[Anonymous]

[flareandtouchdown]

SAA has made some changes to London Operations:

– Withdrawal of Airbus A340-600 from SA235/234. The route will now permanently be served by A340-300 aircraft.
– Direct service to Cape Town (SA221/220) and second direct service to Johannesburg (SA237/236) frequency increased back to daily. [Due to aircraft shortages/operational constraints over the past 18 months they were cut down to 5 flights per week].
– Introduction of Airbus A330-200 on both SA221/220 and SA237/236 rotations.
– Significant increase in flight durations to Cape Town. SA220 Cape Town – London has a flight duration of 12hrs35mins (departs 20:20/Arrives 06:55) while BA058 has a flight duration of 11hrs35mins. (Departs 20:50/Arrives 06:25). And SA221 London – Cape Town is now 45minutes longer than BA059.

All flights now offer Personal Audio Video on Demand Entertainment in Economy and Business. However economy seat pitch on A330-200 is 31inch compared to 33inches on A340-300/600 aircraft.

Does anyone know if the two ex Iberia A340-300 additions to the SAA fleet will have a 33inch seat pitch when they are refitted this August with Recaro Seats and AVOD as with their other A340-300’s, or will they now have the 31inch pitch as with their new A330’s?

Meanwhile BA have increased capacity on the Cape Town route once again this year with twice daily flights to Cape Town from November, both operated using 747-400s, compared to the second flight being operated using a 777-200 last winter season.

[flareandtouchdown]

Update:

BA has also increased capacity to Johannesburg with a third daily flight leaving London Heathrow on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 18:05 and arriving into Johannesburg at 06:10 next morning operating as BA033. The additional flight departs Johannesburg for London Heathrow on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays as BA0034, departing Johannesburg at 07:40 and arriving into Heathrow at 17:40, operating as BA034.

This additional service will be operated using a 4 class Boeing 777-200. Whether the new First will feature on this service has not yet been announced.

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