You are allowed one personal item. Do know they sometime do a search at gate side so be sure no prohibited items.

There is nothing on the SAA website to say you can take a personal item in addition to the hand luggage allowance, so would assume you are not allowed a personal item. Is there a particular reason why you cannot check in your luggage?

Hi! My husband will be traveling from JKF to Johannesburg, and I am also trying to figure out the carry on policy. He has a duffle that fits the required size, but he also would like to have a small bag for his camera, ipod, and small misc. It would fit under the seat. I am not traveling with him, and he is not savvy about this kind of stuff. Any help would be much appreciated! He was told by the outfitters not to over pack, but to not check his luggage, as it is frequently lost.

It is complete rubbish that luggage is frequently lost. Personally, I never ever have carry-on (ie as in my clothes etc) except if I am only going overnight somewhere. I can't abide the clogging up of the cabin with carry-ons and the fighting for space in the overhead lockers. I also don't like my carry-on luggage to be in an overhead which is not near to where I sit.

The only items I take on board are perhaps a laptop & couple essential items, wallet etc. Tell your husband to pack a suitcase with what he needs and check it in, for carry-on he can take the valuables and fragile stuff.

On SAA, I have always carried on 2 items; a backpack with my photo gear and a smaller purse size bag with my valuables.

I just bought a SAA ticket IAD-JNB. The confirmation says Economy Class: Two checked bags 50lbs, one carry-on 18lbs 45", plus one small personal item (purse, laptop).

Business Class is the same but allows each checked bag to weigh 70lbs.

Hope that helps.

Correction, business class allows two carry-ons.

Thanks kellyee21 and kayekaye. I think you are both referring to baggage restrictions to/from the United States. My flights are within Africa. I guess I will just have to take my chances and see if they make me gate check something. I'll be prepared to do that by keeping valuables all in the bag I intend to keep on board.

I've just flown SAA from JHB to Maun and they were strict about hand luggage. Also, it's not so much a question of what's allowed but what will fit- the overhead lockers were very small on the plane we were in. I guess other flights might be different depending on what planes they use, but I saw they were taking larger hand luggage items from passengers as they boarded the plane to put in the hold. My backpack was a bit on the large side due to camera equipment, but I managed to get it through without anyone noticing but I kindof wished I hadn't as it wouldn't fit in the overhead locker and I had to sit with it on the floor for the whole flight which was rather uncomfortable.

Hi sdtravels,

My flights were all internal in SA. JNB to Durban, Durban To PE, JNB to Cape Town. Hope that helps.

Kelly

Hi sdtravels

I do quite a few internal sa airways flights each year and I always have an exceptionally heavy camera bag, around 18kgs and a very small shoulder type bag plus my normal suitcase. I take the shoulder bag onto the plane, check in the suitcase and the camera bag is handed over to be put into the cargo as I head up the stairs. It is always locked and i have had no trouble with it at the other end. I have never been asked to put it into luggage. Quite different to systems throughout the world but seems to work as their overhead compartments or under the seat space is quite small on many of the planes and my camera bag would fit in neither of these spaces.

Does he need to have it on the plane with him or just use the rack by the bottom of the stairs on entering the plane and as he exits the plane, he picks up the bag and continues onto the bus to be taken to the terminal?

Just a comment regarding lost luggage, I frequented a camp near Kruger twice a year for many years and luggage was not lost, but frequently not on the plane that the owner of the luggage was on and would follow the next day!

Hope this helps!

Kind regards

Kaye