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LATEST TRAVEL NEWS

DEPARTMENT OF HOME AFFAIRS – SOUTH AFRICA
On 10 January, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) convened a media briefing concerning the situation relating to green-barcoded ID books.
They issued an assurance to South Africans that, contrary to persistent rumours especially on social media, these ID books are not expiring on 31 March 2018 and therefore there is no need to submit an urgent application for a smart ID card. The DHA explained that the panic being caused by these rumours is impacting their overall service delivery.
The issuing of the new smart ID cards is being handled according to a systematic roll-out that takes account of the DHA’s manpower capacity in its branches as well as applications either via their online portal or the participating banks’ 14 branches (Absa, FNB, Nedbank and Standard).
Information relating to online applications for smart ID cards and passports using the eHomeAffairs portal is available on the official Department of Home Affairs website – www.dha.gov.za.

CATHAY PACIFIC
Following industry guidance from Iata, Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon no longer accept smart bags with non-removable lithium batteries, either as checked or cabin luggage effective 01 January 2018.
Smart bags feature integrated lithium batteries and, depending on the specific product, can be used to charge mobile devices or power the bag’s wheels, among other innovations. Smart bags themselves will not be considered as personal electronic devices (PEDs). The lithium batteries will be handled as a power bank or as spare batteries.
Checked baggage: Cathay passengers travelling with smart bags must be able to remove the batteries in case the bag has to be checked in at any point during the trip. The batteries must be carried in cabin luggage, where they will be permitted in accordance with existing spare lithium battery requirements.
Cabin baggage: If a traveller wants to take the smart bag as cabin luggage, the battery must be removable and remain installed inside the bag.
Delta and American Airlines have adopted a similar policy.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC
Effective 24 January 2018, Virgin Atlantic will no longer be offering complimentary ground transportation*, including chauffeur transfers, as part of the I class ticket. Passengers will, however, be able to secure this service at a preferential Virgin Atlantic rate from their supplier.
This chauffeur transfer option has been extended to Z class bookings globally while passengers booked in C, D and J classes will continue to receive a complimentary chauffeur car service.
All Upper Class bookings continue to enjoy full use of Virgin Atlantic’s private security wing at Heathrow, the Revivals lounge and access to the award-winning Clubhouses around the world.
*This includes Heathrow Express, Limo Bike and all other options, including those in our overseas markets.

SOUTH AFRICA
Singapore Airlines will fly daily to Cape Town via Johannesburg from 26 March. The flights will be operated by an A350-900, with 42 seats in business class, 24 in premium economy and 187 in economy.

TANZANIA
Auric Air has opened a new transit lounge in the domestic terminal at Dar es Salaam’s Julius Nyerere International Airport. The air-conditioned lounge offers free Wi-Fi, coffee facilities and charging stations for mobile devices.

www.dha.gov.za

TRAVEL ALERT

SOUTH AFRICA
Travellers planning to be in Cape Town during early February are reminded of the following annual events that place constraints on accommodation availability.
The Mining Indaba takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from 5-9 February while the Opening of Parliament and the State of the Nation Address (SONA) take place in the afternoon and evening of 8 February.
Travellers are advised to make any accommodation bookings as soon as possible and to also expect road travel to be challenging in and around the CBD over this period, and most especially on Thursday when roads in and around Parliament will be closed to the public.

CHINA
Beijing has issued its first major smog alert of the winter, when an orange alert, the second highest on China’s four-level system, was issued over the weekend.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection warned in a statement that heavy air pollution would envelope Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and the surrounding area until 17 January.
Travellers are advised to limit strenuous outdoor activities.

ITALY
Aviation strikes are planned to take place across Italy on Friday, 19 January.
Airline and airport workers will strike for 24 hours on Friday while ENAC, which employs safety and security workers, will strike from 14h00-16h00 and baggage handlers will walk out at airports across the country at different times.
Travellers are advised to check the status of their flight in advance as delays and cancellations are expected.

ZAMBIA
Zambia on Sunday relaxed rules imposed to curb the spread of water-borne cholera as the number of new cases being reported has halved, according to the Health Minister.
Over the weekend, residents of Kanyama district staged riots and fought running battles with police officers in protest over the ban on street vending and the nightly curfew.
Lusaka, and more specifically the low-income Kanyama district, is the epicenter of this outbreak, with most cases and fatalities occurring in the capital. According to the latest reports, the number of new cases has fallen to around 80 from 164 a week ago. As a result, all government and private schools will re-open on 22 January while the two largest public universities will remain closed for now. While health officials are planning a campaign to vaccinate 1 million people as part of broader efforts to stem the spread of the disease, there have been no further pronouncements on a proposed travel ban.

LATEST TRAVEL NEWS


ITALY
Alitalia will fly between Rome and Johannesburg from 08 April next year, starting with four flights per week and operated by a three-class Airbus A330. Flights will leave Johannesburg on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and Rome on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

KENYA
The Kenyan government is to take control of Kenya Airways. This follows a deal that will see the government, in conjunction with domestic lenders, convert airline debt into equity. The government’s stake in Kenya Airways will increase from 29,8% to 48,9% while Air France KLM has a 26,7% stake. Eleven local banks have acquiried a 38,1% stake, which will be held in a special purpose vehicle called KQ Lenders Co.

SOUTH AFRICA
Airlink and Safair have announced plans to unite under the umbrella of a new Airlink Group of companies. The plan is for Airlink to purchase Safair in its entirety. However, the plan is for both Airlink and FlySafair and Safair’s other businesses, including its humanitarian aid flights, to continue to operate separately under their own brands. The airlines also plan to retain their respective products, aircraft fleets, management and leadership teams. The Safair purchase will not affect Airlink’s existing SAA franchise partnership.
An application for approval has been submitted to the Competition Commission and a decision is expected in the first quarter of 2018.

FlySafair has launched Premium Fare to accompany its Lite and Standard Fare options. Premium Fare passengers will qualify for two checked-in bags of 23kg each at no extra cost. The fare also includes one complimentary piece of special luggage (sports, music or photographic equipment), seat selection at no cost, unlimited penalty-free changes to the booking (any difference in airfare will be payable) and priority boarding to secure a place at check-in. Premium passengers who cancel a flight via the FlySafair call centre will receive a refund voucher to the same value as the flight, less an admin fee of R300. Refund vouchers are valid for 12 months.

Airlink has applied for the rights to fly to more destinations which include the Johannesburg-Abuja route that SAA suspended earlier this year. Other route applications in progress include Johannesburg-Libreville, Johannesburg-Douala and Cape Town-Luanda as well as Brazzaville, Moroni, Mayotte and Cotonou.

Gautrain users can now load cash on to their Gautrain card and check their balance online on the Gautrain’s website. The introduction of this new facility means that users will no longer have to top up their cards at cashiers at the Gautrain station.

To load cash on to your Gautrain card, simply visit the Gautrain’s website and select the ‘link your card’ option. Next, enter your Gautrain card and personal details. Finally, enter your credit or debit card details and confirm the payment.

UNITED KINGDOM
From 12 December, British Airways will introduce a 'group boarding' system on all flights. When passengers check in, online or at the airport, they will be assigned a group number between one and five. The number, which will be displayed on the boarding pass, will denote the order in which passengers can board.
First-class passengers and BA Gold Class Executive Club members will reportedly receive the lowest number and will therefore board first.
Silver members and Club World passengers will be able to board second, followed by premium economy and Bronze Club members. Fourth are economy-class passengers and last to board will be those who bought the cheapest hand-luggage-only fares.

TRAVEL ALERT

OR TAMBO AIRPORT, JOHANNESBURG

PROTEST ACTION IS CAUSING TRAFFIC DELAYS

The R21 and R24 highways near OR Tambo International Airport have been blocked by a protest.

Travellers heading for the airport are advised to use the Gautrain to avoid delays and motorists are advised to use alternative routes.