South African Airways has enhanced its luggage through-check for passengers across the SAA brand and its codeshare partner airlines.

From January 15, passengers on codeshare flights will now be able to through-check their luggage to their final destination when booked on the SAA code for the full journey, connecting between SAA, Mango, SA Express, SA Airlink and other codeshare-partner-operated flights.

The service was implemented as part SAA’s drive to improve the customer experience. “Our strategic aim is to continuously improve our service offering so that we can provide our customers with a service that is hassle free and more pleasant. This latest improvement takes away the inconvenience of picking up and re-checking one’s baggage when connecting in Johannesburg, and saves time, allowing customers more leisure time before departing on the next leg of their journey,” says Tlali Tlali, SAA spokesperson.

For travellers coming into SA from abroad, Tlali says: “All international passengers flying into South Africa have to re-check luggage at their first port of entry into the country when connecting to a domestic flight, irrespective of which airline they are travelling on. SAA-coded customers can benefit from the SAA and Mango baggage re-check facility in the Johannesburg international arrivals hall.”

As an example, customers will be able to through-check luggage all the way from Durban-Johannesburg-Frankfurt-Stockholm, when travelling on the SAA code: on a Mango-operated flight from Durban to Johannesburg, then an SAA-operated flight from Johannesburg to Frankfurt, and further on the SAA-code on a Lufthansa-operated flight from Frankfurt to Stockholm.

“This latest customer service offering, reinforces seamless connectivity for our customers across the SAA brand,” concludes Tlali.