MEMBERS of Voyager
are feeling the impact
of SAA shedding longhaul
and regional frequencies,
while at the same time, other
programmes are becoming
increasingly attractive.
While most who spoke
to TNW asked to remain
anonymous, agents
consistently reported that
their corporate clients were
increasingly looking at foreign
carriers, with British Airways
and Gulf carriers gaining most
of this business.
Yumna Kharodia, owner of
Sweet Life Travel, told TNW
that she no longer booked
many SAA flights because the
carrier was servicing fewer
destinations and her clients
were choosing Gulf carriers.
She said she didn’t have
many clients on the Voyager
programme any more and
that clients had moved off the
programme because 90% of
the time they were unable to
book the seats they wanted,
using miles.
Travel Counsellors ITC,
Siobhan Nel, says her SAA
sales are also down. “I have
a lot of Voyager members who
have now signed up with Air
France and Lufthansa.”
“Unfortunately it’s indicative
of what is happening at SAA,”
one TMC told TNW. “We are
seeing growth on foreign
airlines.” The agent says while
clients have been tied in with
Voyager, all the top airlines
are offering programmes with
matching status. “They might
not have the network that SAA
has, but now people are losing
faith in the national carrier.”
