Summary
- Lufthansa has entered into codeshare agreements with South African Airways and Airlink, expanding passenger travel options between Southern Africa and Europe.
- Passengers can book a single ticket and have their luggage carried to their final destination, saving costs and hassle.
- The partnership with Airlink adds latest destinations in Southern Africa to Lufthansa’s network, providing greater flexibility for travelers within the region.
Passengers traveling from Southern Africa now have access to more destinations in Europe through Lufthansa’s latest codeshare agreements with South African Airways (SAA) and Airlink. Similarly, Lufthansa customers can now use connecting flights to succeed in several destinations the 2 South African carriers serve.
National carriers coming together
Germany and South Africa’s national carriers have long-standing relationships as Star Alliance members. The renewed bilateral agreement will construct on this relationship to supply passengers a seamless travel experience and access to numerous destinations on each airlines’ networks.
Photo: LO Kin-hei / Shutterstock
Starting this month, SAA’s customers can fly from Johannesburg to Frankfurt on a single ticket, with options for further connections in Europe. Similarly, South African Airways will partner with Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss to supply flights between Johannesburg and Zurich. Nevertheless, the cope with Switzerland’s national carrier is pending regulatory approval.
Seamless connections
Customers can book a single ticket and have their checked-in luggage carried to their final destinations, saving them costs and the difficulty of booking several connecting flights. Moreover, they will enjoy more frequent flyer advantages through SAA’s Voyager Miles loyalty program. SAA Chief Business Officer Tebogo Tsimane said;
“We’re thrilled to resume our codeshare agreement with Lufthansa and shortly with Swiss Air Lines, who’re each members of STAR Alliance, the biggest alliance amongst airlines. It’s a key step in reconnecting our travelers from across the continent to a wider range of international destinations through their SAA ticket and earn Voyager miles.”
Lufthansa operates a each day Boeing 747 service between Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB), along with six weekly A340 flights to Cape Town (CPT). While Swiss doesn’t fly to CPT, it operates a each day service between Zurich Airport (ZRH) and Johannesburg with the Airbus A340.
Photo: SWISS
Together, the Lufthansa Group offers over 35 weekly connections from South Africa to their European hubs. Passengers flying from Europe may also easily connect from Johannesburg to SAA’s domestic destinations, including Cape Town and Durban. Lufthansa Group General Manager of Sales – Southern Africa, Matthias Lefèvre, said;
“We’re very happy to announce that we’ve re-established our codeshare agreement with South African Airways. Constructing on our long-term partnership with SAA allows us to supply greater flexibility and a bigger variety to our customers in South Africa. Lufthansa and SWISS passengers can add a connecting flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town or Durban inside the same booking.”
Teaming up with Airlink
The German airline has also teamed up with South Africa’s leading carrier Airlink. With the brand new partnership, quite a few latest destinations in Southern Africa can be added to Lufthansa’s network, including Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth), Durban, George, and East London. Airlink currently flies to over 18 domestic destinations.
Photo: Justin de Reuck/ Airlink
added Matthias Lefèvre.
What do you concentrate on Lufthansa adding more destinations in Southern Africa? Will you be flying to or from South Africa soon? Please tell us within the comments!