South African Airways has won Africa’s best airline for 14 years straight, and with good reason, but the carrier will need investment if it wants to compete with the major players of Asia, discovers Nick Walton on a recent flight.

Check-in/The Lounge

After a quick check-in process at HKIA Terminal 1 I made my way through security to the United Club Lounge of United Airlines, South Africa Airways’ Star Alliance partner airline, located near gate 60. A pleasant, out-of-the-way lounge, the United Club has a little something for every traveller, from ‘open-air’ seating located above the concourse to plush lounge suites. There was a self-service bar and a slightly eclectic hot and cold buffet, which included cheese boards, hot Vietnamese pho noodle soup, and a platter of croissants under a heat lamp. Shower facilities are well maintained and a luggage room helps keep the space clutter-free. The lounge is serenely quiet and an ideal place to get some last-minute work done.

The Seat

I boarded the A340-600 aircraft at gate 31 for my 11.55 pm flight and found my seat in the 42-seat business class cabin. While the decades-old product in South African’s business class cabin isn’t especially padded or wide (at 23.7-inches), it has been well-maintained and offers a 180-degree lie-flat bed. A spacious armrest between seats features a privacy screen, controls for the seat positioning (and the great massage system), and room enough for a couple of glasses of wine and a pair of headphones. A small cubby hole set in the seatback in front is big enough for a bottle of water and the amenity kit by fashion designer Mphelane Mareletse that included a dental kit, socks, eyeshade and Jojoba Oil products. There are also two pockets, one for in-flight magazines and the other for South African Airways branded headphones, as well as a small compartment at the base of the seat in front, in which my size 13 shoes just fit. Entertainment controls, headphone jack and AC power are located beneath the armrest, while a personal monitor swings up from beneath.

With seven rows in a 2-2-2 configuration, the cabin quickly filled to capacity. As preparation for departure continued a single young crew member served glasses of juice and South African sparkling wine. Many passengers were evidently keen to get some sleep on the 11-hour 28-minute flight, with a few cautioned that they couldn’t have a blanket over their laps during taxi, due to the obstruction is would represent in an emergency evacuation.

Dinner is Served

After an on-time departure, the crew served hot towels and drinks, in my case a Tanqueray gin and tonic. Like many other passengers I decided to skip the meal – while the selection of locally-produced cheeses was impressive, there’s nothing more confusing than eating dinner at 1 am and breakfast at 4 am. I noticed service seemed, as it did at boarding, charming but rather disorganized. After browsing the airline’s rather dated entertainment system, I decided to catch a few episodes of Law & Order on my tablet before making up my bed (the trick is to do it before your seatmate due to space constraints). South African Airways makes up for its older seats with superbly comfortable duvets and comforters and I managed to have one of the best sleeps I’ve had in the sky.

Dining

I woke approximately 80 minutes out from Johannesburg to the smell of breakfast being prepared. After glasses of orange juice and more hot towels were dished out I opted for plain yoghurt, a croissant, coffee, and a cheese omelette with grilled chicken sausages, hash browns and mushrooms. The omelet was exceptional, as was the coffee.

Photos © Carlos de Spinola 2008

Summary

South African Airways offers a great non-stop night flight from Hong Kong to Africa (in comparison to Kenyan and Ethiopian which have some services travel via Bangkok). While it’s not the newest product, it’s perfectly adequate for a red-eye long-haul flight. A little work on service and a spot of investment in product would go a long way to ensuring SAA maintained its lead in Africa and its competitive edge in Asia.

Hong Kong-Johannesburg return in business class from US$5,802 per person.

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