1TIME Airlines MD-87 Economy Class

1172

Background

1Time Airlines, owned by 1Time Holdings, is one of South Africa’s low-cost airlines and has been in operation since February 2004. The Johannesburg-Livingstone route was added to 1Time’s schedule in November 2009, with flights operating five times a week, once a day, on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Check-In

Although it is an international flight, check-in takes place at Domestic Departures two hours before departure. The check-in process was quick and hassle-free, and staff were polite and professional.

Boarding

Unfortunately the flight was delayed, for reasons unknown. The delay was only communicated to passengers at the time that the flight was initially meant to board. Boarding, which eventually took place about an hour-and-a-half later, was fast and efficient. However, instead of boarding a 1Time plane, we were ushered onto an Africa Charter Airline plane. Staff were friendly and helpful, eager to get passengers on board and the plane off the ground.

The Seat

The standard economy class seat was adequate.

The Flight

After take-off, refreshments and snacks were made available for purchase. I opted for a grilled vegetable on brown bread sandwich, which was not very fresh or very tasty. The flight on the MD-87 aircraft was pleasant, and was relatively empty. I had three seats to myself, with more than enough room to read, relax and catch a short nap before landing. The flight was approximately 1 hour 50 minutes long. The landing was a little shaky, with hot thermals over the runway creating some turbulence on the way down.

Arrival

Disembarking from the aircraft and into the airport was quick. However, there was a queue to pass through immigration. This was due to the new security system recently implemented, which includes facial and fingerprint scanning. Livingstone airport has three queues for passport control and immigration: one for diplomats and VIPS, one for residents of SADC countries, and one for international travellers requiring visas.

Verdict

Overall, the flight experience was fair. The flight delay could certainly have been communicated to passengers much earlier. 1Time also needs to add one or two more vegetarian options to its in-flight menu.

1time Airline flies from between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and George on a daily basis.  It also flies from Johannesburg to Maputo & Livingstone 5 times a week; Monday Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday. 1time flies DIRECT to the idyllic island of Zanzibar twice a week (Tuesdays and Saturdays) from Johannesburg.

For the best 1time prices log onto 1time.co.za and for awesome package deals: 1timeholidays.co.za