flying 101

departure

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:33:06 GMT

What is weight control
Bomb threats
How to manage your bookings
The reasons why there are flight delays
Learn the airline alphabet
Passengers with disabilities
Travelling with pets
Who gets the Airport taxes?
Why do ticket prices change?

Weight Control

Feel free to pack your entire wardrobe (evening gown, too, 'cos you never know...) next time you whiz down for a two-day rendezvous in the Cape winelands – because you can afford to! You can purchase extra bags online or via our Contact Centre at reduced rates (up to 33 percent less). If, at the time of booking, you're not sure that you'll require additional weight, it's not a problem – you can always add any additional baggage later online up to 2 hours prior to departure, or via the Contact Centre.

Now, just a heads-up: when you opt for the extra bags baggage option, remember there are no refunds if you change your mind after 2 hours prior to departure. If you're unsure, there is always the option to pay for extra bags at the airport – but this is going to cost a little bit extra per bag than doing it online prior to departure.

Special note:

If you're travelling with pets: There is a flat rate charged per pet and its container. Its always safer to call the Contact Centre before travelling with a pet. Pets need to be paid for at the airport on the day of departure.

When travelling with sports equipment, if it fits into one bag along with your other goodies and weighs 20kg, there is no additional fee. However if the equipment is in a seperate piece of luggage you'll need to pay for an extra bag either online or at the airport.

Bomb threats

kulula check in: 'Do you have any sharp objects in your possession?'
Passenger: 'No, just a bomb.'

This was an exchange between a staff member and passenger at the kulula check-in counter at George airport in March. It was the fourth bomb threat made at the airport this year. While we at kulula love to make our fans smile, bomb threats are no laughing matter. The customer who made the comment was immediately isolated, questioned and sent to court the same day, and his bags thoroughly checked.

Because we're super-concerned about your safety, we take false bomb threats very seriously. The Civil Aviation Act states that anyone who 'communicates information which he or she knows to be false, thereby endangering the safety of an aircraft in service, is guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine or to imprisonment not exceeding 30 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.'

So statements, jokes and false threats is an absolute no-no, even when you're flying with other airlines.

Manage your booking

Changing your flight booking on kulula is easy. Simply select 'manage my booking' to view the available options. Please note that any booking changes are subject to a change fee. There is one online change allowed per booking. Alternatively, buzz the kulula Contact Centre on 0861 KULULA (585852). And don't forget to have your booking reference code handy before you ring us. This option will cost you an additional 80 bucks (a service fee; includes VAT). This means it's cheaper to change online. Fees are charged per person per flight. Don't forget you'll also have to pay in if there's a difference in fares. If you want to change your flight at the airport, zoot over to our ticket sales desk before check-in. If you have already missed your flight, sorry, you can't change your booking. You can only change future-dated bookings.

We'll help you change what we can but we are not able to change traveller names. So ensure you have the exact detail as found on their identification.

When can I change my booking?
For domestic flights: online up to 24 hours before you fly, or through the Contact Centre or airport ticket sales desk two hours before you fly. Otherwise, you will lose your ticket. Remember that these changes are subject to availability.

I've swopped my flights but I want to change back…
Sorry, once you've changed your booking it's finished and klaar. If you want to change to your original booking, you'll have to pay up. So be sure you're sure before you change your flights.

How do I change the name on my ticket?
There are no name changes allowed on bookings made. You're able to make name corrections.

Manage your booking now

Flight delays

Delays happen to all airlines and, yes, we know they are annoying. Trust us, we know. But they do happen, and are caused by a number of factors.

Below are a few examples of what can go wrong and what we try to avoid everyday:

Rotational delays this is when an earlier flight has been delayed and has a knock-on effect on the rest of the flights
Crew delays, these are within our control and we try our best to sort these out ASAP

There are external factors that affect delays and we as an airline have no control over:

Baggage delays, catering and air-traffic control, which are handled externally or by ACSA.
At super-busy airports like OR Tambo International, we sometimes have to wait for an incoming plane to land before our fans can jet-set safely off

Often the Pilot will fly a little faster to catch up on a small delay so that by the time you land, you're actually 'on time' again. We try to catch up some of the delayed time in the turnarounds, but since they are so short it doesn't give us much time to play with. Unfortunately if your flight was heavily delayed in the morning, it's quite likely that by the afternoon, we are still delaying other passengers because of it. We immediately notify our fans by sending them an SMS when we know that a flight will be delayed. This is followed by regular SMS updates to inform them of the new estimated time of departure.

Not your usual ABC's

Pilots are a cool bunch … wearing aviator shades, riding 'first class' upfront and talking their own lingo. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) phonetic alphabet is widely used throughout the airline industry. Aside from sounding Hollywood, it also ensures that pilots, traffic controllers and airline customer-service folks are clearly understood. So when you're ordering your next in-flight snack from the air-hostess-with-the-mostest, try it out:

A – Alpha
B – Bravo
C – Charlie
D – Delta
E – Echo
F – Foxtrot
G – Golf
H – Hotel
I – India
J – Juliet

K – Kilo
L – Lima
M – Mike
N – November
O – Oscar
P – Papa
Q – Quebec
R – Romeo
S – Sierra
T – Tango

U – Uniform
V – Victor
W – Whisky
X – X-ray
Y – Yankee
Z – Zulu

Fans with disabilities - a helping hand

For our fans with disabilities who love to fly as much as we do, we're going out of our way to give that little bit extra, and have made the following services available:

Wheelchair assistance for all our fans who can't walk long distances due to injury or disability.
A Passenger Aid Unit (PAU) service for all paraplegic and quadriplegic fans who have their own wheelchairs.
For visually impaired fans, we allow guide dogs onboard.
Our meet-and-assist service is there to help our fans who are not familiar with the airport operations to get around.

Give our Contact Centre a tinkle on 0861 KULULA (585852). They will confirm availability pronto and make the booking. Just remember that all special-needs requests must be made at least 24 hours prior to flight departure, and check in is 90 minutes before departure for all our special-needs fans. Once you have been checked in, we will take you to the designated waiting area. From here you'll be escorted to the aircraft and introduced to our fab crew who will cater to your needs during the flight.

At your destination, one of our ground staff members will escort you, assist with your baggage collection and take you to meet your welcoming party.

Travelling with pets

We're often asked if our fans can bring their pets along on the flight (after all, pets need holidays too – all that looking cute and eating can really take it out of you). So, if you're wondering whether your handsome Boston terrier called Sepp can travel with you, here are the guidelines:

Only domestic cats and dogs can fly, but they'll have to fly pet class (super deluxe accommodation where Animal Planet runs non-stop). Only visually impaired fans are allowed to bring their guide dogs into the cabin (just make sure you let us know in advance so we can get the Captain's okay).
To get access to pet class, you'll need to check your furry (or scaly) friend in when you drop off your luggage. Even though pets are checked in as cargo, they're not stuffed into the same place as all the bags. Pets travel in a special section of the plane located near the front with the same cabin pressure and temperature as everyone else on board.
Your pet must travel in a suitable container so that our staff can ensure they are carefully buckled in. The container must have enough space for the pet to turn about normally while standing, to sit and lie in a natural position. To determine the correct dimensions, the kennel length is the distance from the root of the tail to the tip of the nose plus half the elbow to ground measurement.
It is your responsibility as the owner to ensure your pet is suitably sedated to lessen any anxiety or stress while flying. Your vet can give you advice on what's suitable.
You need to obtain the necessary health and vaccination certificates and other documentation for your pet, as these may be requested at the airport before you take off. If you fail to present these your pet may be refused on board (and will go into a massive sulk). A quick visit to the vet will sort this out.
Your pet, container and food carrier will be weighed at the airport and charged R350, it it must weigh under 20kg. If everything weighs more than 20kg, you'll have to pay a heavy bag fee or R250.
Make a reservation for Fluffy or Butch at least 72 hours prior to departure on 0861 KULULA (585852).

Airport taxes and fees research

Every time a passenger buys a flight ticket he/she is charged airport taxes, which differ from airline to airline. It is often assumed that all airport taxes are charged by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) and the airline, when in fact only the 'passenger service charge' portion goes to ACSA. The rest of the fees go towards security charges, the Civil Aviation Authority, safety charges, fuel levies and SARS tourism levies.

Airport taxes may include the following:

ACSA's Passenger Service Charge
The Passenger Service Charge (PSC) is normally reflected on airline tickets as "airport taxes", and is often included along other non-ACSA related charges. The PSC is independently regulated in a manner that ensures protection for both the passenger and ACSA. The PSC is charged to the passenger, per passenger on departures only (categorised into domestic, regional and international flights).
The aircraft landing fee
An aircraft landing fee is charged to the airline, this charge is built into the total ticket price. It is categorised by maximum aircraft take-off weight and depends on whether the flight is domestic, regional or international.
The aircraft parking fee
An aircraft parking fee is charged to the airlines for aircrafts parked for longer than 4 hours. This fee may vary depending on how close to the terminal the aircraft is parked. So passengers pay for the convenience of not having to take airport shuttles to board.
The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) compliance charge
SACAA (which regulates and oversees the functioning and development of the airline industry) charges a fee to airlines to promote and maintain a safe, secure and sustainable civil aviation industry.
Airline fuel surcharge
This non-regulated charge is applied by the airline and is frequently the single largest component of the so-called airport taxes.

Why airport taxes differ from airline to airline

The airport: Airport taxes may differ depending on the airport the passenger is leaving from or arriving at. There are also fees levied for insurance and security measures. The better the airport security the more the charge may be. The type of airport facilities also has an effect of the fees that passengers pay. So it may cost less to leave from one airport versus another.
The price of fuel: When the price of fuel increases, airlines may add fuel surcharges to compensate for the cost of fuel; this cost is then passed onto the passenger.

Ticket pricing

Here at kulula Headquarters, we regularly get asked why the price of tickets can yo-yo (even in the course of a day). Without getting into complicated economics, our prices are determined mainly by supply and demand, like all airlines. Basically, an air ticket is likely to be higher in demand around public holidays, long weekends and school holidays, as well as close to matches. As a result, one should expect to pay higher prices than normal during these times. Because of demand and limited supply (we only have so many planes), we suggest booking air tickets well in advance to get the best deals.

The further back a plan is made, the fewer the factors are that can affect demand and therefore price. That said, we monitor each of our flights daily and if there aren't enough bums in seats on an off-peak flight, we'll lower the ticket price to get as many fans on the flight as possible. If you're a bit of gambler and like doing things last-minute, it can be a way to enjoy some great deals. Because some of our biggest costs (such as fuel) are dollar based, prices are constantly changing (based on exchange rates). With the ability to book six to nine months in advance, kulula fans can get some great deals if for example, the dollar gets more expensive against the rand later on. Predicting what these costs will be far ahead in the future is anyone's guess, though. Fortunately, real-time pricing allows us to adjust our prices to these fluctuations.

arrival

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:31:53 GMT

Is lost luggage really lost?

It's actually extremely rare for bags to get 'lost'. What does happen (occasionally) is that the captain can impose a weight restriction, which results in luggage getting put onto another flight. Here at kulula HQ, we realise that you would far rather entertain the idea of growing a third nostril than be told your precious suitcase of shoes will be arriving later, but sometimes bad things happen to good luggage, so we need to explain why.

Weather conditions such as wind direction, heat or rain on take-off or landing influence the weight a plane can carry. Aircraft weight is the most common reason that luggage is offloaded and transferred to another flight (so think about whether you really need that extra piece of pie). Sometimes a plane has to carry extra fuel, which impacts on how much other stuff can be carried. Lanseria International Airport in Jo'burg has a shorter runway than the other airports, which can add to the other factors. In the (still pretty rare) event that your luggage is transferred to a later flight, it's up to us to make sure you receive it, so we'll deliver it to you at our own expense. Promise. Cross our hearts.

onboard

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:31:08 GMT

Can kids fly solo?
Flying with a baby or pregnant
What can we eat onboard?
Painting our planes
Using phones onboard

Kids flying solo

Does kulula fly unaccompanied minors?
Unfortunately we do not offer this service. It's a huge responsibility and a very expensive service to offer, so most low-fare carriers do not offer it.

So does this mean that kids can't fly on their own?
It depends on how old they are. Kids under 12 cannot travel on their own but kids can fly solo from age 12 and up. Kiddies under 12 have to be accompanied by an adult or a person aged 16 or older.

What service is offered to kids over 12 flying on their own?
We offer a Meet and Assist for kiddies who require an escort to and from the aircraft. This service can be booked by calling our contact centre from Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and must be done no later than 48 hours prior to departure. For flights over a weekend, including a Monday, arrangements should be made no later than 3pm on the Friday prior to the flight. Call 0861 KULULA (585852).

Mini Me's - Flying with a baby or pregnant

Here are answers to some FAQ's from our soon to be moms and parents travelling with babies & infants. I'm pregnant – is it safe for me to fly?
Pregnant women shouldn't fly after 36 weeks. Those between 32 and 36 weeks will need a signed doctor's consent form in order to fly.

Where can I sit if I'm pregnant or flying with infants?
For your safety, we advise you not to sit in, behind or in front of an exit-row seat. Infants up to the age of two years must sit on your lap. Toddlers over the age of two must have their own seat.

I'm flying with my little darling. Are there any potential problems I need to know about?
Your baby's ears may be painful when descending. The solution is to give them something to drink or, for older kiddies, something to suck. As we don't carry any baby food, we encourage you to bring your own.

What about changing my baby's nappy?
We do have nappychanging facilities on board, so finding a space to do it is easy. Sadly you'll have to do the changing yourself unless your neighbour really, really, likes kids…

Do kids pay the same fare as adults?
Children over two years old pay the same fare as adults as they need a seat. Little munchkins under two years only pay R125 (incl.VAT) per trip.

What baggage allowance do I get when flying with infants?
Children aged two and over get the standard 20kg baggage allowance. Infants are entitled to one free checked-in item of luggage weighing up to 20kg, plus a collapsible pushchair and a child car-seat.

Airline catering

We've got an amazing team of people at, Comair Food directions, who supply all our onboard food and snacks, so all our fans an expect great quality and delish food! Our lekker nosh is carefully prepared on the ground and immediately goes into the 'cold chain' – a fancy term that means the food reaches all our fans with its original fresh and crispy taste. Our taste buds are less sensitive when we're up in the clouds, something to do with the pressure in the cabin, which means that food tastes slightly different onboard.

So sometimes our meals are prepared with extra 'flavour' to ensure all fans get the same great taste 15 000ft in the air. Getting our fans fresh food on each flight is actually quite a tricky affair: firstly the food is transported in fancy refrigerated trucks, then we need to ensure that the right food in the correct quantity gets onto the right flight. All these logistics add to the cost of serving good and fresherised food onboard, but we go the extra mile to get the best prices from our partners to keep our prices wallet friendly. And if you were wondering, the Pilot and Co-pilot never eat the same food, in case one of them has a reaction to something, thereby ensuring that there is always a Pilot able to fly you safely to your destination.

Getting our planes dressed for success: painting 101

Ever wondered how we get our planes to look as beautiful as they do? Well, to give you a few style tips into "painting planes 101" read on (Just in case you want to give your model planes a bit of a face lift – we know our planes sure like it!)

Prepare for makeover
We work with a great team of people who give our planes the beauty treatment they deserve. To start off the pamper process, we ask ourselves a few questions: Is it kulula? Does it make you laugh? Is the concept unique? (We don't want our planes to feel behind this season's trends of the sky)

Only after we've answered all these (very important) questions do we tackle the design. For every ten designs created, only one is chosen. We know it's a tough process but it's because only the most gorgeous and utterly hilarious designs will do for our fleet. After the best design is chosen, our planes are sent to the 'salon' where they are treated to days of pampering, painting and waxing to get them styled and ready for the public eye.

Getting dressed for success
The time it takes to paint a plane is dependent on the design itself: the bigger the plane and the more complicated the design, the longer it takes. For example, one of our Flying 101 planes took three days, while the jetsetters plane took a whopping 45 days! (Now that's what we call a spa retreat for planes!) For every plane there is about 10 to 25 dedicated stylists (a.k.a painters) who work night and day to dress our fleet ready for the runway.

While we love dressing up, there are some finishing touches that just don't suit our style. To make sure we don't block your (and of course our pilot's) view, we won't paint over the windows. We also won't paint the tyres, but we can paint the rims – so who votes for 'spinners' on the next fleet? The 'loading zone' is a 'no paint zone' too as are the belly of the plane and the wings, a.k.a the tickle spots, to be left alone at all times (as per the request of all planes).

Keeping our look fresh
At 35 000 feet in the air, you can't expect your make-up to stay put, so we don't expect it from our fleet either. If we see the paint is wearing thin or needs repairs, we'll retouch it. On average, we like to give our planes a 'facelift' (a.k.a repaint) every three to five years.

No Phone Zone, using phones onboard

Here's why you can't phone a friend, or anyone else, while flying

We know how easy it is to forget those important things in life, like phoning your mom to wish her happy birthday. And we also know that you tend to remember them when you've just boarded a flight! But, sadly, no matter how important a call is, you'll have to wait until you land because that quick chat with Ma can really have a bad effect on our planes. Cellphones can cause interference that has negative effects on the navigational instrument in the cockpit, aka the little box that tells the plane where to go.

Some mobile phones even cause an irritating buzz that could disrupt communications from the pilot to the ground. It's called electromagnetic interference and happens when techie devices cause electronic disturbances that affect the way the electronic circuit works. But before you go and tell-off the passenger next to you if they whip out a phone or laptop, our navigator is heavily shielded with kryptonite-like powers that absorb any tech interference that might come its way. Mobile companies have also developed a safe 'in-flight' mode. However, to ensure the safety of our kulula fans at all times, we don't allow the use of cellphones on our planes – not even in in-flight mode – just in case. Next time, when our pilots ask you to pretty please switch off your phone, you'll know they're not just making sure you can't prank call them; they actually just want to ensure your safety. These rules are compliant with the CAA rules for now and won't change till the rules are officially updated.

videos

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 19:27:57 GMT

Please be patient while the videos load

Meet Siphewe our Ticket Sales super star

Siphewe is a very talented Ticket Sales Agent for kulula. She is just one of our many shining stars.

video