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South African Airways to Enhance Service, Offer Same-Day Connections between North America and Botswana

Dépèche transmise le 19 mars 2009 par Business Wire

South African Airways to Enhance Service, Offer Same-Day Connections between North America and Botswana

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--South African Airways (SAA) announced that it will make it even faster and more convenient to fly from North America to Botswana by offering new jet service between Johannesburg and Gaborone, joining regional partner South African Express, which currently operates the route daily. Beginning March 23rd, SAA will operate 2 new flights Sunday through Friday, and one flight on Saturdays, with Airbus A319 aircraft featuring 25 seats in Business Class and 85 seats in Economy Class. Aside from adding more seats to the market, the new flights will offer the option of flying business class, and will continue to serve as convenient connection options for travelers flying from North America to the highly sought-after destination known for its pristine wilderness and unmatched safari experiences. The schedule also will result in same-day connections for passengers who fly on SAA’s new morning non-stop service from New York JFK, which begins May 1^st.

“SAA remains focused on offering the most convenient and extensive route network between North America and Southern Africa, and our non-stop New York service, along with expanded service into Gaborone, Botswana, goes a long way towards achieving that,” said Marc Cavaliere, executive vice president, North America, for South African Airways. “Botswana is a destination with tremendous growth potential, not just in Gaborone, but in other cities in Botswana that SAA plans to serve. These additional connection options are just the beginning of what will continue to be a product and route network enhancement.”

“The increased service is welcomed and needed to accommodate the additional volume of leisure and business travelers into Botswana,” said Leslee Hall, Botswana Tourism Board in North America. “Along with the same-day connections that will be available from New York, SAA is providing an added level of convenience and accessibility to visitors of our country.”

The new SAA flights to Botswana are now available for bookings. To purchase seats, please call 1-800-722-9675, visit www.flysaa.com, or call your travel agent. For more information on Botswana, please call 1-888-675-7660, visit www.botswanatourism.us, or email info@botswanatourism.us.

South African Airways is celebrating its 75^th Anniversary in 2009, having been founded in February 1934, and since then has led the way in offering world-class service from Africa to the world. This attention to service throughout the years has resulted in the airline consistently being named “Best Airline” and “Best Business Class” to Africa by numerous travel experts and publications. Today, it is poised to continue this tradition of excellence by continuously enhancing its product offering, including non-stop service from New York JFK to Johannesburg, commencing May 1^st. For more highlights on South African Airways’ 75-year history, visit www.flysaa.com, and link to “About Us.”

South African Airways features the only nonstop service from the U.S. to South Africa with daily departures from either Washington, D.C. (until April 30^th, with a stop in Dakar commencing May 1), and direct service from New York (operating non stop effective May 1) that offer travel convenience and award-winning service. Travelers in premium class enjoy 180° fully flat-bed seats, and in economy class enjoy the most legroom versus competitors. Every seat on board offers an individual on-demand entertainment system, plush pillow, warm blanket and amenity kit. SAA’s unrivaled network, featuring seamless connections to more than 20 destinations within South Africa, and more than 20 cities across the rest of the continent, makes the airline the savvy traveler’s “gateway to Africa.” To complement this network, a world of privileges awaits those who join Voyager, South African Airways’ premier mileage program. To sign up, visit www.flysaa.com, and link to the Voyager icon. As a Star Alliance member, South African Airways is able to offer its customers 912 destinations in 159 countries and more than 16,500 flights daily, including convenient connections from more than 25 cities in the U.S. through code share service with Star Alliance member United Airlines. Members of United’s Mileage Plus, US Airways’ Dividend Miles and Air Canada’s Aeroplan programs are able to earn and redeem miles on all SAA flights. For more information on South African Airways, please call (800) 722-9675 or visit www.flysaa.com, where travelers can sign up to be notified of other great travel deals and vacation packages.