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Mango is in great demand as it is the latest low cost airline in South Africa. It faces heavy competition from some of the established airlines such as 1time and kulula air which are also under the category of low-fare airlines.

Mango is owned by South African Airways, and this is sometimes a point of contention among air travelers and competing airlines. Tired of losing market share to the other low cost carriers, SAA launched Mango offering starting prices for seats that were almost half that of its competition, sparking problems on two fronts.

According to Mango’s reports, 15,000 booking requests were made in the first 10 minutes after the website went live.First, its website, its major base of operations, crashed as eager would-be customers overwhelmed the site to take advantage of the cut rate price.

The airline then faced criticism from rival airlines that were quick to point out that as a subsidiary of SAA, a public governmental company funded by taxpayer dollars, Mango could afford to slash its rates. This led to outcries of unfair trading practices.

In spite of its less-than-stellar beginning, Mango is already reporting healthy profits.

The current routes include: Johannesburg to Cape Town, Cape Town to Johannesburg, Cape Town to Durban, Durban to Cape Town, Bloemfontein to Cape Town and Cape Town to Bloemfontein.

Mango offers some attractive fares called cool-off flights in which passengers pay only R175 (one-way, all inclusive) to fly to Durban or Johannesburg. Available only via its website, vouchers are not acceptable for this special.

The mango fleet is very safe as it is made up of Boeing B737-800. It can carry’6 guests in leather seats and the seats are arranged in two rows of three seats on either side. Travelers are informed about their seating arrangements after they check in and they can also choose the in-flight food service.

If your child is between the ages of 7 days and 24 months, they may ride on the lap of an adult. If your child is over 24 months at the time of their flight back you must get another ticket for that return flight.

Mango also offers accommodations for handicapped or impaired travelers, providing access for several types of wheelchairs. These passengers and those with small children will not be asked to sit in emergency exit rows.

Mango doesn’t allow pets in the cabins on any of its flights. There is the option of transporting your pet in the pressurized cargo hold, but this is subject to availability .

For added flexibility for this group, Mango Plus tickets provide access to a business class lounge, 10 kg extra luggage and vouchers for meals. Customers may choose to pay for tickets by credit card, by Edgars account (adds approximately R40), cash, voucher, or POLi – internet banking and debit cards.Mango offers Mango Flex tickets which allow ticket holders to change the date, time and destinations of their tickets. These features apply to travel during the week, not weekend flights. Business travelers are the main participants in this program.

Mango has partnered with several other companies to offer additional discounts and conveniences. Tempest SIXT, a low-cost car hire company, offers deeper discounts for Mango customers. A partnership with Edcon gives Mango customers the option to use store credit cards to pay for their tickets. And Vodacom credit card holders can save up to 25 percent when they purchase Mango tickets on their Voadacom card.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for South Arica’s leading Flight comparison portal, which includes Mango Airlines amongst others.

Virgin Airlines operates long haul routes between the UK and North America, Africa, the Caribbean, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East from its main bases at London Heathrow and London Gatwick and a secondary base at Manchester Airport, a leader in the industry, Virgin Airlines is known for its brashly British attitude. Owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Singapore Airlines.

Virgin Atlantic serves about 30 destinations worldwide with its fleet of more than 35 aircraft. It further extends its network through code-sharing relationships (agreements that allow airlines to sell tickets on each other’s flights) with other airlines including Air China, Continental Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Australia-based sister company Virgin Blue.

Plans for two routes, one from London to the Falkland Islands in the aftermath of the Falkland War, and the other from London Gatwick to JFK Airport, were either scrapped or rejected. Plans were in the works for a route between London Gatwick and Newark Liberty International Airport, when it became necessary for the company to secure additional funding.Virgin Atlantic and its sister companies got their start in’82 when American Randolph Fields teamed up with pilot Alan Hellary to launch British Atlantic Airways.

Fields and Branson finalized a deal (Fields was eventually bought out) in contentious negotiations, and the airline, now renamed Virgin Atlantic, operated its first flight between London and Newark in June of’84. Thanks to financing from sister company Virgin Records and smart timing (the airline’s first flights took advantage of the summer travel season) the company posted a profit in its first year of operation.

Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have been rivals since the company’s inception. The competition became even more intense when the UK government began allowing Virgin Atlantic to operate from London Heathrow airport in January’91. This move led to BA’s so-called “dirty tricks” campaign against Virgin Atlantic which included libel lawsuits, and an out-of-court settlement on BA’s part after lawyers found evidence of the extraordinary efforts BA was taking to “kill off” Virgin Atlantic.

Some examples: Mine’s Bigger Than Yours – painted on the back of the Airbus A340-600s because they are the longest passenger aircraft in the world. Virgin has never been shy about taking on its competition through its advertising.

Also promoted Virgins online check-in literally allowing passengers to avoid the queues,avoid the Q – Advertised Virgin’s London to Hong Kong to Sydney route in opposition to Quantas which was operating the same route.

Branson vehemently asserts his displeasure with a potential British Airways/American Airlines partnership. Presently, Virgin Atlantic has three cabin classes. These classes include upper class, premium economy and economy. The upper class would be comparable to what most people know as a business class as cabin service is not provided. Unlike most airlines’ business class, the seating in Virgin Atlantic’s upper class boasts to be the largest flat bed.

Premium Economy passengers have a separate check-in and receive priority boarding ahead of Economy passengers. These seats are wider and provide more legroom than Economy accommodations. Most aircraft have been updated to include Premium Economy seating with laptop power. In Economy class, in-flight drinks are free, and an updated Economy seat with adjustable lumbar support has recently been added across the fleet.

All Virgin Atlantic aircraft offer personal televisions mounted in the seat backs. Some aircraft have audio/video on demand systems.Virgin Atlantic’s sister airlines include: Virgin America, Virgin Blue, Virgin Express, Virgin Galactic, Virgin Nigeria Airways, Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer and V Australia.

Tom Martens is the syndication coordinator for South Arica’s leading Flight comparison portal, which includes Virgin Atlantic Airlines amongst others.