South African Airways relaunches popular direct flight to Australia – Pricing and dates

South African Airways (SAA) has relaunched direct flights to Perth, Australia, following a three-year hiatus on the popular route.

Bookings are already open with the inaugural flight to take place on 28 April 2024.

Outbound passengers will depart from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 20h55, and arrive at Perth International Airport the following day at 12h20.

Return flights from Perth are also scheduled three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, departing at 14h40 in the afternoon from Australia and landing the same day at 19h35 in Johannesburg.

At present, the cheapest outbound flight on 28 April is R11,671.30 with a return flight on 1 May costing R10,220.00.

Travellers who wish to fly at a later date have options starting at R10,771.30 and R6,370.00, respectively, according to the SAA website.

For the launch phase, SAA will operate an Airbus A340-300 with a total capacity of 253 passengers split across 38 business class and 215 economy seats.

The Perth-ect opportunity

The revival of the Joburg-to-Perth route marks the second interoceanic flight to be reopened by SAA within the last six months following the relaunch of the Sao Paulo, Brazil route on 31 October 2023.

As a result, a “Southern hemisphere travel package” that goes from Perth to Sau Paulo through Johannesburg is now a possibility, said the airline.

“SAA’s operations to Perth are in line with the airline’s strategic plans to scale its operations to a profitable level by leveraging SAA’s unique capabilities as a national carrier with wide-body aircraft that can provide South Africa with long-haul intercontinental air connectivity,” said CEO Professor John Lamola.

“Besides the global interconnectivity potential of this route, Perth has long been a favoured destination for South African and Australian travellers, with approximately 80% of our target market being visiting family and friends.”

The Perth flight is just one of over 20 new destinations that SAA is planning to expand to in 2024.