10 May 2010
South African Airways and New York-based JetBlue Airways have signed a deal that will enable travellers between the US and southern Africa to buy a single itinerary for flights on both carriers in one simple transaction.
The new partnership, effective from 12 May, offers increased convenience to customers on both sides of the Atlantic by allowing customers to travel on a single e-ticket.
Customers will be able to check their bags to their final destination and receive boarding cards for both carriers’ flights upon check-in with either JetBlue in the US or South African Airways (SAA) in southern Africa.
“There are lots of travellers flying to South Africa and southern Africa that originate in many of the cities that JetBlue currently serves,” said Marc Cavaliere, executive vice-president North America for South African Airways.
“We have had numerous requests from our customers expressing an interest in being able to easily connect to SAA’s flights at JFK. It was an easy decision to create a seamless travel experience with JetBlue.”
More options for travel
New York’s JFK is a key gateway for SAA with their daily non-stop flights to South Africa, and is also the base of operations for JetBlue Airways, where it is the largest domestic airline. By working together at JFK, the carriers will offer more options for travel between the United States and southern Africa and provide customers with a smooth travel experience.
“We are excited to team up with South African Airways, introducing the JetBlue Experience to even more customers around the world and extending our reach all the way to the African continent,” said Robin Hayes, executive vice-president at JetBlue.
“We look forward to offering our award-winning JetBlue Experience and even more choices to travellers, including all-leather seats, spacious legroom, unlimited free snacks and most importantly, genuine, friendly service.”
SAinfo reporter
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