I was more than happy to be flying South African Airways again after such a long time. Even better, this flight was operated by an Airbus A330-300 with a 1-2-1 Business Class configuration. Having just checked out of the Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch, we headed to the OR Tambo International Airport for the next part of our round-the-world trip. This time, we were flying South African Airways Business Class from Johannesburg to Lagos.
Flying South African Airways again also felt significant. The airline entered business rescue in 2019 and returned to service in 2021 with a smaller fleet and network. Since then, SAA has been gradually rebuilding and expanding its operations.
Our pre-flight experience began at the South African Airways Lounge, where we spent a little over an hour before heading to gate A21 for our flight. The lounge was a comfortable place to spend some time before boarding. It had plenty of comfortable seating, along with good views of the apron. The food selection was fairly limited, but overall, it was a pleasant lounge experience.
As part of this same round-the-world trip, we flew in from Milan into Johannesburg aboard Qatar Airways Business Class on the Airbus A350-900, which was a completely different experience.
Boarding Flight SA60 to Lagos
Boarding a flight to or from Lagos, Nigeria is typically a little chaotic, and this flight SA060 was no exception. Both Business Class and Economy passengers were transported to the aircraft together using three buses. This was one of those moments that made me appreciate airlines like Emirates or Qatar Airways, where premium-cabin passengers are often transported separately in luxurious buses when boarding at a remote gate.
Upon arriving at the aircraft, Business Class passengers boarded through the front stairs, while Economy passengers boarded through the rear.
Shortly after settling in, a pre-departure beverage was offered, followed by a choice of biltong or nuts. Biltong is a South African dried, cured meat snack, usually made from beef. It’s somewhat similar to jerky, but it’s typically thicker, less sweet, and cured with vinegar, salt, and spices such as coriander.
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South African Airways A330-300 Business Class Cabin
The South African Airways Airbus A330-300 has a 1-2-1 Business Class layout, with direct aisle access from every seat. The cabin was only around half full on this flight, so there were plenty of empty seats. That made the cabin feel even more spacious.
South African Airways Business Class Seat
The seat had a clean design with a leather headrest and more than enough space for a six-hour flight. Waiting at the seat were a South African Airways-branded pair of headphones, a charcoal-blue amenity kit, bottled water, pillow, mattress pad and blanket.
The seat controls were positioned along the side of the seat. There was also a small panel containing the light controls, covered by a plastic lid with a mirror on the reverse side. The entertainment screen included a USB port and headphone jack. A separate holder next to the screen could also be used for a phone or tablet.
We began pushing back at around 5:40 p.m. while the safety demonstration was being carried out, followed by about 10 minutes of taxiing before takeoff.
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Food & Beverage Service
Meal service started roughly 25 minutes after takeoff. Flight attendants first placed tablecloths before beginning the food and beverage service. One thing that surprised me was that there were no printed food or drink menus provided on this flight. Instead, the flight attendants explained the available options verbally.
At one point, both the flight attendant and I just laughed because there were quite a few choices to remember without having anything written down. The first offering was a choice between crab fish or pineapple and cheese balls. I went with the former. For the next course, there were several options, and I chose the curry ginger soup. The soup was creamy, flavorful and easily one of the better parts of the meal.
The main-course options were: Lamb shank with roasted vegetables, Seared salmon with spinach and potato cake, Panzerotti pasta as the vegetarian option, and Chicken breast stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and basil pesto. I decided to keep things simple and went with the chicken breast.
That turned out to be a very good choice. The chicken was well prepared, flavorful and probably better than I had expected going into the meal. In fact, the food onboard was one of the stronger parts of this flight. My wife also agreed that the meal was quite good.
For dessert, I had the lemon mousse cake with vanilla ice cream.
Overall, dinner was easily one of the highlights of the flight. Considering how unimpressed I had been with the pre-boarding experience, the onboard meal more than made up for it.
Lie-Flat Bed
About 30 minutes after finishing dinner, I decided to get some sleep since we still had roughly four hours left before reaching Lagos. The seat converted into a fully flat bed, and I managed to sleep for the remainder of the flight. The bed was comfortable enough, although it sat a little too low for my preference. It reminded me somewhat of the lie-flat seat I had experienced aboard Japan Airlines Business Class on the Boeing 767 from Tokyo to Jakarta a few years prior.
One thing I wasn’t a fan of was the duvet. It was quite thick, and that became even more noticeable because the aircraft did not have individual air nozzles above the seats. The cabin became fairly warm while everyone was sleeping. A lighter blanket would have made the sleeping experience much more comfortable.
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How Does It Compare With Qatar Airways to Lagos?
I’ve said this in some of my previous posts, and I’ll say it again. When it comes to flying to Lagos in a premium cabin, Qatar Airways Business Class Boeing 787 or the Qatar Airways Airbus A350-900 remains one of my preferred options. The service, amenities and overall experience are generally more polished.
That said, South African Airways still offered a solid lie-flat Business Class product on this flight, and for the number of miles I paid, the value was difficult to argue with.
Arrival in Lagos
I woke up as the captain came over the speakers to announce that we had started our descent into Lagos. Our flight SA060 landed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 10:05 p.m., approximately 40 minutes ahead of schedule. It took another five minutes or so before we reached the gate at the newer terminal. To my surprise, immigration was quick and straightforward, and we were on our way out of the airport not long afterward.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a good flight without too many bells and whistles. The service could have been a little more polished, and the lack of printed menus was unusual for Business Class. The cabin also became warmer than I would have liked while sleeping.
But there were still plenty of positives. The flight attendants were friendly, the food was genuinely good, the seat converted into a comfortable lie-flat bed, and we arrived in Lagos well ahead of schedule. Most importantly, I booked this six-hour Business Class flight for just 33,000 United MileagePlus miles. At that price, I think this was a very good redemption.
South African Airways may not offer the same level of refinement as some of the larger Middle Eastern or European carriers, but for a comfortable nonstop flight between Johannesburg and Lagos, this is one I wouldn’t mind flying again.
Kayode is the creator behind Travel With Kayode, sharing practical tips on points, miles, premium travel, hotels, and destinations around the world. His goal is simple: help travelers get more value from every trip and experience more for less.
