Star Alliance launches African Airpass

Coinciding with South African Airways’ (SAA) membership in Star Alliance, the airline network has launched an African Airpass. 

This special fare product is aimed at facilitating travel across Africa for customers visiting from other continents. The airpass can be purchased in conjunction with any intercontinental return ticket to South Africa or other African destination issued by any Star Alliance member. The airpass can then be used to construct an itinerary of choice using SAA’s domestic and African network.

“We are privileged to be the first African airline to join the Star Alliance. We are keeping to our promise to bring the world to Africa and to take Africa to the world. This initiative adds to the numerous possibilities our Star Alliance membership offers our customers. The African Airpass will add to their seamless flying experience,” said Khaya Ngqula, SAA President and CEO.

Fares are based on a fixed rate per mile, which is then multiplied by the total mileage of each flight. At present the fixed rate per mile is US$ 0.15 for adults and US$ 0.10 for children plus applicable fees, taxes and surcharges. With a single itinerary each city may be visited only once with the exception of Johannesburg, where multiple visits are permitted. Any single airpass must contain at least four coupons and not exceed ten. There is no maximum mileage per itinerary, but the ten coupon rule must be observed. The travel time on the airpass is at least three days to a maximum of two months.

A sample itinerary could be for example:

Johannesburg – Kruger National Park – Cape Town – Durban – Johannesburg – Windhoek – Johannesburg – Victoria Falls – Johannesburg – Nairobi – Johannesburg

This routing covers 8439 miles and would cost US$ 1266 plus fees, taxes and surcharges.

In total, Star Alliance now offers a total on 12 fare products aimed at both business and leisure travellers. These are the Round-the-World Fare, the Circle Asia and Circle Pacific Fares, the African, Asian, Brazilian, European, Japan, North American, South Pacific and Thailand Airpasses as well as the specialised conventions product, Conventions Plus.

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