Whether travelling alone, or in company, we all have our seating preferences. With our Advanced Seat Reservations system, you can now choose that window seat, be certain you are seated with your family, or ensure that extra bit of leg room. For a small additional fee, the choice is yours.

How to book your seat:

Simply choose your seat (window or aisle seat) online during the booking process on flysaa.com or you can even book your seat up to 24 hours before departure online under Manage My Booking. Advanced Seat Request is available on all SAA operated flights.

All it takes is 3 easy steps

  1. Login to Manage My Booking

  2. Select the Seats links from "Before my flight"

  3. From the seat map, select a seat for each passenger, accept the Terms and Conditions and pay the associated fee.

Do take note that having purchased a seat still requires you to check-in for your flight 24 hours prior to departure.

  • Advance Seat Reservations is only available on flights operated by South African Airways (SAA) and ticket numbers starting with 083, with the following seating options: standard seat, extra legroom, and emergency exit row seats.

    • Seat Selection is subject to the availability of requested seats and is available on a per sector basis only. Price is per seat(s), per sector.
    • Passengers who do not wish to purchase advanced seating can choose their seats free of charge (except exit row seats) when they check-in online 24 hours prior to departure, or at the airport, subject to availability. 
    • Seat Selection does not necessarily include all passengers in a booking unless expressly selected. Accordingly, SAA cannot guarantee that all parties in a booking will be seated together. Individual passengers in a single booking may request different types of seats e.g. standard seat and Exit Row Seat. The applicable seat charges will apply to each seat type.
    • Unaccompanied minors are exempt from the advanced seating charge and a seat will be allocated to them free of charge at the time of check-in.
    • Passengers who wish to sit next to each other, but have made separate bookings, will need to request their individual seats independently. SAA is not able to advise on the seat selection of passengers on other bookings. SAA is, furthermore, unable to link separate bookings. Accordingly, if you have paid to sit next to other passengers in a different booking, SAA will not be able to seat you back together with the passengers you were originally seated with.
    • Passengers who have specific needs should directly contact the SAA Contact Centre (or their travel agent) to allow SAA to assist with the allocation of an appropriate seat.
    • Seat requests cannot be guaranteed as they may need to be changed for operational, safety or security reasons, even after boarding the aircraft.
    • Seat selection is not transferrable to another passenger.
    • Seat selection is non-refundable unless:
      • SAA changes the passenger seat for operational, safety or security reasons (even after boarding the aircraft), and SAA is unable to seat the passenger in a suitable alternative.
      • There is a flight disruption causing the passenger to be moved to another flight and SAA is unable to seat the passenger in a suitable alternative on your new flight.
      • SAA moves the passenger to a flight not operated by SAA. 
    • Seat selection is non-refundable if SAA moves the passenger to a seat in a higher cabin, either for operational reasons or as a goodwill gesture.
    • If SAA changes the passenger's seat for operational, safety or security reasons or if the passenger is affected by a flight disruption, the affected passenger may apply for a refund after departure by contacting SAA's Reservation's Call Centre or emailing the request to onlinerefunds@flysaa.com . Refund requests must be lodged no later than 3 months after the affected flights.

    Changes:

    • Once a passenger has selected and paid for a specific seat, passenger may select a different seat in the same flight and cabin of equal value to the original seat purchased.
    • If a passenger chooses to change flights, they may select a seat of equal value of the new flight with the same routing.  If the seat of equal value is not available, the value is non-refundable.
    • Once a passenger has selected and paid for a specific seat, they cannot move to an available seat of higher value within the same cabin (for example an Extra Legroom Seat). 
    • If the passenger elects to pay to move to a higher cabin or booking class where seat selection is free, they are entitled to apply for a refund, if seat selection was purchased.

    Additional Requirements and Conditions for Exit Row Seats.

    In order to sit in the Emergency Exit Row Seat, passengers shall comply with all legal and safety standards:

    • Passengers must be at least 16 years or older at the time of flying and acknowledge the exit row briefing given by cabin crew once on board the aircraft.
    • Passengers must be willing to assist in the unlikely event of an emergency and be able to speak and understand English and carry out instructions. In the event of an emergency, passengers have to be able to check outside conditions and react to cabin crew commands and be able to reach, open, lift and throw out an exit door that weighs up to 27kg (60lbs).
    • Passengers cannot sit in the emergency exit row if they have any permanent or temporary impairment, for example, deaf, hearing impaired, blind, vision-impaired, any strength or mobility limitation, intellectual impairment or be travelling with a service dog.
    • Passengers travelling with someone who needs their assistance in an emergency or passengers who are seated with an infant or passengers who require an extension seat belt, will not be eligible to be seated in an Exit Row Seat.
    • SAA has the sole discretion, at check-in or boarding, to determine whether a passenger meets the requirements to sit in an Exit Row Seat. If the passenger does not meet the requirements, they will be assigned a different seat.

    Conditions:

    • A boarding pass for an exit row seat will only be issued once a SAA staff member confirms all safety criteria are met as outlined in our terms and conditions. 
    • If a SAA staff member confirms that the passenger does not meet any of the required safety criteria, SAA may re-assign the passenger to a regular economy seat before or during the journey without refund of the Exit Row Seat reservation fees. These important safety requirements mean that notwithstanding the fact that passengers will be able to use Web and Kiosk check-in, where there are identified issues on-board the aircraft, passengers may be moved if they do not meet the exit row seating criteria.
    • If a passenger becomes unable to meet all physical or legal safety requirements to sit in an exit row seat they must give SAA 72 hours' notice, further to which they will be moved to a standard seat and refunded the Exit Row Seat fee.

  • A passenger is not entitled to a refund for a paid advanced seat reservation if:

    • The passenger chooses to cancel their flight.
    • The passenger is upgraded by SAA for operational reasons or as a goodwill gesture.
    • The passenger chooses to change their flight; the passenger will be entitled to choose an equivalent seat on the new flight.  However if an equivalent seat is not available the value is forfeited.
    • The passenger chooses to change the routing of their itinerary.
    • The passenger is not suitable to sit in an Emergency Exit Seat they have selected.

    A passenger will be entitled to a refund for a paid advanced seat reservation if:

    • SAA changes aircraft type and no equivalent seat can be made available on the new aircraft.
    • There’s a flight disruption or cancellation and the passenger is rebooked on a new flight and no equivalent seat is available.
    • If the associated ticket is refundable and travel is cancelled, the associated ASR is also refundable.
    • Paying to upgrade to a higher cabin prior to departure where the ASR is free of charge.
    • You become unable to meet all physical and legal safety requirements to sit in an Emergency Exit Seat giving SAA 72 hours’ notice.

Select Price Per Region

  • Between Johannesburg and Cape Town
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 132
    Legroom Seat ZAR 71
    Any Seat ZAR 51

  • ZONE 1

    From Harare / Victoria Falls /Lusaka / Windhoek / Blantyre / Lilongwe  to Johannesburg
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 13
    Legroom Seat USD 6
    Any Seat USD 4

    ZONE 1

    From Johannesburg to Harare / Victoria Falls / Lusaka / Maputo / Windhoek / Blantyre / Lilongwe
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 220
    Legroom Seat ZAR 100
    Any Seat ZAR 70

    ZONE 2

    From Kinshasa to Johannesburg
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 18
    Legroom Seat USD 7
    Any Seat USD 5

    ZONE 2

    From Johannesburg to Kinshasa 
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 300
    Legroom Seat ZAR 120
    Any Seat ZAR 90

    ZONE 3

    From Mauritius to Johannesburg
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 27
    Legroom Seat USD 11
    Any Seat USD 6

    ZONE 3

    From Johannesburg to Mauritius
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 650
    Legroom Seat ZAR 180
    Any Seat ZAR 120

    ZONE 4

    From  Accra / Abidjan / Lagos to Johannesburg
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 28
    Legroom Seat USD 11
    Any Seat USD 6

    Between Accra and Abidjan

    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 19
    Legroom Seat USD 10
    Any Seat USD 5

    ZONE 4

    From Johannesburg to Accra / Abidjan / Lagos
    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 480
    Legroom Seat ZAR 190
    Any Seat ZAR 100
     

  • From Johannesburg to São Paulo 

    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 1 150
    Legroom Seat ZAR 650
    Any Seat ZAR 440

    From São Paulo to Johannesburg 

    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 80
    Legroom Seat USD 45
    Any Seat USD 30

    From Johannesburh to Perth

    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat ZAR 1 150
    Legroom Seat ZAR 650
    Any Seat ZAR 440

    From Perth to Johannesburg

    Type of Seat Seat Amount
    Emergency Exit Seat USD 80
    Legroom Seat USD 45
    Any Seat USD 30

Types of Bookings with Free Seat Selection

  • South African flights. Types of Bookings with Free Seat Selection
    Type of Booking Seat Selection
    Business Class Yes
    Select Fares Yes
    Plus Fares: with Voyager Life TIme Platinum and Platinum Yes
    Plus Fares: with Voyager Gold and Gold Elect Yes
    Saver Fares: with Voyager Life Time Platinum and Platinum Yes
    Group Booking (9+ pax) Yes

  • African and International Flights. Types of Bookings with Free Seat Selection
    Type of Booking Seat Selection
    Business Class Yes
    Select Fares Yes
    Plus Fares: with Voyager Lifetime Platinum and Platinum, Platinum Elect and Gold Yes
    Saver Fares: with Voyager Lifetime Platinum and Platinum, Platinum Elect and Gold  Yes
    Group Booking (9+ pax) Yes