Delta Airlines/Atlanta flights
 

I don't know how many of you fly out of Atlanta but I do. I just read that SAA will no longer be flying thru ATL after 6/30/06. All flights will be thru Dulles in DC and they will be daily.

This change happens during the middle of our trip (6/22 to 7/9). I called the travel agent and she said they haven't announced exactly what they'll be doing about our return flights and we just have to wait. She doesn't know if they will use United or Delta to fly us from IAD to SAT.

I know our flight is still 55 days away (yes, I'm counting!) but it's still a drag to find out it's all changing. My husband's itinerary has already changed once because Delta cancelled the 5:30 AM flight from SAT to ATL. Now he has to leave the day before (which causes some problems with his job) and spend the night in ATL.

Where did you read about it?, I have tickets on SAA thru ATL to JHB in December!

SAA is running flights from both ATL and IAD to JNB. I believe their intent is eventually discontinue the ATL service, since they're now in the Star Alliance, which partners with United and Lufthansa (both with big operations at Dulles) and are discontinuing their partnership with Delta (ATL.)

Their ATL flights will stop in Dakar or Cape Verde; the IAD flights will stop in Dakar. Delta's flights to JNB (from Atlanta) will also stop in Dakar.

A friend sent it to me and my travel agent, Premier Tours, verified it. I would wait a few more days before worrying about your tickets because they haven't finalized everything yet. If you call today, they can't answer you. This is what was in my email:

Just got this message from SAA:

Dear Travel Partner,

Effective June 30, 2006 South African Airways (SAA) will terminate its daily Atlanta service. SA209 will no longer operate as of this date from Johannesburg, South Africa. SA210 from Atlanta to Johannesburg on June 30, 2006 will be the last outbound flight from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport for South African Airways. This change will signal the beginning of South African Airways daily service to Johannesburg from Washington Dulles.



The new daily Washington Dulles service will more closely align SAA with fellow Star Alliance partners. With the implementation of daily service on the Washington Dulles-Johannesburg route, SAA will continue to feature daily service from New York’s JFK International Airport to Johannesburg for a total of 14 flights a week from the United States to South Africa.


South African Airways realizes the inconvenience this may cause our customers and as a result, a re-accommodation plan is being finalized and will be available early next week. Please rest assured that your South African Airways team will endeavor to support you through this challenging period.


Thank you in advance for your understanding.

Annette Scholtz

VP Sales North America

It's interesting that SAA haven't removed their ATL flights from the "global distribution systems" that agents use to book flights. I wonder when they were planning to do so.

I just spoke with SAA reservations and they confirmed what is posted now in the news section on the SAA website. They also said that starting next week they will be calling passangers who have bookings via ATL after July to help change their flights.