South African Airways is the flag carrier airline of South Africa, linking over 40 local and international destinations across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania, from its hub in Johannesburg.
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The Voyager frequent flyer program offers those who fly with SAA and their partners a variety of ways to earn reward miles, along with plenty of ways to use them. Keep reading for everything you need to know about SAA Voyager.
| Hubs | Johannesburg |
| Alliance | Star Alliance |
| Transfer Partners | Radisson Rewards |
| Cobranded Credit Cards | None for U.S. residents |
| Redemption Options | Flights, upgrades, rental cars, merchandise, vouchers, flight simulation, donations |
Voyager Elite Status
When you join Voyager, you’ll automatically become a Blue member after any three Base Miles transactions. Move up status tiers when you collect enough Tier Miles – by flying with SAA and Star Alliance – within a calendar year.
| STATUS TIER | TIER MILES REQUIRED |
| Silver | 30,000 |
| Gold | 60,000 |
| Platinum | 120,000 |
Once you unlock a tier, you’ll have that status for the remainder of the year until the end of the following year. Status benefits include:
| SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | |
| Threshold bonus miles on achieving or retaining status | 3,000 | 6,000 | 12,000 |
| 2,000 bonus miles for every 15,000 Tier Miles flown on SAA | X | X | X |
| Status bonus miles on SAA flights | 25% | 50% | 75% |
| Waitlist priority | X | X | X |
| Free Economy Class preferential seating / first 2 seat rows on SAA flights | X | ||
| Preferential check-in | Member only | Member + 1 | Member + 2 |
| Priority baggage handling | X | X | X |
| Priority airport standby | X | X | X |
| Priority boarding | X | X | X |
| Free baggage allowance | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| SAA lounge access | Member only | Member + 1 | Member + 2 |
| Arrivals lounge access at London Heathrow Airport | Member only | ||
| Access to SAA contracted lounges | Member + 1 | ||
| Change fee waived for upgrade awards | X | ||
| Chauffeur transfer services on qualifying flights | X |
Earning Voyager Miles
Earn Voyager Miles for:
- Flying on SAA and SAA codeshare, Star Alliance and non-Star partner flights.
- Staying at participating Best Western, Hilton, Shangri-La and Intercontinental hotels.
- Booking cruises with Cruise International.
- Renting cars from Avis or Europcar.
Partner airlines include:
- Copa Airlines
- Croatia Airlines
- Egyptair
- Emirates
- Ethiopian Airlines
- EVA Air
- GOL
- JetBlue
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
You’ll also earn miles for:
- Filling up at Total SA.
- Loading money on a World Currency Card by Bidvest Bank.
- Purchasing from Voyager Wine Club.
- Relaxing at a spa from the Health Spas guide.
Earning Voyager Miles With Transfer Partners
Perhaps the easiest way for Americans to earn Voyager Miles is to convert Marriott Bonvoy points at a 3 to 1 ratio (with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points transferred) or Radisson Rewards points at a 10 to 1 ratio.
| LOYALTY PROGRAM | COBRANDED CREDIT CARDS |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card |
| Radisson Rewards | Radisson Rewards Visa Radisson Rewards Premier Visa Signature |
Read below for more information on some of the credit cards mentioned above.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOLD® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card has an offer for 30,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 within the first 3 months. We value these 30k points at around $270.
This card earns 14 points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. Other travel purchases (from airfare to taxis and trains) will earn 2 points per $1. All other purchases will earn 1 point per $1.
You’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year, qualifying you for Silver Elite status.
There are no foreign transaction fees and no annual fee.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BOUNDLESS® CREDIT CARD
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase has an offer for 3 Free Nights after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
New to the card, you will earn 3x Bonvoy points on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. The card is also offering an Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 spent.
The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card earns 17 points for every $1 spent at over 7,000+ participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
You’ll get a Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every account anniversary year and automatic Silver Elite Status. Additionally, you’ll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year.
This card has no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $95.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BRILLIANT™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card has an offer for 75,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in the first 3 months. We value these 75k points at around $675.
This card earns 6 points per $1 at hotels participating in the Marriott BonvoyTM program and 3 points at U.S. restaurants and on flights booked directly with airlines. You’ll receive 2 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
You’ll get a Free Night Award (redemption level up to 50,000 points) every account anniversary year, and up to $300 in statement credits each year for eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott BonvoyTM program. Resort fees may apply. Other benefits include unlimited airport lounge visits with the Priority Pass Select membership and no foreign transaction fees.
This premium card comes with an Annual Fee of $450. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
MARRIOTT BONVOY BUSINESS™ AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARD
Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
The Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card has a limited time offer for 75,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. We value these 75k points to be worth around $675.
This card earns 6 points per $1 at participating hotels in the Marriott BonvoyTM program. It’s 4 points per $1 at U.S. restaurants and U.S. gas stations, on wireless telephone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers, and on U.S. purchases for shipping. And 2 points per $1 on all other purchases.
Every year after your account anniversary you’ll get 1 free night award. You can earn an additional free night award after spending $60,000 in purchases in 1 calendar year.
There are no foreign transaction fees and the annual fee is $125. See Rates & Fees, Terms Apply.
Redeeming Voyager Miles
Please note, redemptions have been paused until further notice.
Spend your Voyager Miles on:
- Flights with SAA and more than 35 airline partners, including Star Alliance carriers.
- Upgrades on SAA flights.
- Rental cars with Europcar.
- Merchandise with FlySAA Duty Free.
- Merchandise with Wine-of-the-Month.
- Vouchers with Uber, Cruises International, and Health Spas guide.
- Flight simulation with SAA Flight Simulator.
- Charitable donations.
Voyager Miles expire 36 months from the date they were earned. One year is calculated from April 1 to March 31. Keep your account active with any earn or burn activity at least every three years.
Voyager Tips & Tricks
- Best value awards are partner airline flights between the United States and South America. Economy seats are 50,000 miles roundtrip, and business class is a steal at 75,000 miles.
- We also recommend roundtrip intra-North and South Asia flights with 32,200 miles in business or 47,900 in first class.
- Stay away from upgrade awards, which are only available by sector, to the next highest level of service and are subject to high taxes, surcharges and fees.
Bottom Line
A Star Alliance member, South African Airways Voyager lets you earn and burn miles with any partner airline. Plus, the program offers relatively high earning potential with point transfers from Marriott Bonvoy and Radisson Rewards.
Want a Star Alliance frequent flyer program that allows American Express Membership Rewards® point transfers instead? You’ll want to check out Air Canada Aeroplan or Singapore Airlines.
READ MORE: SEE THE BEST BANK BONUSES HERE AND THE BEST INVESTING BONUSES HERE.
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