Online Check-in FAQ information
Read the following FAQs for help with common queries. If you are unable to find the answers you need, please contact us for assistance.
Who can use online check-in?
Online check-in is available to most travellers with e-tickets, whether these have been booked directly with South African Airways or through a travel agent. However, there are some exceptions, including:
- Groups with more than nine travellers on the same booking
- Unaccompanied children
- Travellers who have requested medical and/or special assistance
- Passengers with open or unconfirmed tickets
- Passengers on standby
- For Voyager award tickets the frequent flyer details cannot be used for identification purposes. Please use your booking reference to commence the online check-in.
- Only e-tickets can be used for online check-in.
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How do I use online check-in?
Before you use online check-in, you will need to have the ticket and passport details of all your travel companions in order to complete the transaction. When you have the necessary information:
- Go to the Manage My Trip page, enter your booking reference and surname and click the login button.
- Go to the Before You Fly page, and click on the check-in block.
- Enter your surname, booking reference and select your boarding location. For travel agent bookings, please use your e-ticket number to identify yourself.
- Select the travellers you would like to check in.
- You will then have the option of changing or confirming seats.
- Once you have completed the check-in process, you will be issued an online boarding pass for each traveller in your party. Please print your boarding passes and take them with you to the airport, so that you may pass through check-in more quickly.
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What is a booking reference?
A booking reference is the 6-character code given when a booking is made in our reservation system. It is used by our staff to locate your booking records and e-tickets.
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When is online check-in available?
For all passengers who have e-tickets, online check-in opens 24 hours before flight departure and will stay open up to 90 minutes for domestic and up to 2 hours prior to international departures
Please note that there are different airport check-in times for the following flights:
- Flights to America: four hours
- International flights: three hours
- All domestic flights: two hours
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Why am I unable to check in online?
It may be for one of several reasons. For example,
- You have entered incorrect flight details; please check your itinerary, and try again.
- You do not have a confirmed booking.
- Your travel party may be too large. Online check-in is limited to nine passengers who are travelling on the same booking. Please proceed directly to the airport to complete your check-in.
- In your booking, you requested to travel as an unaccompanied minor, or you have indicated certain medical and/or special assistance. Due to the special service you require, you will need to complete your check-in at the airport.
- Allow an hour between making the booking and attempting check-in
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Why am I having problems checking in online?
It may be for one of several reasons. For example,
- Our systems may be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. If this is the case, we apologise for any inconvenience caused; please try again later.
- You may have entered incorrect travel details. Verify your surname and booking identifier (booking reference, e-ticket or frequent flyer number).
- If you need further assistance, please email our customer care team at help@flysaa.com or speak to one of our consultants. Please be aware that our call centre agents cannot complete check-in on your behalf. If you have difficulties completing the online check-in process, you will need to check in at the airport.
- Your flight is outside the 24 hour or within the 3 hour cutoff check-in times
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Am I able to check in for my travelling companions?
Yes, online check-in is available for up to nine passengers who are travelling on the same booking. If you intend to check in all passengers in your group, you must have their permission to do so.
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Can I use online check-in if I am travelling with an infant?
Yes, online check-in is possible for both the infant and the accompanying adult passenger. For security reasons, infants do require their own boarding pass, so please make sure that you have printed your infant’s boarding pass as well as your own.
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Can I use online check-in if I have baggage?
Online check-in can be used whether you are travelling with hand luggage and/or checked baggage. Upon arrival at the airport, present your online boarding pass at the bag drop counter.
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Can I change my seat after I have checked in online?
Once you have confirmed your seat using online check-in, you will no longer be able to make further seat changes. This is to ensure that every passenger has the fairest selection of seats available when they check in.
Please note: For operational reasons, South African Airways may have to change a passenger’s seat prior to travel.
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What about return/onward flights?
You can check in for your return flight at the same time as your outbound flight only if the return flight is within 24 hours of your outbound flight. Alternatively, please check in online no more than 24 hours before the departure of your return flight.
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Why am I asked to enter passport information?
The immigration authorities of certain countries require all airlines to provide passenger passport information prior to departure of any inbound flight to ensure safety and security.
If you are travelling internationally, you will be asked for your passport at the airport even if you have entered Advanced Passenger Information (API) online.
Required passenger information for all API countries:
- Full name
- Passport number, issuing country and expiration date
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Nationality
Please note: Information requirements are subject to change at any time.
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What is Advanced Passenger Information?
Please refer to: Why am I asked to enter passport information?
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What should I do when I arrive at the airport?
If you have been issued a boarding pass and need to check in your baggage, please proceed to designated bag drop counters where your luggage will be tagged and taken to the aircraft.
If you are travelling with hand luggage only, and have been issued an online boarding pass, please refer to your boarding pass for further instructions.
Should an online boarding pass not be available on your route, please proceed to a self check-in kiosk or check-in counter.
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Will online check-in be available at my departure airport?
At present, online check-in is available for all South African Airways flights departing from the following airports:
- Abu Dhabi
- Accra
- Antananarivo
- Abidjan
- Beijing
- Beira
- Bloemfontein
- Bombay
- Brazzaville
- Bujumbura
- Blantyre
- Cape Town
- Dar es Salaam
- Durban
- Dakar
- East London
- Entebbe
- Frankfurt
- Gabarone
- George
- Harare
- Hoedspruit
- Hong Kong
- Johannesburg
- Kimberley
- Kinshasa
- Kigali
- Lagos
- London
- Libreville
- Livingstone
- Luanda
- Lusaka
- Lilongwe
- Manzini SHO
- Maputo
- Maseru
- Maun
- Mauritius
- Mmabatho
- Mthatha (Umtata)
- Mumbai
- Munich
- Nairobi
- Nampula
- Nelspruit
- New York
- Perth
- Phalaborwa
- Pietermaritzburg
- Pointe Noire
- Polokwane
- Port Elizabeth
- Richards Bay
- Sishen
- Tete
- Upington
- Victoria Falls
- Walvis Bay
- Washington D.C.
- Windhoek
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What is an online boarding pass and how do I use it?
To save you time at the airport, South African Airways offers online boarding passes for certain airports. You will only receive a boarding pass upon completion of online check-in. Your online boarding pass functions in the same way as a normal boarding pass, and includes your assigned seat, flight details and boarding gate number.
Print your online boarding pass and bring it with you to the boarding gate, or drop bag counter if you are checking in baggage. If you are unable to print your online boarding pass, you may print it at the self check-in kiosks or proceed to a SAA check-in counter.
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Where are home printed boarding passes available?
Home printed boarding passes are now available for SAA operated flights to all destinations out of :
- Abu Dhabi
- Accra
- Antananarivo
- Beijing
- Beira
- Bloemfontein
- Bujumbura
- Blantyre
- Brazzaville
- Cape Town
- Durban
- Dar Es Salaam
- East London
- Entebbe
- Frankfurt
- George
- Hong Kong
- Johannesburg
- Kigali
- Kimberley
- Lagos
- Libreville
- London
- Livingstone
- Luanda
- Lusaka
- Lilongwe
- Maputo
- Maun
- Mauritius
- Maseru
- Manzini SHO
- Mthatha (Umtata)
- Munich
- Nampula
- Nelspruit
- New York
- Nairobi
- Pemba
- Perth
- Pointe Noire
- Port Elizabeth
- Polokwane
- Pietermaritzburg
- Phalaborwa
- Richards Bay
- Sishen
- Tete
- Upington
- Victoria Falls
- Walvis Bay
- Washington
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