That headline should really read ‘say goodbye to SAA’, but our government seems hellbent on bailing this airline out time and time again, no matter the cost.

The latest stories doing the rounds appear to suggest that SAA could be replaced or restructured, following the airline going into voluntary business rescue back in December, and the future of the airline remains unclear.

More on that here.

What we do know is that members of the Voyager loyalty programme will not be able to redeem their miles until at least July 31, 2020.

That signals an about-turn from the company, given that it was previously possible to use your Voyager miles on things other than air tickets, such as car rentals, Uber trips, and spa vouchers.

No idea why that’s worth reporting on, but here we are. More from Fin24 regarding the letter sent out this past Friday:

According to the letter to Voyager loyalty members, the aim of the temporary moratorium on redeeming rewards, is to assess various options for the programme’s future “in the best interest of businesses partnering with the loyalty programme and of its members”.

…The moratorium period may be extended if need be. Members can, however, continue to earn miles with certain other programme partners during this time, the letter states.

Furthermore, the expiry date of all qualified companion tickets will be extended with an additional one year, due to current global travel restrictions. The future fulfilment of the companion tickets will be communicated upon finalisation of Voyager’s future.

If you’re booking air tickets at this time, given how little we know about travel in the months to come, I would suggest you fork out on that insurance and cancellation option.

According to recent statements by Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, domestic flights may only be able to resume by September this year, and international flights possibly only next year.

[source:fin24]