I would like to Clairfy that this "SAA is the airline from Hell" thing going around is rubbish. I won't try and deny there are some bad apples among the SAA cabin crew, but, there are lots very ripe (very professional and friendly) staff, combined with the fact that they are winning Interntaional awards throughout the year, are the first airline to approach in the USA and UK when travelling to South Africa and they have an excellent international reputataion.
South African Airways produce some of the best trained pilots in Africa, and while supported in the UK and USA, and many others around their servicing destinations around the world, they have to take the moans and groans of their own people, while (1) they offer cheap fares, full service and reasonable reliability and (2) represent South Africa fantastically showing you guys off (a pospective of an outsider) and (3)have one of the most successful "bums on seats" policies in the whole industry - managing to fill the aircraft on most routes.
SAA recently handled the recent Hijack attempt very well, calm crew, and SAA dealing with distressed passengers well.
It's very easy to predict the reaction from this post, so for those people who like to argue....BRING IT ON!
