And how time flies by!

We are well into the New Year with January almost over, but nonetheless, we would like to wish all our readers a prosperous New Year. And if you happen to be Chinese, happy Chinese New Year to you too!

This year also marks SAA’s 78th birthday. Our national carrier has come a long way, through tough operational and economic conditions, to become the quality brand that it is today.

As we commemorate our birthday, we also celebrate our airline’s growth through new routes that have been added to our network. On 17 January 2012 we launched services between Johannesburg - Bujumbura and Kigali. We look forward to launching our inaugural NON-STOP flight to Beijing on 31 January 2012. What better way to celebrate our 78th birthday than to play an active role in ensuring SAA’s growth within Africa and the world!

Feel free to wish us Happy Birthday on our Facebook Fan Page – www.facebook.com/FlySAA

Until next time, travel safe!

Destination of the month - Beijing

For the first time in the history of the airline, SAA will introduce NON-STOP flights to Beijing, China; from January next year.

The inaugural flight is scheduled to depart on Tuesday 31 January 2012 2012 from Johannesburg to arrive in Beijing, China; on Wednesday 1 February 2012. These flights are available from today for reservations – book online at www.flysaa.com or at your local travel agent.

Introducing non-stop flights to Beijing is in line with SAA’s strategy to expand its network to Asia, the fastest growing market in the world. SAA will operate the route three times a week. The route will be served by the Airbus A340-600 aircraft, which have the capacity to operate the route directly all year round with no passenger payload restrictions. Flying time between Johannesburg and Beijing takes on average 15 hours.

Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world. The city is the country's political, cultural and educational centre and home to the headquarters for most of China’s largest state-owned companies.

The city abounds in palaces, temples, mansions, gardens and tombs that epitomise classical Chinese architecture. It also has roughly 120 museums and more than 100 public gardens. The first port of call for most visitors is the Forbidden City, which lies at the heart of Beijing with the rest of the city radiating out from it in a grid pattern.

Fly to Perth

Johannesburg - Beijing schedule:
Flight SA288
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Depart Johannesburg 00h20*
Arrive Beijing 20h50*

Beijing - Johannesburg schedule:
Flight SA289
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Depart Beijing 23h20*
Arrive Johannesburg 08h10*(Following day)

*All times are local. Please note that these slots may change.

Experience SAA

Closer to home - Windhoek

The small, Germanic capital of the country, Windhoek is an attractive city situated in the Central Highlands and surrounded by hills and mountains, occupying the geographical and economic heart of Namibia. The city centre is characterised by historic German colonial architecture and imposing modern structures. Dominating the skyline is the striking German Lutheran church, Christuskirche, a mixture of Art Nouveau and neo-Gothic design, and the Titenpalast, or 'Ink Palace', the parliament building from where the sparsely populated country is governed. The railway station is a Cape Dutch edifice dating back to 1912 and Independence Avenue is a pleasant tree-lined place with fountains and walkways providing a relaxing ambience among the modern buildings of the central business district.

The women of the Herero tribe, cattle herders of the region, are very distinctive with their voluminous Victorian-style dresses and colourful headgear. The German influence is not only apparent in the architecture and colonial style buildings, but is evident in the food and locally brewed beer. Polony and sauerkraut are available on the menu among local dishes, including seafood from the west coast and venison or game steaks from the hinterland.

Fly to Windhoek