Our low-mileage upgrade awards are available on SAA operating flights. The upgradable seats will be released 48 hours prior to departure, and the qualifying classes members can upgrade from are Y B M and K class fares. The relevant levies/taxes and surcharges will be for your account, payable in cash or card payment.
SAA operating flights are flights where SAA sells seats on SAA's own aircraft. SAA operating flights are typically identified by flight number range SA001 – SA 999.
Note: Upgrade Awards have to be issued on a one-way basis and per sector. For example if you travel from Cape Town to Johannesburg (sector), Johannesburg to Sao Paulo (sector), Sao Paulo to Johannesburg (sector) and Johannesburg to Cape Town (sector). Four (4) Awards will need to be issued, if you want to upgrade on the entire route.
South African Airways Upgrade Awards are only permitted on South African Airways flight numbers where South African Airways is the operating carrier (flight number range SA 001 – SA 999).
South African Airways Upgrade Awards can only be issued on a Sector basis.
South African Airways Upgrade Awards are subject to seat availability and confirmation of a seat will be considered between 24 (twenty four) to 48 (forty eight) hours prior to departure of a flight sector requested.
South African Airways Upgrade Awards are issued only for travel within the qualifying region of the Award as specified in the Award chart.
South African Airways Upgrade Awards exclude the difference in cost between the lower class and the upgrade class with respect to: carrier imposed fees; government taxes, surcharges and levies; third-party taxes, surcharges and levies; credit card levy or surcharge; or any other fees as may be applicable. Members are responsible for and must settle all relevant airport taxes and any additional relevant fees that are due for payment when collecting their Upgrade Award ticket. Such payments must be made in cash or by card.
South African Airways Upgrade Award Certificates are available via www.flysaa.com.
Miles required for South African Airways Upgrade Awards are as per the Award chart published on www.flysaa.com. Refer to the "Spending miles" page for the applicable Upgrade Award chart.
Only Y, B, M and K revenue Economy class tickets are eligible for a South African Airways Upgrade Award.
The eligible Economy class booking must first be issued on South African Airways ticket stock (i.e. on ticket numbers that start with "083". E.g. 08324009045671) before the Upgrade Award can be processed for ticketing.
Upgrade Awards may only be used for an upgrade to the next higher cabin class.
Members must purchase confirmed tickets in the lower class of travel, then request the relevant Upgrade Award. Once the applicable miles have been withdrawn from the Member's Voyager account, the change to the reservation will be made and the Member can then arrange to have the ticket re-issued accordingly.
The booking class for South African Airways Upgrade Awards is 'E'.
Date changes are permitted and the fare rules and restrictions of the original Economy published revenue classes apply, in addition to these Terms and Conditions.
Original endorsements apply to the upgraded ticket.
Subject to the original Economy class fare rules, if a date change takes place on a ticket that has already been upgraded with miles to the next higher booking class, the Member or passenger must pay the penalty as per original fare rules pertaining to the revenue based ticket. The original booking class must first be booked on the new date of travel, before the upgrade booking class can be requested.
Subject to the original Economy class fare rules, if a date change results in a different Economy booking class, the difference in fare will be collected and the ticket revalidated.
South African Airways Upgrade Award tickets are refundable subject to the original fare rules and these Terms and Conditions.
Upgrade miles per Region Table
Region
One-way Award Mileage Threshold
Eligible Economy Class bookings for the use of an SAA Upgrade Award
Upgrade Award Booking Class
Southern Africa
6 600
Y,B,M,K
E
Africa
16 000
Y,B,M,K
E
South America
17 000
Y,B,M,K
E
Australia
28 000
Y,B,M,K
E
Award Chart Regions Table
Award chart regions
Award chart region descriptions
Southern Africa
Blantyre, Harare, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Victoria Falls, Windhoek, South Africa (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Gqeberha)
