SAA’s inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi on Sunday is a game changer for inbound tourism, Louis Du Plessis, SAA’s head of Global Sales and Alliances told Tourism Update.
The significance is a result of the unusually close relationship SAA is forging with Gulf carrier Etihad.
To improve connections the two airlines have co-ordinated their flights to offer a double daily service.
Both airlines now codeshare on many of each other’s flights.
SAA already has its codeshare on Etihad flights feeding into Abu Dhabi from 32 destinations with more being added.
Passengers can now book through-tickets on Etihad to almost all destinations served by SAA in Southern Africa.
The relationship goes beyond code share arrangements with co-operation over pricing already in place.
The main source markets that will benefit will be the Middle East, Indian sub-continent, Southern Europe and Asia.
