South African Airways received the "Top Producing Airline" award at the annual South African Tourism Ubuntu Awards in New York City on April 13th. The Ubuntu Awards honors key travel providers in North America that excel at promoting travel to South Africa.
The airline was recognized for contributing to the growth of travel to South Africa through a number of initiatives, as well as its daily nonstop flights from New York-JFK and direct flights from Washington D.C.-IAD (via Dakar, Senegal) to Johannesburg. SAA also offers codes share services with United Airlines, Air Canada and JetBlue Airways, which provide convenient connections from more than 30 North American cities to SAA's flights. Whether passengers are travelling Premium Business Class or Economy Class, South African Airways takes luxury travel to a new level and the legendary South African hospitality makes SAA's flights the best way to start any South African experience.
As the predominant airline from the U.S. to Southern Africa, South African Airways took a leading role in 2015 in developing the "Go See Southern Africa" campaign to emphasize the great experiences and the great value that abound for travel throughout the region. SAA vigorously worked with leading tour operators, hotels and safari lodges in Southern Africa to generate increased awareness and encourage travel to the region.
As part of Team South Africa, SAA also partners with the South African Diplomatic Corps and related organizations, such as South African Tourism, Wines of South Africa, Brand South Africa and the South African Chamber of Commerce in America, to champion cultural and industry efforts, and it supports a number of charitable organizations that perform work in South Africa.
"We are extremely proud to receive this award from South African Tourism, whom has been a long-standing partner of South African Airways in promoting South Africa to the North American market," says Marc Cavaliere, Executive Vice President for South African Airways in North America. "Our desire to stimulate travel to the destination is stronger than ever and we will continue to collaborate with South African Tourism to showcase the exceptional experiences that South Africa offers travelers."
South African Airways serves 67 destinations worldwide in partnership with SA Express, Airlink and its low cost carrier Mango. SAA is a Star Alliance member and the recipient of the Skytrax 4-Star rating for 13 consecutive years.
Effective travel date from June 01, 2015, regardless of the time of booking all minors under 18 years of age traveling to and from South Africa, have to present additional documents which were not needed until now. These new regulations apply to all travellers, regardless of the nationality.
All documents issued in a language other than English must be accompanied by a attested translation issued by the authority in the country concerned. All documents must be original or copies certified as a true copy of the original.
It is the responsibility of passengers to ensure their children have the correct documentation or risk being denied boarding. The new law will be enforced by airlines and immigration officials across the board (land, sea and air).
For further information, passengers should contact the South African Embassy in their country and visit the South African Home Affairs Department's website, at the link below.
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South African Airways Technical (SAAT), the biggest Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Organization (MRO) on the African continent, has been acknowledged as one of the world's foremost facilities when it comes to line maintenance. SAAT has now been shortlisted in the category for Best Line Maintenance Provider as part of the annual Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance Awards (ATE&M Awards).
The prestigious Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ATE&M) Awards, now in their fifth year, are produced by MRO Network and are designed to recognize the achievement of organizations and individuals within the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector of the commercial aerospace aftermarket.
"We are very pleased to be shortlisted in the category for Line Maintenance, as SAAT provides line maintenance services to more than 30 customers at both domestic and international stations. Our facility is growing from strength to strength and we delivered another year of strong performance, continuing to add operational excellence that is intrinsic to the SAAT culture and SAA's Long-Term Turnaround Strategy during a period of significant change and growth," says Musa Zwane, CEO SAA Technical.
SAAT competes for this title in the global sphere and amongst several high-profile industry professionals such as AFI KLM E&M, AAR, Delta TechOps, Storm Aviation and STS Line Maintenance.
Travelers in South African Airways' economy class cabin are in for a first-rate experience, as the airline's bright, comfortable cabin offers spacious seating and top-notch amenities.
Every seat is equipped with an individual on-demand entertainment system, offering hours of onboard entertainment. Passengers can choose from new movie releases, classic favorites, television series and a comprehensive selection of audio CDs.
Delicious and hearty meals await SAA economy class passengers. Onboard menus are designed to bring the culinary treasures of South Africa to travellers. All meals are served with complimentary bar service and the finest South African wines.
The economy class seats on SAA flights provide plenty of legroom with up to 34 inches of pitch. Passengers can rest comfortably with a plush pillow and warm blanket. Individual amenity kits allow them to freshen up during the flight. All these delights are waiting on the seats when passengers board.
Learn how to cook a traditional South African Bobotie! We recommend you serve with boiled rice and chutney.
Ingredients (serving 8):
• 2 onions, thickly sliced
• 3 cups water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 slice white bread
• 1 cup milk
• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 tablespoons chutney
• 6 almonds
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 4 bay leaves
Directions
1. Heat water in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil and add the onion slices. Reduce heat and simmer until the onions appear translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the onions and finely chop them.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, cook and stir until the onion has browned slightly.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 7x11-inch baking dish.
4. Soak the slice of bread in the milk and gently squeeze out the milk, set the milk aside. Crumb the bread into a large mixing bowl. Mix bread together with ground beef, curry powder, one egg, sugar, salt, black pepper, turmeric, vinegar, chutney, almonds and raisins.
5. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Insert the bay leaves into the meat. Bake in the preheated oven for one hour.
6. Beat the remaining egg with 3 tablespoons of the drained milk. Pour over the meat and bake for another 30 minutes.
South African Airways Vacations® (SAA Vacations) invites you to embark on an exciting South African Journey scheduled escorted tour where you will experience the best South Africa has to offer in Cape Town and the Kruger National Park. Each tour is a guaranteed departure with a maximum of 20 people. And why not extend your vacation with an add-on to Victoria Falls at exceptional prices?
Find out more by calling 855-FLY-SAAV or your travel professional.
www.FlySAAVacations.com
† TERMS & CONDITIONS: Price is per person based on double occupancy in the main program (excluding the Victoria Falls extension program). Valid as of May 01, 2015 for scheduled group departure from New York (JFK) on October 01, 2015 and October 29, 2015 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.