Paul's Flight report for
South African Airways RDC
Flight SA565
JNB - DUR / Airbus A319-100
Flight Time: 50 minutes
Business Class

General Impression: 🐑🐑🐑

Before the Flight :
Check-in Process: 🐑🐑 in transit bags re-check
Lounge: 🐑🐑🐑🌿 SAA Business Lounge Domestic
Information: 🐑🐑🐑
Boarding @ Gate: 🐑🐑
Staff @ these points: 🐑🐑
Boarding in Cabin: 🐑🐑
Welcome Drinks: 🐑 no drinks
Punctuality: 🐑, 30 minutes delay

During the Flight :
Food presentation: 🐑🐑
Food quality: 🐑
Drinks: 🐑🐑🐑🌿
Service Procedure: 🐑🐑🐑
Amenity Kit: N/A shorthaul
Entertainment System: 🐑 no IFE
WiFi: 🐑 no WiFi
Seat Quality: 🐑🐑🐑🌿
Legroom: 🐑🐑🐑🌿
Lavatories: 🐑🐑🐑
Cleanliness: 🐑🐑🐑
General Atmosphere: 🐑🐑🐑
Announcement Pilots: 🐑🐑🐑
Announcement Cabin: 🐑🐑🐑
Cabin Crew: 🐑🐑🐑

After the Flight :
De-Boarding: 🐑🐑🐑🌿
Baggage Delivery: 🐑🐑🐑

—-
🐑 = bad, a lot of work needs to be done
🐑🐑 =not good, you will be busy with corrections
🐑🐑🐑 = good & normal, nothing special
🐑🐑🐑🐑 = high level, but the icing on the cake is missing
🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑 = topnotch, leave me here!
🌿= Half a Point/sheep
—-

On the Ground:
Our bags were through checked but because we had to clear customs we had to re-check our bags. SAA had a whole row of Priority counters and almost every counter was manned with a Check-in agent. They had nothing to do and were either on the phone calling or playing.
So we had no queue at check-in but the agent didn't want to work. She was rather grumpy.

Very short queue at the security checkpoint as we could use the priority lane and the staff was friendly and helpful.

As lounge we used the South African Airways Business class lounge in the domestic terminal.

I love the lounges in South Africa. The choice and quality of food is stunning and they have a huge bar with a great selection of drinks. Staff was super friendly and helpful.

Gate staff was present but that was about it. Not really motivated. Boarding started about 30 minutes late. No announcement was made. Priority boarding was conducted.

The crew wasn't present whilst boarding and no welcome drinks were distributed.
Soley newspapers were done on the ground.

Inflight:
The seating configuration on this Airbus A319 is 2/3. South African Airways sells all seats even the middle ones in the row of 3.
Leg room is fully ok and each seat is equipped with a foot rest.
The seats in total are comfortable.

Cabin crew was ok on this flight. The purser was super friendly and helpful and interacted with the passengers. The other crew members were rather unfriendly, grumpy and unmotivated.

On this flight a 2/3 tray was served consisting of a dry cake and some hot snacks.
The tray actually looked quite shabby and the quality of food was poor.
Drink selection was ok with great South African wines.

The Aircraft was equipped with an IFE. The safety movie was shown on it but that's it. Not even the map or some cartoons were played.
No WiFi available.

All in all an ok flight. We had the better service on British Airways last year on the same route.