Should You Fly With FlySafair? Menstuff Investigates

Let’s face it; flying anywhere is an expensive affair – even coughing up for a weekend flight from Jozi to Cape Town is enough to leave you eating Salticrax at the end of the month. Luckily for the average Joe out there, a whole bunch of low-cost airlines have suddenly come out of the woodwork, meaning cheaper flights and more money for local holidays. One that caught our eye is the new(ish) FlySafair which promises flights from R400. But is FlySafair all it’s cracked up to be or are we on the verge of yet another Velvet Sky debacle? MenStuff investigates.

FlySafair’s first commercial flight took off on the 16th of October 2014, transporting its first passengers between Cape Town and Johannesburg, with its fleet of Boeing 737-400 aircraft. But, believe it or not, this isn’t their first time at the rodeo. The company has been operating as Safair for 50 years now, but instead of transporting passengers they have been providing aircraft leasing, maintenance, special operations, international charters and training services.

A few weeks prior to lift off the airline advertised far and wide about its regular fares as lows as R499 between Cape Town and Joburg and R399 between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, and Cape Town and George – and these are all including airport taxes. Just like you, we thought what’s the catch? I’m not going to tell you there isn’t because technically there is. You see, FlySafair claims that their low fares are due to the fact that you pay R150 extra per piece of checked luggage. However, what your fare does get you is 2 pieces of carry on luggage below 7Kg (standard carry on practice in South Africa).

Personally, I’ve never taken more than a carry on bag for local trips as I usually only travel for a weekend or a few days at a time. So, these conditions were perfect for my needs. But, after speaking to a few regular fliers I discovered that travellers were still skeptical about these fares and saying that the additional R150 baggage fee was a catch of note. Travellers can also add all sorts of other extras to their flight such as pre-booked preferential seat selection, extra-space seats and travel insurance which are charged for separately on a menu-type basis. On-board catering is another option which passengers can choose to take advantage of.

I decided to give FlySafAir a try and caught a rather last minute flight from Cape Town to Joburg. I paid a visit their website on a Saturday evening and booked a one way flight leaving early on the next Tuesday morning. Before booking I also compared the same flight times to Mango and Kulula and while I couldn’t find a R499 fare for that time slot, FlySafAir did beat out the competition by a good R500 – which is a big enough savings for me. I picked up a flight for R940 and was pretty chuffed with myself considering the circumstances. After a few more searches, I discovered that the average fare between Cape Town and Joburg on weekends (flying out Friday afternoon and back in on Sunday evening) is about R900 a flight. Which is pretty much the same as their competitors.

So where are these super cheap fares they keep punting? Spend some time on the FlySafair website and you will see that these low fares are typically only for flights at odd times. If you can fly out Thursday morning and back the next Tuesday evening then you are bound to find a deal that whispers sweet-nothings to your wallet but anything in peak travel time is a no-go. Hence why my last minute Tuesday morning flight was a little bit cheaper than the competition.

So I saved some money, but what about the flight? I boarded the FlySafAir plane that Tuesday morning and was pleasantly surprised. The on-ground staff were super professional and started checking boarding passes and long before boarding started – which meant when the gate opened passengers could be ushered straight through. The plane itself was old (but so are the Mango and Kulula planes) but in a good condition. In the end it was like any low-cost flight – you read the free in-flight magazine, pay an over-inflated price for a bag of chips and a soft drink and then spend the rest of the flight wishing the guy next you would stop sliding his elbow into your personal bubble.

Check out FlySafAir’s website for bookings and more info.