The unexpected ‘retro’ detail on this budget flight to South Africa

It’s a feature I have not seen on an airline for many years.

Not only does South African Airways still print an entire Duty Free magazine (‘Extraordinair’), crew members amble down the aisle with a trolley to try and tempt passengers into buying the goodies.

It was just one retro detail we noticed when I flew in economy with the airline from Sydney to Johannesburg via Perth.

South African Airways plane

After flying from Sydney to Perth with partner Virgin Australia, my husband and I transited onto South African Airways.

We were on an Airbus A340-300 for the 11-hour flight from Perth to Johannesburg, which runs five times a week.

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For this flight, I was seated in economy – there is also a small business class section – in a packed cabin. The seats were in a 2-4-2 configuration, and I found the legroom ample for my lengthy frame.

While blankets were handed out, strangely, there were no pillows. It was only because I asked a crew member that he swiped one from business class.

I did, however, get a little pouch with socks and an eye mask.

The in-flight entertainment

It was nice to see some films relevant to our destination such as Winnie, about Nelson Mandela’s wife, on the seat-back TVs.

But don’t expect any new releases. Barbie from a few years back was the most recent we found on the decidedly-dated systems.

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Some airlines are now going screen-free in favour of passengers using their own devices, so it didn’t bother me.

I watched some shows on my phone instead.

(Though the lack of USB ports means you may need to beware of using up your battery power.)

After a couple of episodes I opted to sleep – but not before browsing the onboard magazine, Sawubona – another nostalgic feature, which has been canned by many airlines.

The crew

Cheery and helpful, they were a highlight of the flight.

I liked their announcements – they referred to the captain as the “commander” and also played some pre-recorded spiels.

“We’ve arrived safely, and it’s time to say goodbye,” said one.

“All good things must come to an end,” another followed.

The food

Two meals were served during the flight – I ordered the cauliflower curry and a veggie burger and beans. Both were very tasty.

Of course, the South African wine was also a winner.

All snacks, meals and beverages are complimentary and are included in the ticket price.

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The verdict

When we booked our flight it cost $1,404 one way, saving us a good few hundred dollars on the only other alternative available with Qantas.

However, for upcoming dates I checked in November the price was similar to the Aussie carrier.

It’s always nice to fly to your destination on the national airline. So if you can find a bargain, it’s worth checking out.

The writer travelled at their own expense.