Review: SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS A330 Business Class to Johannesburg!

[@JoshCahill]

instagram.com/gotravelyourway/ - follow me on Instagram for daily updates and support me on PATREON - www.patreon.com/joshcahill - to keep my channel alive, THANKS!

[@jeffreytieery2658]

So like you, OMG

[@khalidmohamed5946]

Hi Josh which one do you think offers a superior product.Kq or SAA

[@khalidmohamed5946]

Hi josh.Which one offers a superior product.KQ or SAA.

[@anethsisamouth6912]

Josh Cahill 🥺🥺

[@justinha778]

Try air canada

[@OfficialSouthAfricanAirways]

We hope you enjoyed the A330! We hope to see you on our next flight!

[@MichaelK5468]

As a crew member from the 80's and 90's my heart swells with pride. I'm so glad that your experience on SAA was so pleasant despite an inept management team.

[@ItsGareth]

Excellent review Josh... SAA has had a rough patch the last few months but this review is very refreshing . As a fellow South African i appreciate this . Keep up the great work Josh !!

[@Yves_Ka]

@David John Murray Reynolds LOL

[@Yves_Ka]

SAA *IS HAVING* a bad patch- it is financially in a mess. The government has been bailing SAA out for years due to the corrupt leadership. To make matters worse the newly appointed CEO has resigned. A seriously old fleet, the flight schedule reduced and many long distance aircraft sitting around in JHB all dressed up but nowhere to go. This new Business Class is good. However they didnt fit out as many (old) aircraft as planned (lack of funds) and routes where it was supposed to be offered (JHB-MUC for example) have reverted to the old business which is the pits!

[@Yves_Ka]

@@YellowMellow505 Dit is nie "suid Afrkaans" nie, dit is Afrikaans.

[@edwill1595]

Hahaha... they in more shit now than ever!

[@sulemanvarvara2142]

Yo anyone else from Johannesburg here?! 🇿🇦🇿🇦❣️❣️

[@racingforah19f14]

Who else is watching your fav youtuber's 2019 videos to relive moments that where in the past.

[@Venkateshbashamoni]

Sam

[@waleedahmedsalih7196]

Hope those moments come back again

[@prithishsinha5376]

Josh First things first , I'm a huge fan. Love your reviews 👍. As a pilot and an Aerospace engineer myself, let me clear the concept of supersonic. Now, in aircrafts the speed after a certain point is measured in mach no.. Anything flying above mach 1 is supersonic. Most commercial airlines usually do a Mach 0.8 - 0.9 depending on altitude and load. The generalization that anything above 1000kmph is supersonic is not correct at all. As i mentioned, high airspeeds are measured in mach no. Which is a ratio of groundspeed and local speed of sound. The value of the local speed of sound changes with the density of air (air is less dense at higher altitudes and high temperatures). So basically 1000kmph may be supersonic at some specific altitude but as the aircraft goes higher and lower or as it passes air of different temperatures, that thing changes.

[@bboyjunyor]

I think what you needed to point out was the fact that it can travel at 1200-1300kph ground speed but still not Mach1 because of the fact that it's at the same 900-950kph air speed (tailwind)! Mach number (1>) and thus supersonic speed is defined by air speed and not by ground speed. If you push the air by an overall speed of over 343 m/s (1235 kph) then you're supersonic! Over the Atlantic the plane flies at the same air speed going west and east; ground speed though changed because the direction of the high altitude wind is different! Hope that makes sense!

[@jackson3190]

This is also true in jet streams. In late 2019, there was a huge jet stream spanning North America to Europe, which cause flights to be an hour early and for record time to be broken. Those planes went supersonic on ground speed, but were travelling at Mach 0.8-0.9. The push that they were getting from the tailwind was upwards of 200 knots.

[@mc_alfred6257]

Thank you for the clarity....!

[@mc_alfred6257]

@@bboyjunyor I've just read something like this.....Thanks buddy!

[@narenjakable]

as a pilot and aerospace engineer,you better not fly any passenger plane since you simply don't know it is the TAS and not the GS..not being surprised to see thousands of jobless Indian pilots around.

[@Ad-Lo]

I always find the South African service to far exceed any other African (and many European) airlines. Their financial troubles haven't stopped me from continuing to fly SAA at all. I love how the crew are attentive and refer to Business Class passengers by their names. Their lounge in OR Tambo is also fantastic! Rivalled only by the new-ish Air France lounge in Charles de Gaulle in my opinion. And really, NOTHING beats African hospitality.

[@jacqueslorenz977]

Worst airline i had bad experiences on many occasions nobody beats Ethiopian airlines i fly only Ethiopian

[@mabhodlelajj1195]

@@jacqueslorenz977 hahaha nice try ethopian boy.I know you will and deny that you are from ethopia 😂

[@mabhodlelajj1195]

@@nickgiovanni6518 I don't even get what you bragging about really lol,is it a plane?SAA have many new air bus planes so what do you mean old ass air bus plane as if SAA have one plane?Itleast make sense broe,don't embarass your self.About routes last time I check SAA had longest route in africa from Cape town to New york without refueling,so again I'm lost what are you braging about.

[@faisalruslan879]

The crews r old n ugly yukkks

[@krazygurl5030]

Y’all sound dumb as fuck... I’m South African and I really don’t care who has the best airline it doesn’t affect me in any way and calling them ugly is just rude

[@zukomntonintshi8941]

Thank you for flying South African airways Josh! and thank you for this beautiful review! People are starting to loose confidence in SAA recently due to mismanagement but I'm happy to see they pulled up thier socks this business and economy class are very beautiful and off high standard! Shout out from South Africa 🇿🇦 ❤️

[@malcolmchristoyeomans2134]

Howzit! Really impressed with their service! Really hope new management can save SAA!

[@clausstimpfig3803]

no first class cabin anymore. remember the Diamond first class on SAA

[@finnadekeditz]

Eyyy bru appreciate the comment

[@cherylafrica3428]

@@malcolmchristoyeomans2134 I pray so too that saa can be saved I'm so sad and bitter that saa is not operational because of corruption the employees had to lose their jobs because of mismanagement and corruption what a very sad story I love saa and pray for it's survival and that all employees will be reinstated 😰🙏✈🌏

[@nightcrep]

Speed of sound is 1234 km/hr at NTP (Normal Temperature and Pressure). There are many variables that go into it. But what you are probably seeing is your Ground Speed and not your Air Speed, which will be totally different.

[@mt.aviation4295]

Exactly, due to strong tail wind (maybe thanks to a jetstream) your groundspeed can be very high compared to your true airpeed.

[@derekinhawaii]

Correct, I would also add that you could still fly above the sound barrier when using ground speed. Actual airspeed would be less. The reason why ground speed is higher than the sound barrier is because of a strong tail wind. Flight crews DO NEED to monitor the airspeed as to not exceed supersonic / measured via Air speed and not ground speed. These type of flights happen all the time from Hawaii to mainland US and East Coast to EU.

[@SchutzePhilip]

This is not the correct approach to the problem.. Refer to my comment in the main section...

[@crazebanana6432]

If you cross that amount would it cause a sonic boom or not

[@OzanOzz]

As a 40 year aviator, and from your reactions, i would say this is the best catering really.

[@britishairways0101]

Nice to see our national carrier being projected positively. To all the guys at sea keep the good work...one day we will get it right.

[@JC-kb2qg]

The cabin crew looked so welcoming and friendly, it’s great they were fine being filmed because their beaming smiles really gave a great representation of the airline!

[@zenzeleluckymtshali8433]

yrs 18 hors where are u going since when i dont mind the question since he is going gone

[@user-yb1su4mh4s]

Just found your review of SAA. It's heartbreaking that such a great airline was ruined by thieving and mismanagement.I have always found them excellent.The only drawback is their price, locally, regionally and internationally I have found their prices to be the highest.if they were competitive I would use them

[@ii_Scythe_i]

it's sad really

[@BaronMaron-g2j]

How were they ruined?

[@leahledwaba7002]

I just love most things South African. My overseas travels are always on South African Airways

[@skelpil]

The speed of sound is 767 miles per hour (1235 km/hour). The screen showed a speed of 642 miles per hour (1035 km/hour) which is below the speed of sound. Great report! I flew business class from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg on SAA A330-200 last December and loved it. I will be publishing my report on KZbin in the near future

[@hushpup]

Congrats SAA -I am proud of you! Thanks, Josh ❤️

[@nycflyertravel]

Their new Business Class is definitely an improvement over their old product. I wonder if this will force Ethiopian Airways to revamp their premium cabin.

[@clausstimpfig3803]

no champagne only sparkling wine

[@JoeMama-hd1fo]

I don’t think so as saa are bankrupt and probably will go under very soon

[@charlielucai-woodsboro2167]

I'm hoping for the best for SAA (not saa Mr Mama)

[@michaelx4810]

Doubt ET take SA seriously as competition. Completely different models. ET is a network operator, closer to EK or QR. SA is basically only important for people travelling to and from South Africa, and small neighbouring countries. And geography means that probably can’t and won’t change. As things stand, ET is more likely to buy SA, or a stake, and use SA to complement ET’s network, if SA is successfully revived.

[@thaboscott179]

Shout out from SA. Excellent review, as always!

[@JoshCahill]

Thanks mate!

[@samzhang5682]

Shout out from South Australia, another SA!

[@Watfordfc2030]

Lovely airline and I’m a huge fan of South African people as have very very good friends from Durban and find the people delightful and the country is beautiful 👍 also a great trip report and much appreciated and so happy we are part of you’re patreon As we get so so much enjoyment thankyou 👍🇬🇧

[@reubenvhengani1446]

We love you sir!

[@kevinuk1196]

Ok but have you heard of Xenophobia

[@cleopatra1603]

@@kevinuk1196 what are u trying to imply hee?

[@thabisokhumalo6516]

@@kevinuk1196 And??

[@rodolpho979]

Hello Josh and congratulations for your SAA trip report. As I former SAA ticket office employee I must say that GRU-JNB (São Paulo/Brazil) as well as EZE-JNB (Buenos Aires/Argentina) routes are a good check for your experience. One long non-stop entirely over the Atlantic flight is the proof of a few things: warm and friendly South African welcome, efficiency, excellent food and wines, all the necessary information for the passengers before landing and upon arrival and our desire to experience it all again! Keep on going!

[@benedictjudegovender2458]

Hi Josh. As a South African I do swell with pride to see a positive review of our national airline. Its such a bitter sweet thing for SA citizens. The airline has been mismanaged for years now and is sadly draining much of our tax money. I do hope things turn around but it won't be soon sadly.

[@ajblack2410]

Have they thought of letting it be private instead of state owned would save your country a lot of money

[@IsaacNYC212]

I'm obsessed with your channel. You have the calmest demeanor in some of the most challenging situations. I'm based in NYC, and Delta is my preferred airline. South Africa is high on my list of places to visit. I have a friend in Cape Town, so maybe one day soon. Happy Travels

[@michaelngcobo7279]

Over feeding is so South African. You must eat☝🏽and take home a Tupperware "can't be going around telling people they didn't feed me in" 🤣🤣

[@x3oara]

🤣🤣🤣

[@blossombeautycrafts90]

lmao

[@keneilwemosadi9714]

Tupperware😂😂😂even in the woolies ice cream container

[@benwingreeff2652]

Lol I'm sure SAA must have!

[@NavigatoTravels]

Lol

[@wesleyhunter2834]

I flew on them from Cape Town to Johannesburg in 2016, very enjoyable in coach class.

[@maryannesteele]

OMG I CANT WAIT TO GO TO BEAUTIFUL SOUTH AFRICA AGAIN!!! WOOHOO PARTY PARTY PARTY

[@geecee3478]

great vid thank you. You are so cute when a little buzzed after a couple of glasses of wine! Yes- that feeling of wanting to get off the plane no matter how good the food, how comfortable the seat/bed, even being in a business class seat feels like being confined after a few hours...

[@rachelhamann9215]

1. You’re a legit cutie 2. Love your accent 3. You seem very kind and genuine 4. 2 videos in to your channel I can tell it’s unique and unlike any other airline review channel, you offered info and views that I would be interested to see. 5. Just watching your drinks to get an idea of the turbulence after you mentioned just made me anxious, if someone that flys all the time says someone like me wouldn’t be happy I believe it!!!

[@khumoaviator4060]

Thank you so much for this very rare SAA review especially the business class. This airline is surely on its rise to redemption and so it will be exciting to see more SAA reviews

[@khumoaviator4060]

@David John Murray Reynolds true however it's a step up from the previous product hence my statement is correct.

[@khumoaviator4060]

@David John Murray Reynolds I agree with your statement but it lacks thorough analysis and in depth knowledge.

[@khumoaviator4060]

@David John Murray Reynolds that makes the both of us bru. Since you know better then you're absolutely right.

[@Yves_Ka]

@@khumoaviator4060 True, but as the months (and years) go by, the "previous product" which is still found on 70% of their long haul fleet (15 year old A340s) is still standard and becomes more dated by the day. Here is some info regarding the 2 new A350s they have just leased www.aerotelegraph.com/en/south-african-airways-leases-two-a350-aircraft

[@lolasmith3195]

What's with all your cynical comments mate?

[@sabbys7750]

Your 2 cents are totally on point. I agree with ya. Just subscribed! I loved your honesty!

[@ianwalker1601]

Lovely to see you 'let go' - the wine has been the star of this review - good to see you so happy!

[@bearmanoz63]

I prefer the I old SAA with the flying springbok personally. However you commented on supersonic travel. I went on a BA concord (BA16) from Bahrain to London 29 December 1978. It flies at a higher altitude (50,000ft on our flight) and according to the flight/tech crew it's more technical than normal subsonic aircraft. We hit M1 then M2 speed from memory. You get a jolt when you hit the speed of sound. You go so fast that the small passenger windows get warm with the friction. As an amazing experience that you need to do once. Took about 2 hours less than normal. In flight service was the best ever than I've ever seen and I've travelled many times in all classes and many airlines all over the world. I worked for 3 airlines from 1981-2008, so seen a lot.

[@fudpukker]

Hey Josh, this brings back memories, I used to fly SAA from JNB to LHR regularly, but after years of corruption and mismanagement, SAA has been reduced to a regional airline with no destinations outside of the African continent. What a pity...

[@marywilkinson5937]

I was fortunate enough to fly on a maiden flight on SA. Impeccable service, delicious food, absolutely splendid!

[@dianeschroeder3980]

Crazy long flight with a little too much wine and food. You looked sick at the end. Poor Josh!! Thanks as always for the great review.❤️👍

[@JoshCahill]

Yes 18 hours in an airplane can be very long haha - don't try haha

[@tcwat01]

What a comprehensive review! From the video, I can see how much you enjoyed the flight and how passionate the flight attendant was to provide you hospitable services. A big thumbs-up to both you and South African Airways

[@HS-PGX]

I wish you showed more footage of the crew... they look like the friendliest bunch I have ever seen and I’ve gotten happy just listening to their laughter and smiles. South Africans really are some of the cheeriest people in the world!

[@johnsymons76]

Nice review. Considering how few passengers were in your cabin I am surprised that the FA did not offer to make your bed. That simple act is one way to distinguish average service from exceptional Business Class service. The lack of salt and pepper shakers may be a good economic decision on SA's part and they probably are pilfered but it stood out glaringly in an international Business Class cabin. Take care and Happy Travels!

[@jekeqa]

Really guys, just make your own beds and sleep.

[@Swisssnaps]

The Business class is really impressive , the 6K screen wow 🤩 and the seats also

[@pharrel1]

South African Airways are the best in Africa. Flown with Em several times and it always exceeds my expectations.

[@HS-PGX]

From your review, (I’ve flown Ethiopian Business in a similar route) I can tell that I would prefer SAA, if they flew to Bangkok, which unfortunately they don’t at the moment. It feels as if there is a down to earth feeling and the crew are so lovely, so welcoming and happy. Ethiopian train their cabin crew vigorously, whereas I feel as if SAA have a very down-to-earth “motherly” feeling with their cabin crew. The product is also a lot better for solo travelers. The only possibility of flying SAA for me is to go to Hong Kong then hop on their A340-300 to Joburg. The laughs, the jokes, the casual comments of the cabin crew give such a warm feeling, whereas on Ethiopian they seem to be too focused on the task at hand, but I did meet a lovely cabin crew who was very casual and genuinely happy.

[@afrikawewant5390]

Thanks for this comment continue flying SAA

[@HS-PGX]

Nomde's Take I wish I could, they don’t fly to Bangkok anymore do they? I had the chance to fly them JNB-CPT but the rest of the group was booked on BA op comair so it only made sense to follow suit unfortunately. Amazing service from BA even in economy. The crew are so kind and so genuinely happy.

[@PlanesTrainsEverything]

I stumbled across your channel through a KZbin recommendation and I'm glad I found it. You have a new sub. Great video.

[@alexk3806]

Hospitality! Fantastic stuff, the first video of yours where I am actually envious of your adventures!

[@losmeets98]

What a lovely cabin crew too! Having a nice cabin crew can make a flight experience twice as good!

[@khalednaboulsi4723]

Amazing service & I loved the friendly crew, I love crew that are smiling & open to a friendly conversation. Such an organized airline it looks. I lived in Accra for 9 years, you should visit there one day.

[@anitascarr7982]

Great review! The dinner and dessert looked amazing!!!

[@JoshCahill]

Thanks! Yes, best cheesecake ever!

[@arjunbhattacharyya1389]

Supersonic speed is mach 1(speed of sound in air) or 767.269 mph or 1234.79976156002 kmph. Normally, turbofan engines cannot go above mach 0.92 - 0.94.

[@dwaynewade349]

The seatbelt. That's super sick! like a car.

[@refaatgierdien7601]

Loved your review of our national carrier : )

[@johanlamprecht5577]

Hi from South Africa. Glad you enjoyed your SAA experience its a great airline despite its financial problems. Made me proud. Btw I did that 18 hour flight a few years ago on a 747 in economy class...a very long flight.

[@Ipuffyy]

From what I can judge based on your video, it looked great. Would definitely fly them when I go to South Africa.

[@cledwynstafford4819]

..i do like your honesty, yet always remember, that we need to be very patient with other people from other cultures.

[@william_anderson_ZA]

You gotta love the Rainbow Nation Courier.

[@Blackcat6969ful]

Do you mean British Airways which now fly our Springbok Rugby Team around as SAA is bankrupt once again?

[@nataschazupan7407]

This was one of the best.... and sadly no more

[@jf6395]

the color scheme is great

[@tutorandtourist7413]

Hope you are feeling better now Josh. The seats look cool. I'd love to try the dessert that you tried during the flight. 😊 Safe travels 👍

[@preeganjaygovender3108]

SAA has just received the first of four A350-900s, fly on those and you’ll be amazed

[@deonellis8577]

... A350s which don't belong to them (just to add to the record) and will soon be returned back to the owner and resprayed over to another carrier, due to account non-payment...

[@afrikawewant5390]

@@deonellis8577 this is a joke of the Security

[@bohemoth1]

Anyone tried watching this video with the captions on? Outrageously hilarious with the translation. He said THE SEAT and the caption was DECEIT. He said BED the caption was BAD. I feel sorry for the deaf passengers who are watching the infotainment system.

[@1DLflyer]

Hi Josh, not often I watch airline reviews, but yours was very enjoyable, ro watch specially the host lol. Keep up the great job you do.

[@vinitasandeepkumar4353]

Enjoyed watching your experience in South African Airways ! And I love the background music you play in the videos... 👍👍

[@benharrrisss]

Hi Josh. That speed you see would be supersonic if it were the airspeed but its actually the ground speed plus tailwind that you get when traveling eastbound across the atlantic. This is a great flight report, keep it up

[@koustavchoudhury5833]

Speed of sound at sea level is about 1225 km/h . Anything above that speed is supersonic.But speed of sound decreases with altitude. So at an altitude of 30,000 feet the speed of sound will be approximately 1091 km/h. But your aircraft speed was less than speed of sound.Therefore it is not supersonic.(correct me if I am wrong)

[@zhengyanni4222]

And also it would be related to the concept of ground speed and air speed, air speed is what actually matters.

[@peterdewberry3082]

Thanks for this good review. I have flown SAA very frequently over the years, on numerous domestic routes and internationally. Mostly good experiences, but will never fly that 18 hour journey from the USA to South Africa again. I have flown that route at least 6 or 7 times, as I get older it is just too exhausting. My wife and I are traveling to Cape Town in February 2022, but are flying from Boston via London. A short break in London will break the journey nicely.

[@mc_alfred6257]

13:25.....Josh greet that woman for me buddy! So first time on the channel and boy I wonder why only now KZbin recommends your channel to me after I've been watching so many channels on Aviation but then....I'm happy thanks Buddy! Hala when you're back in RSA cape town!

[@annienel7683]

Thanks you Josh for reviewing our country's airline.

[@90miles95]

I’ve flown GRU-JNB-JFK and back in Y on a mistake fare back in 2015....that was crazy

[@jeremiahgumani6280]

My country does me proud again 🇿🇦

[@anm_15]

I traveled 4 times by SA by economy, flights are amazing.

[@salmanahjum-mathee9055]

thanks josh for flying on SAA's premium business class product

[@amazonian09]

Good review Josh. I will soon be taking their A330-900 from LHR to JNB. Thanks a million

[@tiaankreeft8156]

Welcome to South Africa airline hope you enjoyed btw i am South African ✌️

[@pgrevstad]

Years ago I flew a CX flight from YVR-YYZ, the last leg home. We had the Gulf Stream, and a strong westerly wind, behind us, and it was very cold at altitude. The captain announced when the wind and the engines gave us Mach 1.1 (without trying). The flight was only four hours long.

[@philipthomey7884]

Could you hear the sonic boom?!

[@ABarfieldBit]

I’d love to see a video with like travel tips and/or travel must haves!

[@SHAMOYA]

Watching this during Covid and seeing him touch someone else’s seat before they get on the plane really gave me anxiety lol

[@anne-mariebruwer939]

around 1200km/h is supersonic btw HUGE fan

[@mustapha_a]

Fantastic review! I usually travel with Mango or Safair for domestic as SAA is too pricey but the overall experience in SA is great accross all airlines. SAA is definitely rated tops among our locals and tourist.

[@Nanayawe]

I play a game that features this airport in good detail. Was nice to watch your videos of the apron. And great you passed through my home country☺️

[@kevinkober6896]

Absolutly amazing Airline Service Food and the seat!!😍🥰❤️💪🏽🫶

[@Nubianette]

This is so helpful! I’m in the US, and have been planning to go to Accra for the past year. I’ve only seen the Delta direct flight from JFK. So, I’ll check it out. 👍🏾

[@ahwenepankasawinsconsin]

We're waiting for u...And u won't regret ;-)

[@gunvaldsandhaland7757]

Good job,love the seat in business class

[@fluffyflextail]

Damn, this one started with a very exciting drum set. I am hyped beyond belief!!!!

[@russellwilson6193]

I like all the music in this video.

[@cqix]

Speed is (typically) always shown in ground speed. When you think about the jet stream going eastbound on the north atlantic and you are going eastbound as well, you have your answer. Btw. the cruise speed of an A330-300 is 870 km/h. So everything above is added by the jet stream.

[@zenzeleluckymtshali8433]

yes a home house manager on a payroll as a cleaner from forex aexchage R52.000 A MONTH NOT IN A YEAR...R83.000

[@nicholas_p]

Josh supersonic is when you travel faster the sound which occurs at 768 miles per hour, or for the rest of the world 1,235 kilometers per hour, and culminates in a sonic boom

[@harangadsingh1434]

Great video Josh! Thanks :)

[@LP-lm3by]

I love your reviews.Your pronunciation cracks me up..

[@cashrewardsnetwork]

Nice review. Plush interior of the aircraft. But can't imagine doing economy if of a certain age lol. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@liezlsmal9151]

And 6 months later this airline is no more. I am sad about this as a former traveller (best seats, food and service) and very sad as a South African.

[@018Greg]

Painful indeed.

[@azaniapulse3014]

Very sad state of affairs, I hope the new owner doesn't rebrand it...

[@CandyGirl44]

SAA is being resurrected, it's a vast source of graft for corrupt officials, and while the infrastructure in South Africa is crumbling in almost every aspect, and children are still dying in pit latrines at schools, the government is hellbent on bankrupting public and SOE to ensure they can still fly in style🙄🙄

[@Versace24_7]

there's hope! SAA Will fly again

[@jekeqa]

Oh Liezl, you just had to unfortunately.

[@ricsivlog]

Nonstop flights? Oh My God, So Beautiful long flight!18 hours😲😲

[@AlmostMonumental27]

Hi Josh, and keep on flying! I experienced the same South African flight from IAD Dulles to JNB Johannesburg a few years ago. It was survivable but brutal in coach -- yet I think it's probably brutal in any class. Differences were that we were aboard an A340 and our intermediate Fifth Freedom stop was in Dakar, Senegal (the old airport). It was a long, sleepy hour on the ground knowing we had six more coming in flight to JNB, but we survived and were happy to meet a new crew. However, something happened before takeoff that kind-of weirded me out: following a warning announcement, SAA flight attendants came down the aisles spraying a mysterious antibacterial spray from cans -- like Lysol. It was demanded by law of a government -- not sure if Senegalese or South African. Kind of made me feel like an amoeba, but nobody died or went into respiratory arrest. Reminded me of the shock-and-awe I experienced at age 18 aboard an Aeroflot jet departing Moscow Sheremetyevo for Zurich. (I like Domodedovo better, FYI.) It was the Soviet Union back then and we were stupid kids from America. With more than a modicum of alarm, the consensus among us was that we were being "gassed" upon takeoff when a cloud of water vapor came spewing from the air conditioning vents ! Nevertheless, just as we made it to Switzerland un-maimed, we also eventually hit the ground in Johannesburg. Zombified, I got through customs then boarded an SAA 737 for another two hours down to Cape Town. It was an experience, for sure, and -- for the record -- like you, I was pretty-much psyched at the entire idea that I could disappear in a poof from the United States and land in a stupefied state anywhere in Africa. Altogether, I enjoyed the experience but, wise as I am now, I'd definitely choose business class next time. You're a good sport, even if you are a bit spoiled in premium class flying! All the best! M.

[@pondtripreports5616]

That spray is actually just a intescide bug spray to prevent the spread of illnesses and infections like Zika caused by insects like mosquitoes, it’s a requirement in some countries while passengers are onboard, while in others they do it while no passengers are on board, mainly for international flights, and it’s completely safe as mentioned by WHO, as for the gassed thing, that’s just cold air coming in contact with moist and warmer air coming near the air vents, the vapor can be caused if the air temperature near the AC the dew point is lower.

[@firestarter3882]

Don’t know why I am watching this because I have thoroughly enjoyed flying out national carries many times. To BRAZIL, Germany, USA and Australia. Loved the business class. Older air bus business class chair could massage you. Thank South Africa 🇿🇦 Airways!

[@PhenomenonGuy]

South Africa here: CoVid19 shut down South African Airways in 2021. Gonna miss it. So proud of our Airline. Now it’s gone for good.

[@eng_commando8123]

That's the ground speed the airspeed is different. Airspeed is usually 900km/h. If you want to check your true airspeed you can look at flight radar.

[@businessavenue6516]

Your videos are passionating

[@serafinlopez2290]

Love your videos Josh

[@larrydamelio3975]

I just found your channel through KZbin recommendation and so glad to find you. Very much enjoyed this, but wondered what the Johannesburg airport was like. By the way, if the airplane had reached supersonic airspeed (not ground speed) it would have been a unpleasant experience for you and the pilots. Recovery from that speed is a tricky and pilots are trained to avoid the experience.

[@nolaray1062]

What would have happened to make it unpleasant? A lot of turbulence?

[@Dylanvignola]

The speed of sound is directly proportional to the square root of the temperature. Therefore the speed of sound changes with altitude. The higher you are, the colder it is (in the troposphere at least), and therefore the slower the speed of sound is. At normal temperature (20C), it is about 1235 km/h, but at 35000ft where the temperature is about -50C it is about 1077km/h. This obviously changes due to local fluctuations. However, as you said, you are not travelling supersonically, most likely between 80% and 90% the speed of sound. But as other people have mentioned the screen is likely showing you your groundspeed whereas your Mach number (the ratio of your speed to the speed of sound) depends on your airspeed, not your groundspeed. Basically, the air flowing around the aircraft doesn't care about how fast you are moving in relation to the ground, it only cares about how fast you are moving in relation to it. Hope this helps

[@Savage_lil_Rainbow]

Great video! Love SAA 👌👍

[@kaseyreed797]

Thank you so much Josh.

[@jimleon7894]

Nice to see a positive review.

[@BigMarc9278]

Good review. I am taking this same flight tomorrow. 17.5 hours is long as f*ck!