Our two safari destinations in South Africa were Singita Boulders in Sabi Sands Reserve, and Singita Lebombo in Kruger National Park. Getting to & from these parks required taking three flights -- one from Johannesburg to Sabi Sands, one from Sabi Sands to Kruger, and one from Kruger to Johannesburg. We flew Federal Air for…
Continue reading: Review: Federal Air Lounge Johannesburg Airport
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Hi Ben
As a patriotic South African I’m following your reports of your trip to SA with great interest. So far it looks like a case of so far so good! I hope the rest of your trip lived up to your expectations or exceeded them. It is nice to see Federal Airlines tries to give you a taste of the Bushveld experience while you are still in Johannesburg. Looking forward to the next installment.
Reminds me of Cape Air. From White Plains, NY, they fly tiny 8 passenger turbo prop planes to a couple of destinations in the northeast. Check in is in a hangar next to the main terminal, and there's no security (other than ground staff telling an elderly passenger she couldn't keep her walking stick with her in the cabin because "it could be used as a weapon"). Unfortunately the passenger lounge is extremely bare bones compared to Federal's. At least they have free coffee.
But nothing can beat sitting right behind the pilots, with no door between the cockpit and the cabin. While on the ground, when they wanted to cool down, they just opened their windows and let the prop wash ventilate the cabin. So cool!
You put the bags through the metal detector and walk through the x-ray.....? Think about that
Really great looking terminal/lounge.
May just be me, but you seem to overuse 'cute'. A travel blog obviously does not need to be literary highbar, but perhaps expand the adjectives. Constructive criticism.
What would be really nice is if your dad would write a first person blog post of the trip, or at least part of the trip. He seems like a super guy!
Glad your mom is doing well. Thanks for sharing that.
It looks like Federal Air is using a map that's at least 10 years old.
I would expect better considering the price one is paying...
TravelInWilly, that map looks perfectly accurate to me. I'm based at CPT but I regularly travel through JNB. In fact that map would be incorrect 10yrs ago
I’m doing the same Singita combo next month with the wife and really looking forward to it. On the other hand I’m eager to read the rest of your trip report but then again thinking it might be a spoiler (like I haven’t already spent countless of hours researching it before...). Life is hard like that.
But, no bubbly in the lounge?
Hi Ben,
when you get to the actual safari part, would you mind sharing who did you book this safari with? which agent or agency you used? how satisfied you were with their services? unless you booked directly with Singita?
thanks
@Lucky - Is this the Federal Air facility located between Solenta and GoldenWings on the Northern Perimeter Road? I've seen it a hundred times from the outside (I've done multiple C-checks at both Solenta and GW AMOs over the years), but never realised it was so nice inside.
Interestingly, despite its upmarket brand, Fed Air is owned by the same Solenta Group that also controls FastJet (the incredibly unprofitable so-called pan-African LCC).
We go at least once a year to Singita. Glad to see you stayed at the intercontinental. It’s what we do to rest like you did before going on safari as this is full on. Federal air will actually pick you up at the hotel. Not sure why you weren’t told this.
The room with the sliding doors is the lounge for the Singita/ Federal Air jet service to the Singita airstrip Sabi Sands. This a great addition to the Singita experience. The flight time is only 30 minutes. It is a direct flight i.e no stop offs.
I spent most of that trip report thinking they serviced only two airports. A place called Johannesburg and a place called Tambo and that you kept emphasising you could take the service at either Joburg or Tambo.
Loved the review. I was there long ago and it looks the same. Looking forward to your review of the two Singita properties. I'm an avid Singita fan, loved Boulders.
@Mike - I based my comment on the footprint of the international terminal. On the right, it shows an "arm" which I took to represent a single jetway at JNB airport that was shut down in 2006 or so to make way for building out the additional eight A gates on the north side of the airport; the gates that were added to support the 2010 World Cup match.
Nothing I'll fall on my sword over, certainly, but that's the reason for my comment, and if I misread the map I'll certainly stand corrected.