• Digital Nomad History
  • Digital Nomad Resources

Nomadic Notes

Travel blog and weekly travel newsletter

  • Blog
  • Travel Newsletter

Flight Review: SA Express – Durban to Cape Town

May 9, 2016 By James Clark

Flight: SA Express SA 1854
From: Durban (DUR) To: Cape Town (CPT)

Flight Review: SA Express - Durban to Cape Town

I flew with SA Express from Durban to Cape Town, and my flight was provided by South African Tourism (Australia) as part of an Australian media trip to Durban, South Africa.

SA Express (or also South African Express) is affiliated with South African Airways but it is operated independently of it. Both airline brands are owned by the South African government. After reading about the airline and flying with them I’m still confused as to why there needs to be a separate airline. My previous flight was with SAA from Joburg to Durban which felt like flying the same airline.

It turns out that I was lucky with my timing because the airline had its operating licence revoked just the week before. They are also running at a loss, which makes me double wonder why they would run a separate brand from SAA, and all the duplication of expenses that this system entails.

Anyway, this is not an aviation policy blog but a flight review. Fortunately I had not read any local news in the previous week and didn’t know about this.

The flight from Durban to Cape Town was in a Canadair RJ 200. It’s been years since I have flown in a regional jet I was looking forward to flying in a different aircraft type other than an A320/737, which low cost airlines around the world prefer.

The cabin space is tight in these jets so big carry-on bags are collected and stowed. There are 12 rows with 4 seats across (no middle seats!), all economy seats. I am 6’1″ and I barely clear the ceiling of the aisle. While the seats are noticeably narrower than an A320/737 they have at least left a good amount of leg room.

Cabin

Getting back to the branding, SA Express has its own inflight magazine (Indwe) while SAA prints its own magazine .

Indwe - May 2016

The flight was at 3pm with 2hours and 15 minutes of scheduled flying time so on this flight a lunch pack was served. Lunch consisted of cold roast beef and couscous, something I have never had on a flight but it worked very well.

Lunch pack

I got a coffee, mainly because I could. The usual airline fare but at least you get a generous-sized cup here.

Coffee

I got a window seat because I want to see my first glimpse of Cape Town from the air. The scenery was spectacular.

Approaching Cape Town

Approaching Cape Town airport I could see it in the distance but the angle felt too tight to make a landing. I have become so used to bigger aircraft needing a longer approach that I really noticed the steep descent and tight turn into the landing path.

A smaller aircraft also means a tarmac deplaning at Cape Town Airport. Overall a good flight with no complications.

Filed Under: Flight Review Tagged With: cape town, durban, sa express, south africa

Weekly Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts, and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.
Subscribe For Free Here [No spam, unsubscribe anytime.]

About Nomadic Notes

James Clark from Nomadic Notes

Hi, I’m James Clark, and I've been travelling the world since 2003 while running a location independent travel business. Nomadic Notes is a travel blog featuring travel guides and notes from my travels.

More about me and Nomadic Notes.

Follow Nomadic Notes

Recent Posts

  • Notes on Kep – Fake beaches, ruined villas, crabs (of course), and a cool cafe of Cambodia
  • Notes on Kampot – There’s been a vibe shift
  • Notes on Koh Rong – An island in transition
  • Where I’m At: July 2022 – Hanoi
  • Laos-China Railway – A review of the Vientiane to Boten train
  • Notes on Sihanoukville – After the gold rush
  • Where I’m At: June 2022 – Vientiane
  • Notes on Phnom Penh – Revisiting after the reopening
  • Where I’m At: May 2022 – Saigon
  • Notes on Ko Samet – The closest beach-break island from Bangkok

European Rail Travel

Eurail Pass Travel Guide

Europe Rail News – The new newsletter for train travel in Europe

Southeast Asia Rail Travel

Southeast Asia current and proposed railways

A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia

Featured Posts

Top 200 Travel Books
How to find cheap flights
Best new banks for travellers, expats, and nomads

About Nomadic Notes

About
Advertise
Contact
Contribute
Press/Media Mentions
Where I've Been

Search Nomadic Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Notes

Travel Resources

Long-term Travel
Travel Blog Directory
Travel Gear
Travel Insurance
Travel Sites

Where To Stay In…

Bangkok
Chiang Mai
Da Nang
Ho Chi Minh City
Hong Kong
Jakarta
Kuala Lumpur
Macau
Penang
Singapore

Travel Newsletter

Sign up for the weekly travel newsletter for the latest posts and a roundup of best travel reads from around the web.

Copyright © 2022 Nomadic Notes · Site Map | Privacy · Log in