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South African Airways

South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa. Serving 57 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, Airlink, and its low-cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent. South African Airways also serves nine 9 intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance.

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Take Advantage Today

Earn and spend Skywards Miles on South African Airways flights across their network of over 33 destinations.

Earn Miles

Earn Skywards Miles. The number of Skywards Miles you will earn will depend on the class of travel, fare type and distance flown:

Class of travel Miles earned for every mile flown
Business Premium (C, J) 1.5 Miles
Business Priority (Z, D) 1.25 Miles
Economy Select (Y, B, M, K) 1 Mile
Economy Plus (H, S, Q, T, V) 0.50 Mile
Economy Saver (L, W, G) 0.25 Mile

Book with South African Airways and quote your Emirates Skywards membership number to earn Skywards Miles.

Spend Miles

Book your South African Airways reward flight using our online request form from just 16,000 Skywards Miles. The table below shows the number of Miles you need for a return reward. You can use your Skywards Miles for travel in either direction between the reward zones.

Route Economy Class Business Class
Between Accra and;
Abidjan 16,000 40,000
Johannesburg 36,000 90,000
Washington 80,000 200,000
Between Dakar and;
Washington 48,000 120,000
Between Johannesburg and;
Blantyre, Cape Town, Durban, East London, Harare, Lilongwe, Livingstone, Lusaka, Maputo, Ndola, Port Elizabeth, Victoria Falls, Windhoek 16,000 40,000
Dar E Salam, Entebbe, Kinshasa, Luanda, Mauritius, Nairobi 24,000 60,000
Accra, Lagos 36,000 90,000
Dakar, Sao Paulo 60,000 150,000
Frankfurt, London, Munich, Perth 80,000 200,000
Hong Kong 90,000 225,000
New York JFK, Washington 100,000 250,000


Spend Miles on Partner Airlines

Important Information

Earning Miles

  • Codeshare flights operated by airlines other than South African Airways are not eligible for earning Miles.
  • The following fare types are not eligible to earn Skywards Miles: I, X, E, U, N and R.
  • Please quote your Emirates Skywards membership number while making your reservation.
  • If you have not mentioned your membership number before your flight, you may request post-flight credit by sending your flight details to Emirates Skywards using the claim Miles form.
  • Miles cannot be earned on the following flights and ticket types: flights operated by Airlink (SA8000 – 8999), flights operated by SA Express (SA1000 -1999), Group Inclusive Tour (GIT), Inclusive Individual Fare (IIT), reward tickets and free ticket promotions.
  • Emirates Skywards Programme Rules apply.

Spending Miles

  • Reward tickets can only be issued on South African Airways operated flights (with the flight code SA).
  • Reward tickets are not valid on codeshare flights operated by any other carrier other than SA
  • Miles cannot be redeemed on flights operated by Airlink (SA8000 – 8999) and flights operated by SA Express (SA1000 -1999).
  • Miles can only be redeemed for reward bookings on South African Airways in Economy Class and in Business Class.
  • Reward values are exclusive of taxes and other charges that needs to be paid separately.
  • The number of seats available for reward travel may be limited.
  • Miles stated are for direct flights only. Where no direct service is operated, two or more rewards may be required.
  • Reward tickets are valid for 12 months from date of issue.
  • Reward flights are for return trip only and are subject to availability.
  • South African Airways flights must be confirmed at the time of mileage redemption. Waitlists are not permitted.
  • Reward ticket coupons cannot be used out of sequence.
  • Children travelling on reward tickets will be required to redeem the same amount of Miles as an adult. Infant Rewards are not permitted.
  • Baggage Allowance for reward tickets:
    • Economy Class: 1 piece not exceeding 23kg
    • Business Class: 2 pieces not exceeding 32kg per piece
  • For flight and date changes prior to departure, members can contact the nearest Emirates office.
  • In case of reward ticket refund, expired Miles will not be refunded.
  • Refunds on fully unutilised tickets are permitted at a charge of USD 75.
  • A rush reward fee of USD 75 applies for bookings made within 24 hours of outbound travel.
  • A rush reward fee of USD 50 applies for bookings made within seven days of outbound travel.
  • Emirates Skywards Programme Rules apply.