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A Look at South African Airways' New A330-300 Business-Class Seat
Alex Macheras
Contributor
Alex Macheras is an aviation analyst, frequent flyer & traveller.
He provides aviation analysis on international networks including BBC News, Sky News, LBC & Good Morning Britain.
In addition to this, Alex often reports live from exclusive aviation industry events such airline launches and deliveries.
Follow his journey: @AlexInAir on twitter, and @alexlhr on Instagram!
July 28, 2017
•
2 min read
A Look at South African Airways' New A330-300 Business-Class Seat
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South African Airways recently placed an order for five new Airbus A330-300's, a twin-engine long-haul aircraft. Despite the airline's very public financial difficulty, it began introducing the new plane on its existing route network, with the new A330-300 flying from Johannesburg (JNB) to Lagos (LOS), São Paulo (GRU), Washington, DC (IAD) via Dakar (DKR) and Munich (MUC).
With the order, South African Airways, together with seat manufacturers Thompson Aerospace and London-based design consultants Priestmangoode developed a new business-class and economy cabin.
The New Seats
Each business-class seat is 79 inches in its lie-flat position, has 45 inches of pitch and features in-seat power via an international power socket as well as a USB port. These new Thompson Vantage XL seats for South African Airways are visually stunning. It's great to see an airline using some color rather than the all-too-common grey and navy tones we usually see in long-haul products.
In terms of the interior design, the patterns, stitching and colors bring a strong presence of modern South Africa into the cabin, similar to how RwandAir features Rwandan-inspired designs in its cabin.
Let's take a closer look at the African-inspired patterns that are being integrated into the seat design. The center part of the seat reminds me of Kuba Raffia textiles, a traditional African weaving pattern that dates back nearly 400 years. The design is a unique example of the abstract in African art and has been applied to the new A330 business-class seats.
From a practical point of view, a great new seat feature is how the in-flight entertainment screen slides out, allowing an iPad or tablet to be placed alongside it if travelers prefer to view the content on their own devices rather than opting for the supplied IFE options.
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Overall Impression
These new seats will transform the business-class cabin to a place full of design, culture and comfort — they're comfortable, spacious and bound to be very popular with passengers. I also like the new options to place a tablet next to the IFE screen, as the bring- your-own-device trend continues to flourish.
Do you have any plans to fly on South African's new Airbus aircraft? Let us know in the comments, below.
All photos by the author.
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Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits.Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.