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travel reviews SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
Seats: Set out in a 3x3 configuration, the 18in wide seats were fairly comfortable with adjustable headrests and a decent pitch of 31-32in. I booked 12A, a window seat, for a bit of extra room to relax. Food and drink: The carrier’s website wasn’t working when I attempted to order a vegetarian meal ahead of my flight, so it was a nice surprise that there was an option on board. I was given a thin crepe curled around a cherry tomato sauce and melted Parmesan cheese, which came with potato salad, cheese and crackers, and lemon cake. Though the meal wasn’t
HEATHROW EXPRESS
Seats: The smart purple seats, with grey and yellow details, were mostly in a 2-2 airline formation, with some single and fold-down seats, plus more fold- down seats in the door area. Entertainment: Wall-mounted screens at the front of the carriages and on the separator panels by the doors showed information about the Heathrow Express, advertisements and BBC news headlines. It also showed a magazine- style programme, Click from BBC News. Service: Very helpful staff on platforms and on board; lots of questions from those newly-arrived in London were answered politely and cheerfully.
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES
Seats: Economy seats were laid out 3x3 with a pitch of about 31in and a 17in width. Southwest has no assigned seats; priority boarding can be purchased, otherwise, boarding order is assigned in the order of check-in, which opens on-line, 24 hours in advance. Food and drink: Unlimited pretzels and peanuts were free along with juice, water, coffee and other non- alcoholic beverages. Entertainment: There’s no seat-back entertainment, but downloading the app in advance (there was a link on my email confirmation) gave me access
to in-flight entertainment, including a selection of TV stations and movies on demand for $5. Wi-fi was also available for $8. Service: We were greeted as we stepped on board and service was friendly and efficient. What else: I needed to switch my dates and loved that Southwest doesn’t charge change fees — just the fare difference, if there is one. Plus, you can check up to two bags at no charge. For carry-ons, the official maximum size is 16x24x10in but mine was larger and I was allowed to bring it on board. Geri Bain
Clear, frequent and informative announcements on the platform while waiting ensured everyone was in the correct place. What else: It’s a very smooth, quiet train and an extremely easy way to get to central London from Heathrow. The walk from the terminal is quite long through vast concrete corridors — allow plenty of time. It’s a 15-minute journey from Terminal 2 and 3, plus an extra six minutes from Terminal 5. For Terminal 4, change at Terminal 2 and 3 and catch the free transfer service, which takes four minutes. Jo Fletcher-Cross
spectacular, it was a treat for a short flight, and a nice South African red wine rounded off my lunch nicely. Entertainment: A variety of promotional videos and TV programmes were playing from overhead screens; I instead read my book and flicked through Sawubona, SAA’s in-flight magazine, which contained a selection of interesting travel and lifestyle content. Service: Pleasant and efficient. I asked for two bottles of water each time staff offered drinks, and they seemed happy to oblige. Francesca Bontempo
Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport Economy Class 1h 45min A320-200
flysaa.com 7/10
Heathrow Airport to London Paddington Express Class 15min British Rail Class 332
heathrowexpress.com 9/10
Chicago Midway International Airport to Washington D.C./Reagan National Airport Economy Class 1h 41min Boeing 737-700
southwest.com 9/10
countrybycountry.com | ABTA Magazine 73
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