A snapshot of the week's airline news
Airlink awards now available online
AIRLINK frequent flyer awards are now fully functional on the flysaa.com booking
engine. Members can use their Voyager Miles to redeem award tickets through Airlink
services on the web. “Previously, members would have to go through the call centre in
order to have their ticket processed,” says Karin Murray, marketing and sales manager
for Airlink. “Now they are able to go online, which is far more convenient.”
Air France ups services to Canada
AIR France KLM will introduce non-stop flights to Vancouver from Paris-Charles de
Gaulle from March 29. Flights will be operated by a 309-seat Boeing 777-200 with 35
seats in business-class, 24 in premium economy and 250 in economy class. AF 374
will leave Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 10h35 and arrive in Vancouver at 11h50 the same
day. AF 379 will leave Vancouver at 14h00 and arrive in Paris-Charles de Gaulle at
08h35 the following day. From March 29 to May 3, flights will operate on Wednesdays,
Fridays and Sundays. From May 4 to September 13 flights will operate on Mondays,
Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and from September 14 to October 24,
the Saturday flights will cease. The new Vancouver flights will be in addition to KLM’s
seven weekly flights from Amsterdam-Schiphol, and from May 5, KLM will offer three
weekly flights between Amsterdam and Edmonton, increasing to four weekly frequencies
from June 22.
SAA and SAX make changes to lounge services
SAA Voyager Gold, Platinum and Lifetime Platinum members travelling in economy class
on the SA codeshare flights with Emirates from Dubai will no longer be able to use
the Marhaba Lounge in Dubai. A new lounge agreement is being initiated. Meanwhile,
SA Express has terminated the business lounge services at Bram Fischer International
Airport in Bloemfontein. This will be effective from November 1. Bloemfontein was a
significant route for the airline, it said in a statement, however it would discontinue the
business lounge services to focus on its core business of flying.
