South African Airways has opened a brand new, contemporary comfort lounge in the domestic departure area of OR Tambo International Airport.

JOHANNESBURG - 30 September 2015 - Following months of extensive refurbishment, patrons travelling to local destinations will now be able to enjoy a new contemporary and stylish South African Airways (SAA) lounge - called the VIA lounge - in the domestic departure area of OR Tambo International Airport.

“The new facility has been appropriately named VIA lounge, as the lounges are a transition point for travellers for they travel via the airport to the destination of their choice. The lounge will offer a fantastic pre-departure experience displayed through warm hospitality that has become synonymous with the SAA brand,” says Sylvain Bosc, SAA Chief Commercial Officer.

The lounge features ample and comfortable seating areas, quality, fresh cuisine, a rotating art gallery showcasing South African artists, a kids’ area, the Junior Pilots, runway views and high speed internet. “Whether they want to relax or work before a flight, the lounge is the perfect place to do this,” Bosc continues.

The lounge design was done by Switch, an award-winning Johannesburg-based agency. Travellers can look forward to a sophisticated, yet welcoming contemporary space with subtle, earthy tones to complement the SAA colour palette and aircraft interiors. The fabric and texture create a link between the platinum and business lounge experience, while the clever geographic naming device allows a celebration of the city through the visual language and delicious local food expertly served by the VIA lounge crew.

Due to their long-standing relationship, SAA and Investec collaborated closely during the conceptualisation and execution of the VIA lounges. Ryan Tholet, Head of Investec Private Bank SA says, “It was exciting for us to work with the SAA team in terms of design, catering and staff training and to help them bring this lounge experience to life. We pride ourselves on our outstanding client experience, so we were delighted to share our expertise with SAA and, in doing so, ensure our clients have a similar experience while using these lounges.”

SAA business class, Voyager Lifetime Platinum, Platinum, Gold and Silver members, SAA Voyager/Nedbank Premium Credit Card, Star Alliance Gold members and Investec Private Bank Account card holders have access to the lounge.

Operating hours for the lounge are 04h30 until 21h00 (weekdays) and 05h00 – 21h00 (weekends).

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SAA Group Corporate Affairs About South  African Airways:
South African Airways (SAA) is the leading carrier in Africa, serving 56 destinations, in partnership with SA Express, SA Airlink and its low cost carrier, Mango, within South Africa and across the continent, and nine intercontinental routes from its Johannesburg hub. It is a member of the largest international airline network, Star Alliance. SAA’s core business is the provision of passenger airline and cargo transport services together with related services, which are provided through SAA and its wholly owned subsidiaries: SAA Technical; Mango its low cost carrier; and Air Chefs, the catering entity of SAA. SAA is the winner of the 'Best Airline in Africa’ Award in the regional category for thirteen consecutive years and the winner of ‘Service Excellence Africa’ for three years. Mango and SAA hold the number one and number two successive spots as South Africa’s most on - time airlines.