Leaving in a couple of days for Botswana and Vic Falls (first time to Africa!!) and have a couple of questions about the flight on SAA from IAD.

First, since we stop halfway to JNB in Dakar, do you recommend sleeping on the first leg or the second leg of the trip (i.e, IAD-Dakar or Dakar-JNB for sleep)? We arrive in JNB at about 5:30PM local time.

Second, anyone know how often SAA changes the movies offered in the personal entertainment systems?

Thanks!! (Only a couple more sleeps...!!)

sleeping - for me, I sleep as much as I can, which isn't much!! If you can sleep at will on a plane sitting up, good on you!!! As for movies, first hope the system is working for your seat!!!

Lucky you, know you will have great time.

regards - tom

We stopped at Dakar only on the way back. Are you sure you stop on the way over as well?

Marija - Some flights stop on the way out (ours did); believe they all stop on the return... something to do with the altitude of JNB airport and need for refueling.

As to sleeping, best I recall the first leg is somewhat longer, so I grabbed whatever Zzzzzs I could soon after the meal service. If departing late in the day and it'll be dark a good portion of the trip and landing at Dakar will be at night... so, at it's regular sleep time... sleep. But, it's up to your own body clocks... whether you can or not.

It's a long flight (14-16/hrs), so catch what you can when you can.

Have no idea about their entertainment system, films; have never watched on any flight to/from anywhere; rather read or sleep. And, drugs do come in handy

IMPORTANT - on long-haul flights remember to exercise your legs, whether in your seat or better get up regularly and walk around. DVT is a killer and sure to mess up your holiday.

Sleep as much as you can during each segment---you'll feel much better when you get there and the time will go faster.

I take two red wines and two tylenol PM shortly after take off from Dulles. I sleep all the way to Dakar then wake-up and stay awake for the rest of the trip. When you land in Jo'burg you will be needing to sleep again in about four hours!

Craig Beal

All the SAA flights from IAD now stop at Dakar going in both directions. It's the flights from JFK that are non-stop on the way down.

I'm with sdb2, catch your winks whenever you can.

SAA in-flight entertainment is mediocre. Choices few and mostly very commercial box-office movies and the like.

Not too sure about SAA, but, most airlines change the entertainment every month.

Sorry I disagree with Hari on the inflight entertainment. You have total control over your movie selection, start, stop, pause etc at your command. Also it is seat back entertainment.
I scrolled through the movie list recently, though I wasn't counting found the choice quite splendid and numerous.

I agree with Craig, although I prefer to imbibe a little more excessively than he!

Thanks for the great tips and your 2 cents on getting shut-eye!

I also disagree with HariS on SAA's in flight entertainment. You have quite a few choice regarding movies and you control it yourself - like Mkhonzo said. There are also various music channels to listen to and also documentary stuff to watch about South Africa.
About sleeping - jet lag is worse when travelling from west to east so try and sleep during the first leg of the journey so that you will be a bit more tired when you arrive here and can fit into our time zone's sleeping pattern quicker. So yes - I agree with Craig. Red wine and a sleeping pill usually does it for me (this is not meant as medical advice and my GP will probably faint if he hears it..!) ;-)
Hope you enjoy your trip and that you will fall in love with Africa so much that you will return for years and years to come!
Kind regards

Could also be different aircrafts serving the routes? I've only flown SAA's Mumbai route.

Sure you control what you watch - but, the entertainment system is still outdated compared to newer systems like ICE on Emirates.

Either way, I have the Jet Airways choice now to JNB that started last month. So, I doubt I get another chance to check out the SAA entertainment.

Regards,
Hari

Agree with Safarilover. Until 2 years ago, the IAD-JNB leg was direct. Now both ways, there's a pit stop in Dakar.
I strongly recommend that you sleep (or get ear-plugs) immediately upon boarding the JNB-IAD flight if you're coming back from a photographic safari. I've been on that flight thrice and each time the plane was full of returning hunters who loudly described their exploits to one another. It was very distressing.

When you say "pit stop" does that mean people get on and off (big disruption) or just plane refueling? I'm trying to weigh this route against a route through London or Frankfurt.

It's just a plane refueling stop. You cannot deplane. I personally wouldn't mind getting off and stretching my legs a bit, but if you prefer a quick/no layover, then the overall trip time with SAA is somewhat shorter than the Europe route.

Thanks Sangeeta! Now if I can just save up enough for the business class beds -- I mean seats.

Passengers do deplane and get on at Dakar both ways on the flights between Dulles and Johannesburg - but through passengers aren't allowed off the plane. We estimated about 70 passengers got off at Dakar on the flights we were on in April between IAD and JNB. And after they get off coming from JNB to IAD, security crews come into the plane and check the empty seats and cleaning crews come through the plane. Also the flight crew wakes you up before landing and requires all seats upright and blankets/pillows on the floor before landing. Coming towards the US, it is difficult to even sleep during this stop because you'll have your carry-ons in your lap for a security check.

Going towards JNB, you won't have the on-board security check at Dakar but you still have passengers getting on and off and cleaning crews coming into the plane.

I heard that SAA stops in Dakar on the way to JNB since they feel there are enough passengers between IAD and Dakar to justify the stop.

As KensingtonGirl, it was the same for us when SAA then was stopping at Cape Verde. Was quite surprising how many paxs deplaned and left many open seats on which to spread out.

Flying JFK/JNB, the stop was in the middle of the night, so not much to see/do even if able to deplane. On the flight JNB/JFK, stop was in daylight, but still no deplaning for paxs flying straight thru.

It's only a 1/hr stop either way.

My experience on that flight was also people getting off and on in Dakar, cleaning crews, etc etc... Passenger going passing through were not allowed to get off. But yes, passengers sitting next to me disembarked at Dakar and the seats weren't filled again - I had a row of four seats all to myself! Can you imagine how much I slept??