer our customers a superior customer experience with the commercial introduction of the new Airbus A350 aircraft, which offers the quietest cabin of any twin-aisle aircraft,” says Zuks Ramasia, SAA’s Acting CEO.

The introduction of the A350’s will contribute to the airline’s operational efficiencies and forms part of fleet renewal to enable SAA to compete and serve its customers better through the introduction of new products. As additional aircraft are introduced, more routes will be operated by the Airbus A350-900s, such as SAA’s ultra-long-haul routes between Johannesburg and New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The A350 will replace the Airbus A340-600 and will still operate Johannesburg – New York on a nonstop basis.

SAA will also achieve approximately 25% savings in fuel consumption and emissions. Besides lower operating costs, it will also reduce SAA’s exposure to South Africa’s recently imposed Carbon Tax because it is more environmentally friendly and helps it achieve global emissions offset mechanism targets, for international aviation requirements. The airline will also benefit from the approximately 40% lower costs for maintaining the A350-900 XWB’s airframe over a 5-year period - that is, the aircraft excluding the engines, compared with some of its four-engine aircraft generation it will replace on the Johannesburg-New York-Johannesburg and other routes. The aircraft are powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Since entering service in 2015, the Trent XWB engines have flown more than five million hours and are regarded as the world’s most efficient large aero engine.

SAA Celebrated a Sweet 16 Victory as Africa’s Best Airline by Global Traveler Magazine

South African Airways was selected by the readers of Global Traveler as the “Best Airline in Africa” for the 16th consecutive year in the magazine’s annual reader survey. Global Traveler presented the award to SAA at a ceremony held on December 11, 2019 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel in California.

Each year, Global Traveler (GT) readers are polled on their travel preferences in its annual survey that recognizes the best in business travel, including airlines, hotels, airports, destinations and other travel related services. According to MediaMark Research (MRI), GT readers have an average net worth of $2 million and 50 percent are either CEO’s or business owners. Their readers average nine domestic flights per year and 93 percent travel internationally on a regular basis, flying primarily in First and Business Class. More than 55 percent stay in 4- and 5-star hotels, at an average of 60 nights per year.

“Travelers greatly value a consistent experience and product, and it’s clear with its 16th consecutive win, South African Airways delivers just that to savvy travelers around the globe,” said Francis X. Gallagher, publisher and CEO. “Congratulations to the Best Airline in Africa for another year of award-winning service!”

For further information on SAA product and services, please visit http://www.flysaa.com or for reservations call 1-(800) 722-9675.

Your Clients Deserve an Upgrade – Upgrade to Business Class with SAA Step-Up Program

South African Airways offers passengers flying in Economy Class a unique opportunity to experience luxury travel with its Step-Up program. Passengers are given the opportunity to bid on a premium upgrade and winners get rewarded with a Business Class seating.

How to Complete an Upgrade Bid in 3 Easy Steps

1. Place your bid: Make us an offer by selecting the amount you would be willing to pay for an upgrade from Economy Class to Business Class. 2. Payment information: Enter your credit card details. Your credit card will only be charged if your offer is accepted. 3. Review and submit: We will advise you 24 hours prior departure if your offer is successful Learn more

Please note that having purchased a seat still requires a check-in for a flight 24 hours prior to departure.

South African Airways Signs Up to Protect Our Wildlife

South African Airways has joined the fight against the illegal trade in wildlife through the Illegal Wildlife Trade module of the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Programme.

IEnvA is a comprehensive environmental management system that SAA uses to ensure that the airline is as environmentally sustainable as possible. IEnvA is an equivalent of the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) but for the environment rather than safety. SAA is audited, much like IOSA, and certified as IEnvA compliant. SAA attained IEnvA Stage 2 certification in March 2015.

SAA is being audited during the course of December 2019 to ensure that the correct systems and procedures are in place and that SAA is committed to the fight against the illegal wildlife trade after which SAA will be certified. We do this as part of our role in biodiversity economy and demand management to halt illegal wildlife trade while supporting responsible sourced wildlife that sustains local communities.

SAA is also a signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration of the United for Wildlife initiative. United for Wildlife works to tackle illegal wildlife trade by bringing together conservation organizations, governments, and global corporations. Led by The Duke of Cambridge and The Royal Foundation, United for Wildlife is working to protect endangered species like elephants, rhinos, tigers, and pangolins so they can share our world with future generations.

“We can all do our part to stop this scourge that subjects our wildlife to cruel methods of smuggling or to death at the hands of poachers. SAA is committed to making a difference and protecting our wildlife,” says Zuks Ramasia, SAA Acting CEO. South Africa’s wildlife is one of the most treasured natural assets and is a drawcard for tourism to South Africa and as the national carrier; we are doing our part to protect that heritage. SAA will be increasing awareness, training and cooperating with law enforcement. Over the course of the next year, all employees will have the opportunity to get involved and be trained in methods to detect these smugglers and their activities and to report these to the relevant authorities.

Western Cape Shows Steady Growth for 2020 Source: Global Africa Network

The Western Cape’s exports are expanding while the region’s reputation as a technology hub continues to grow as a result of a steady increase of investment into the region in a wide range of sectors from a progressively diverse set of countries. By reporting time at the end of Quarter 3 of the 2018/19 financial year, Wesgro reported the following: a total of 16 global export business agreements amounting to an estimated R338-million in export value in Quarter 3; R4-billion in trade deals secured for Cape Town and the Western Cape to date resulting in 783 jobs over the next five years.

Finance, business services and real estate combined contribute 28% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Western Cape. The financial services and insurance sectors are key components of the economy. Many of South Africa’s biggest companies have their headquarters in Cape Town. Asset management and venture capital companies have been growing steadily. Cape Town is a culturally diverse and dynamic metropolis set among beautiful beaches and winelands with the spectacular Table Mountain as a backdrop. The city is the engine of the regional economy, with most of the Western Cape’s heavy and medium industry located within the metropolitan area of Cape Town.

The largest sector in the city’s economy is the financial and business services industry. The opening of a branch of the JSE in the city is a sign that this sector continues to grow, as is the decision of more asset managers to move their headquarters to Cape Town. The tourism, retail, construction and property sectors have been doing well for many years. The city has a population of 3.2-million and contributes 76% of the Regional Gross Domestic Product.

Featured Event in South Africa

Investing in African Mining INDABA 2020: Feb 3- 6, 2020

After last year’s successful 25th Anniversary, Investing in African Mining INDABA, returns for an even bigger showcase. Dubbed as the World’s Largest Mining Investment Event, the gathering offers an unparalleled chance at meeting mining Ministers in Africa, c-suite executives, decision makers, investors and industry leading companies under one roof. Attendees can take advantage of the large gathering by conducting a month worth of meetings in just four days and avoid ineffectual meetings through the event’s specially designed business matchmaking system.

The matchmaking technology was built with efficiency in mind to easily help leaders focused on deal making connect with one another. The system ensures attendees are only matched to suitable financiers or projects by organizing your meeting schedule and providing a dedicated meeting space to make the most use of time. Equipped with technology to enhance your meeting experience, the investor relations service removes the need to navigate through the 600+ investors and 900+ mining executives and filters through 6000+ delegates quickly and easily to find top business matches. If the technology built around your business needs doesn’t turn the dial, the pioneering industry leading content presented over the course of the event will. Featuring over 300 expert speakers, investor roundtables, thought-leading discussions with industry heavyweights across the value chain, the opportunity to enhance your portfolio and maximize the return on your time is unbeatable.

South African Airways' Special Promotion

South African Airways, 1200 S. Pine Island Road, Suite 650 Plantation, FL 33324

South African Airways Reservations South African Airways Group Sales Tel: 1-800-722-9675 Tel: 1-800-722-4768 Fax: 1-945-769-5079 Fax: 1-954-769-5079 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Hours: 8:30AM - 6:00PM, Mo-Fr ET Hours: 9:00AM - 5:00PM, Mo-Fr ET 8:00AM - 4:00PM, Sa-Su ET

South African Airways Vacations South African Airways - North America

Tel: 1-855-359-7228 (1-855-FLY-SAAV) 1200 S Pine Island Road, Suite 650

Hours: 24 Hours a day / 7 day a week Plantation, FL 33324

www.flysaavacations.com Tel: 1-954-769-5000

Stunning South Africa Special Offer: *Price is per person based on double occupancy and economy class flights. Valid as of January

01, 2020, for departures from New York John F Kennedy or Washington Dulles valid for travel between April 20, 2020 - June 30,

2020. With the same itinerary available at higher prices during other travel periods. Other departure points and domestic flights

within the U.S. can be booked. Price for other departure cities and/or travel dates may vary. Subject to availability and currency

exchange rate fluctuations. Prices are valid for new bookings only, are not retroactive and may change without notice. Package

includes all government and airline-imposed taxes and fees. Baggage and optional service fees, cancellation charges and other

restrictions may apply.