South African Airlines Business Class: JNB-CPT A320

South African Airlines offers an option to bid for a Business Class upgrade on your Economy ticket. We decided to give it a try for the 4 of us on the flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town which is a ~2hr flight. The lowest bid was $55 per person so we gave it a try. The upgrade cleared 24 hours prior to departure. Definitely give it a try on your next South African Airlines flight: https://www.flysaa.com/plan-book/add-to-your-experience/upgrade-with-step-up

After our flight from Hoedspruit to Johannesburg, we were able to enjoy the Business Class Lounge which was very spacious. They had plenty of food and drink options to satisfy any craving. This was their flagship lounge for domestic flights. Plenty of seating to choose from and windows to tons of natural light into the space. I could spend a few hours here. We grabbed a quick bite before heading to Cape Town.

We boarded the flight and to our surprise we were last to board. They must have boarded early. Once onboard our A320, we had almost the entire First Class cabin to ourselves. The seats were a bit worn, but spacious. Lunch was served promptly after takeoff which was decent for a domestic flight. It was a smooth flight to Cape Town and we arrived in style.

Conclusion: South African Airlines had friendly service and the upgrade price to Business Class was well worth it. I would fly South African Airlines the next time I’m in South Africa.