IRRESPONSIBLE CREW & FILTHY PLANES - AVOID SOUTH AFRICAN AIRLINK! 

What do you think of Airlink's Performance? Also, follow me on instagram.com/gotravelyourway for daily updates!

As a South African ,this is what we deal with everyday, the attitude they give us its like they are doing you a favor. sad😢

As a South African this is terrible customer service in which we South Africans have been accustomed to. We need to have a deep look into ourselves as a society. Unfortunately it stems from the leadership of our country that has filtered into our people. From Johannesburg to Durban, to Cape Town...we ought to be embarrassed and wake up

As a South African i'm glad that you gave your honest review and didn't sugarcoat anything... we need more of these kind of videos even from South Africans, the people running these domestic airlines should be named and shamed

As a UK aircraft cleaner and ground crew, I’d be embarrassed and ashamed if I’d left an aircraft in that state, especially if we had a couple hours to do it.

The behavior of that check in agent at 1:20 was UNACCEPTABLE! Normally I can overlook bad service but that was ridiculous. Talk about a horrible first impression. Hopefully the marketing team/upper management sees this video and gets rid of that guy immediately. I am so happy I never chose to fly Airlink!

As a South African this is endemic of our country - people act like they are doing YOU a favor and you should be thankful they are there. It happens across the board from retail shops, grocery stores and even restaurants. Thanks for an honest review

Josh, I follow your reviews religiously and your reports are always fair and unbiased. As a South African I am deeply embarrassed to watch this. I have flown Airlink extensively for business and have to agree to the lack lustre customer service. Some flights are better but i have had a few shockers. It always seems like staff are doing one a favour not realising that farepaying customers are the reason why they are there in the first place. Unfriendliness and offering minimum standards of customer service by the check-in agent comes as no surprise. Social chattering and looking at their smart phones are a bigger priority for sure. Very few industries in this country know anything about customer service. I can only hope management sees this review and introduce changes. The filthy planes is absolutely unacceptable. Again staff who are paid to do this job are neglecting their duties. In a country with over 30% unemployment one would think even cleaners would be happy and proud to do a job properly. Your next flight on South African airlines will be interesting to see. However I’m not holding my breath. That is a whole new disappointment awaiting you. I might be biased because taxpayers money is used to prop SAA up. Good luck! Once again thank you for your channel and great reviews

I flew Airlink from JNB to MUB and then to CPT and after that back to JNB, I had to say all three flights were great. Nice staff, very good food service. Over all really nothing to complain. Would fly whith Airlink anytime again!

Having lived in South Africa for a few years, customer service culture-wise on how the check-in staff/cabin crew didn't prioritize you over personal pleasure isn't just an airline thing. It really is across all industries, no matter if it's in a fast food restaurant, government office, just anywhere in general. I'm not saying most customer facing staff is like that, but seeing that behavior isn't surprising.

Great Video and as a Cabin Crew I can confirm that all doors/galleys need to be "manned" at all times. Quite a safety hazard and don't even get me started on the curtain and the crew gathering in the back, giving us a bad reputation. However what I found most shocking is the fact that you messaged the airline and educated them on all the shortcomings and they left you on "Seen" - that is worrying and shows how little they care. Airlink is to be avoided!

As a South African I'm extremely embarrassed. This is how we have to put up with in this country now. Customer service is not a big focus anymore. Hope they look at this and see how embarrassing it is for them. 😮

Mr Cahill As a south African Apologies for the horrible experience and I hope they see this review and make improvements on the airline.

Josh a little optimistic with “ it can only get better from here” 🤣🤣

As a South African, this makes me very sad. Nothing new unfortunately. Lots of things in this country that used to be something to be proud of, now sucks. Luckily it is still a beautiful country. Looking forward to your SAA review.

The funniest thing is that here in good ol' US of A, you can pay $1500 for a first class ticket for a 4-5hr flight, and you still won't get lounge admittance... you have to buy the annual membership, which runs anywhere between $400-$600 or pay per visit. Only when you fly international business or first class is when you get a complimentary lounge pass... and even not every international destination qualifies. For example, most Caribbean destinations are excluded...

My son flew with Airlink very recently and had a good experience. I will check the airline out for myself in coming weeks and decide what I think of them. So sorry that you had to experience such bad service. South Africans are more than capable of providing excellent service.

"sh*t-show" is the best description! As a South African I would never set foot on Airlink & SAA. SAFETY RISK, CORRUPT, LAZY PATHETIC SERVICE. I'm glad your checked luggage was not ransacked as a welcome gift to South Africa.

I flew Ryanair/Buzz from Poland to Canary islands (>5h flight!) and the crew also spent their best time ever in the rear galley. As I sat in the 1st row I could basically cook myself a dinner and make some coffee for other passengers 😁No one would notice.

Sorry Man but we do not employ the best applicants we have a forced racist employment practice. Also no competition and no service culture.

I've never been to South Africa. But I bet that how a country is run is pretty much reflected in how its airlines' customer service fares. Generally, clean airplanes and welcoming ground crew/flight attendants belong to carriers from countries that pay attention to what matters as far as customer experience is concerned.

The boarding pass in the toilet was quite a good representation of your experience. 😊

Made the same experiences. Unfortunately many people in South Africa are no longer motivated at work and service gets worse. Sad for such a nice country

The oldest operating A320 is actually a Fly One A320 (JY-JAC) with serial 0029. First flight made in January 1989!

I really felt bad when you dropped your boarding pass in the toilet, Josh. I'm not certain if I would have fished it out; I think I would have asked for a new one at my destination. At the very least, I think I would have boiled my hands after doing the deed!

if anyone working as a ground steward would behave like this in other countries, they would be fired.. but some airlines I guess do not care about the fact that customers are Key to running a successful business

as a South African I don't fly any of the airlines owned by the govt

Josh, you're one of my favorite You Tubers and I follow all your reviews. You're a straight shooter and call it like it is. I flew Airlink just yesterday from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth and it was an awesome experience from check in to landing at home. I am posting this video on their Facebook page. That check in agent was an absolute disgrace but as mentioned here elsewhere, service levels across many industries in South Africa is shocking.

Im a proud South African who flies regularly. However, I try to avoid SAA and AirLink as much as possible. In my own experience, Kenya Airways ranks higher than most. AirLink staff are like former waitering staff judging by their conduct. I'm sorry for your lacklustre experience and I sincerely hope AirLink watches this and ups their game.

I have never heard of an airport lounge that had a time limit before…..and especially unacceptable for businesses class passengers. Also there are also no good excuses for bad customer service or a dirty plane. Okay, airlink added to my blacklist!

Thank you for your honest review, Josh. I have flown them between Walvis Bay & Windhoek, Namibia and Cape Town (only option) in the last 14 months and have been impressed by the friendly cabin crew and tasty catering! Pity you had such a crap experience on Airlink. Hope better flights will follow. ;-)

I flew CemAir from Johannesburg to Cape Town and back. They were great. Clean planes, excellent service and friendly cabin crew. I’d recommend trying them next time.

The woman at the lounge was behaving like a prison matron

The same thing happened when I traveled SA Airlines from Lagos to J’burg. The curtain between the business and economy sections was folded to one side about mid way into the flight with no crew in sight. It seems they have gotten use to taking their customers for granted.

Yeah crew going to the rear galley is a pretty common thing especially with short haul airlines . I work for a UK based short haul airline and once we’ve completed all the services we go to the rear and have a cup of tea. We do cabin walk throughs every 10 mins to make sure everything and everyone is alright . Once we had our cuppa we then go through with another drinks service etc .

i flew on airlink at around the same time. from johannesburg to bulawayo and had a relatively good experience. had three flights in total with them and had a good experience.the bidvest lounge debacle was weird as i was allowed access into the SLOW lounge well before 2 hours before my departure time. sucks that you had this experience. also flew this same route from jnb-cpt. funny enough i flew on an ex belavia emb. back from bulawayo.

We flew Airlink from joburg to east london last September, my husband is in a wheelchair, the ground staff were wonderful, the plane was clean and the flight attendant was an angel...

As a South African I always flew Airlink. This is a shock as I always found them exception. They did not have business class pre Covid debacle when everything shut down. I am very disappointed I them now. So much has changed in the last 5 years as far as internal air travel goes. Airlink used to be the smallest airline doing short hops. Was the only airline to fly George / Durban direct.

This is a very honest review. l had a medical emergency and had to miss my flight to Boston enroute Joburg. Went to their offices to enquire and wished l never had - they are super rude!

Strange. I flew business class on Airlink four times in June (Two domestic, two international). We were always directed to the Slow Lounge, which I thought was among the nicer lounges I have been to. Foung the service in business class super friendly, abd the catering was very good for relatively short flights.

Weird- I was with my friends from Germany in South Africa and we thought that the airlink trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town was exceptional compared to regional European travel.

The way the your neighbour looked over at your meal at 8:30 has me in stitches Bahahahahaha

I flew to Namibia with Airlink 3 months ago, staff was very helpful and friendly at the booking in counter, food was good, the aeroplane was spotless and cabin crew also very friendly.i will defiantly fly with Airlink again.

Thanks so much for posting this video Airlink is starting operations in Malawi and as a Malawian resident it’s good to know more about the airline

Josh: "It can only get better from here" *Gets kicked out of the business class lounge in the next scene* 😄

I flew Airlink in 2018 as they were among the few to fly to MQP. Both flights were pleasant (one in an RJ85, the other in an E190) and not unsafe at all, crew seemed professional and attentive. I also think that the check-in personnel at JNB belongs to the airport, if they are the only choice, what can you as an airline do? The lounge experience was FUBAR for sure...

I am honestly embarrassed I am flying with them right now on my way to Johannesburg what a absolute shock.

So glad someone is finally exposing South African customer service

The lounge access timing is common now a days, I experienced the same in Sharjah and chennai airport this week. Then lounge reads 3hrs prior to departure which seems logical as the checkin only opens 3hrs prior but for the transiting passenger with longer transit, can’t.

experienced that issue with the lounge, (though the lounge in Cape Town under South African pre-revival was also time limited - not something you expect when you're flying with status) one thing with AirLink that was better than before is the use of jets into places like WVB - it used to be little ATR sized prop planes under South African and they'd regularly leave luggage behind due to capacity issues. I used AirLink while South African was still out for the count, so maybe srevice was better while they were still fresh and trying to capture marketshare.

I’ve flown with Airlink 10 times in the past 3 years and I’ve never had a bad experience. Although they can be pricy they provide great crew, tasty food and comfortable seats for hops around Southern Africa. Airlink has actually switched to another lounge called Slow which is by a long shot the best domestic lounge company in South Africa so if you fly business with them you won’t have to deal with the time constraints. I definitely recommend flying Airlink and if you’re ever in SA I think it’s worth giving them a try.

Service on the old SAA (pre-business rescue) was appalling. The crew cocooning in the back galley was commonplace. I use a wheelchair. Once left for an hour on the plane in Joburg, 10:00pm. The crew had all left, cleaners only onboard. With their help I finally got my own wheelchair to the gate … and swore I would not fly with them again. I’m sticking to that. Good luck!

Unfortunately in South Africa with the indigenous folks, it’s all about getting that salary for the least amount of work while being protected to the hilt by labor unions. There is zero pride about workmanship or service that is benefitting others.

Delta has a three hour access policy to their lounge and while most US airlines will close the curtain, they are generally not enforcing access to the front lavatory. I was told once by an American Airlines flight attendant they are not supposed to challenge passengers on this issue and it’s pretty common for economy class passengers in the first few rows (generally premium economy) to use the front lavatory. I guess one could argue that most of them are frequent fliers with status or paid extra for those seats…

Hi Josh. As a South African, I must ask you if you really feel safe flying on SA Airways tomorrow with their track record of mismanagement, corruption and constantly being bailed out of bankrupcy by the government? I wouldn't trust some of the pilots' qualifications, nor would I trust the quality of the plane maintenace. Have you tried Safair before? I'vbe flown on Safair a number of times between Cape Town and Jhb and it's always been quite pleasant and professional, even in economy class.

I think the problem with the lounge access is that many banks offer lounge access even for economy passengers. The lounges became overcrowded and I think they are restricting the time to reduce the number of people. Otherwise you'll get people camping in the lounge for hours while consuming unlimited food and drinks.

Hi Josh, I’m your newest subscriber coz of your fair analysis and honest reviews. As a neighbor to South Africa (I’m from Eswatini, formerly Swaziland), I’m truly embarrassed by the bad customer experience you got in the airport. Totally unacceptable for an airport we pride ourselves in in this side of the world. The dirty plane you flew in honestly surprised me coz I have flown with Airlink about 20 times, all pre-pandemic times, and they were ultra clean in all instances. I really hope they get to watch this and redress these issues you highlighted straightaway. I wasn’t aware actually that they now have two classes in those relatively small Embraers, impressive. As for the food, I’m happy you enjoyed it, you never go wrong with our culinary experiences in Southern Africa. Outside the flight review, I’m happy you also mention the beauty of the destinations as well: South Africa and the entire region is amazing beyond words. Now, from the short sponsored segment, I was surprised to discover that airfares for the same route differ in price based on economy variations, wow, that’s a first. I’ll use a VPN next time I’m booking a flight, although my bank app may detect unfamiliar payment location, will cross the bridge when I get there😊 Keep up the good work

I have always had a good experience with Airlink but this was an absolute shocker. That check-in agent needs a little corrective action.

As a South African I feel ashamed as how our country does not show how proud they are especially with some airlines they should show people they care

This experience was totally the opposite of all of my experiences with Airlink so far. I have been flying with them on a regular base, also in business class. I consider Airlink to be the best domestic carrier in SA. Never had a filthy plane, bad service on board or any safety concerns. As far as lounge access, you must be able to get into the lounge within that timeframe so someone obviously screwed up. I am more then happy and comfortable to hop on an Airlink flight any time soon. Shame your experience was this bad and I hope the airline takes notice of this to improve their product and service. But, coming from a regular customer, this is not how Airlink usually operates. I would still definetely reccommend them.

You’re flying domestic so I get that the lounge access is timed. On the FC Rail lounges in the UK, it is timed too and I have been timed at Heathrow

I think you should give airlink another chance. As a South African, I apologise for the filth. But their other aircraft might surprise you. It’s not that bad I’d say. I wouldn’t say avoid airlink.

Josh. Welcome back to SA. AS A South Africa, this is the level of service you get on SA. The food is from outside sources, otherwise that would have been shocking as well. I will NEVER fly saa or airlink. But as I fly ever so often, although i do not in any, sense work for any airline, I use Fly Safair.

Actually many airport lounges around the world have similar restrictions. They don't want passengers just sort of squatting there for hours.

As a South African i say welcome to my world. This kind of service is all over South Africa. Since the ANC government took over they have managed to destroy our country 😢

i flew airlink a few years ago and had a lovely experience, so I decided to book another flight with them in September. Watching this video I am now questioning my decision.

Hope the right people see this it is also the staff attitude that is so disgraceful shocking!

in New Zealand, Air New Zealand domestic lounges have a similar 2 hour rule although to be fair they can be flexible about it if you have a long commute to the airport .

Thanks Josh for that info its always good to hear from travellers as we South Africans just except all this and never complain so used to this treatment fir 26 years in all division's of bussiness here

When I lived in RSA 1974 to 1976, we looked forward to flying. The service was great, they even gave us kids toys ❤

I’ve been watching Josh for a while now. He’s accurate. I’ve actually changed flights due to his critique. Too old to travel in a shit show anymore. As a backpacker all those years ago I’d be happy in cargo.

Sorry you had to go through that, I have flown with Airlink before, never had a problem with them. I hope you keep up your videos, love watching them.

I´m pleased to let you know that in many airlines, it is not mandatory to staff all galleys at all times, as long it is possible to to check that no customer is tampering with the equipment (opening the curtain for example). Especially when the cabin manager has to brief something during the flight, it is common practice to leave one galley unstaffed for a certain amount of time. Obviously from the safety perspective they still need to check the toilets every 20-30 Minutes, and in an ideal world they also should be approachable for Business class customers. However, especially on those rather short flights, many business class customers just want to be left alone, they even get annoyed if you approach them too often.

To think that I once applied for a job here, as an experienced customer service consultant. I was rejected for this 😂.

The meal presentation was very good. The crew need improvement in service but more importantly in safety. I remember having a constant crew around on some of great airlines that constantly made sure i had a drink or checked to see it i needed anything all through the flight. i even felt sorry for them as they were on their feet for the full duration of the flight sometimes 8 hours or more. The CEO needs to clean that plane and every plane. He needs to hire someone who knows what clean means, just like they check the top hotels. The CEO has no clue. He needs to travel on airlines that are successful to see how it is done. Or better still, he should hire Jose to teach him the ropes.

Thanks Josh great watching

I nearly died flying to South Africa from Perth Australia. We had done the big haul to Perth, then to Johannesberg. I then had to take a small propella plane to fly south down to Richard Bay which is about 1 hr north of Durbin. There was thick fog and the runnway could not be seen, we nearly wing tipped twice and when we finally landed the whole lot of us got up and clapped to the pilot! As there was no air tower at this small airport. I had actually landed at this airport several times over a two year work time in Richards Bay in the late 80s.

Flew with airlink from Eswatini 🇸🇿 to Johannesburg and thought it was great

Having flown Airlink at least twenty times a year for eight years both Business Class and Economy I was so surprised by this review as I’ve only had great experiences except once. I guess it’s that one time that can make or break a review but I think it’s very sad and strange that this happened to you as everyone knows you are a Travel Blogger

I'm a South African and has never heard of someone being to early at a lounge! I flew with Airlink before and won't fly with them again. Unfortunately the same manager who you praise on your review was not as nice when I flew with them! Then on the other hand, I flew economy class and was most properly looked down on! Thank You for great videos

You are 100% correct. All staff are not interested and some rude. We even had one screaming because we were queuing two-abreast, this when the flight was delayed for two hours - "the plane, he is broken". Rather drive or Safair!

I totally agree with you ! You pay more for the perks so you should get the perks !!

Definitely an airline to avoid. Check-in and aircraft cleanliness appalling. Hope more attention is paid to aircraft maintenance and safety. Great video. Thanks

I really hope there is a full review on the Qantas flight, I was really looking forward to seeing that review!

I’m Portuguese and flew several times with Air Link with no complaints about aircraft and cabin crew. But handling in OR Tambo is terrible. If you are in a connection arriving in OR Tambo in another airline, most likely your luggage will stay at Johannesburg and won’t fly with you. OR Tambo sends everybody to the same passport control, either you are arriving in Johannesburg or taking a domestic flight. So, if you don’t have much time to connect, it’s very likely that you will miss your flight. Security personnel may allow you to come to the priority desk, but immigration ladies may threaten you to send you back to the end of the cue. Last August I arrived in OR Tambo from Dubai and had a 2 hours connection for Hoedspruit. I was allowed to go to the passport control priority desk, the lady treated me like trash and a porter took me to the boarding gate. But my luggage was left in Johannesburg

Hi Josh, Never been to South Africa, or flown Airlink however horrible is the first word that came to my mind when I saw your video, Starting at the check in counter, this is unacceptable by any airlines standards and Customer Service standards, In other countries he would have been in trouble with the line manager, in others he would have been fired on the spot. The business lounge policy is nothing more than a bad joke, I have never heard of such a thing in my life, you pay for the lounge, you should be allowed access at any time early, late doesn't matter. What a rip off. Finally the lack of safety and cleanliness, I'm sorry if I hear such a disgrace for an airline. I will never want to fly them.

I am curious to hear if the airline reached out to you or if the airline actually paid attention to negative reviews

Thank you for your honest review, Josh. Look forward to seeing your return flight to Johannesburg.

I also encountered that time restriction of two hours, funny enough that is 2 hours to departure time which is usually 30 minutes after boarding. So you are actually only allowed 1h 30m in the lounge. I used an alternative lounge that morning which allowed me in without issues.

Thanks for that review. That check in agent treated you with no respect at all. And the price you paid, I agree, you weren't treated like a business class traveler, other than the meal. I hope that someone from Airlink has watched this video and they can sort out their issues.

Shocking. Such a shame that Comair is no longer there

This is the service we are acustomed to in SA. I flew Airlink recently for the first time Ctown to Jhb and had a totally different experience. Clean plane, friendly staff and overall good experience

Thanks for your review. I found it heartfelt and honest. Without doubt since the pandemic SA's aircrews have taken to all hangout at the back and have s good time making a racket. I'll choose the buget carriers over the government affiliated carriers (Saa Airlink) any time. Unfortunately the crew at Saa and Airlink are unsuppervised and feel that the passengers are irratants rather than customers, who pay their salaries. As the saying goes "everyone wants a job, but very few want to work.

I cannot fault the lounge receptionist...she was just enforcing procedure. But that dude at check-in... he was just outright unprofessional with his zesty self!!!

I had 4 flights with them in this month (domestically) and I've had a good experience, clean, no real delays, every time surprised with the food quality. Better experience with them compared to Safair that I flew with in previous years. BTW (in majority of lounges in South Africa there is a 2 hour limit unfortunately)

Well in the US I must sadly say that’s it’s very common for the First Class flight attendant to leave the First Class galley and cabin unattended. In fact on smaller aircraft it’s part of the service plan. I know on a lot of EMB 175’s and similar sized aircraft, there are only 2 cabin attendants on board, so after the First Class attendant finishes their service they are supposed to go back to the economy class section to assist with service in the back. And yes, I’ve sadly seen them go back to visit and chat too. But it’s definitely not a rule in the US to have a cabin attendant stay in the First Class cabin for the entire flight. Not that I wish it wasn’t a rule as I’ve sometimes had trouble getting a follow up drink etc, haha.

The lounge was nicely set out although a bit dark and no windows etc, but at least it was clean and tidy and offered a nice offering of food. Embraer 195 is extremely cramped isn't it, and 737-8 is a little more roomier.

Glad your food was delicious and at least one of the staff was pleasant and the loo was okay. I always fear losing my boarding pass. I think that you are probably right about poor safety training and implementing. Sounds like a scary flight with an inattentive crew both on the ground and on the plane. The cabin manager sounds lovely. Sad.

Fly with FlySafair - Think they are probably the best in South Africa at this point :) - this video hits the nail on the head xD Looking forward to the followup on this trip :D

That guy at 8:32 is me when I realized I should've ordered something different off the menu 😂👀