Lift off with LIFT Airline
Lift Airline officially took to the South African skies on 10 December 2020 from Cape Town International Airport to Johannesburg OR Tambo International. What is its claim to fame? Offering low-cost flexible flights, cancel or change your flight at any time and get a 100% refund to your Lift flexible travel wallet.
We made use of the airline for the very first time in January 2022 and once again in April. This is a summary of what Lift Airline has to offer.
Booking
Lift Airline offers up to 7 return flights a day with a broad schedule between Johannesburg and Cape Town, which is their only route at this time however Durban route is starting on 26 October 2022. The booking process is straightforward on their website, and their flights can be booked on other booking platforms such as Travelstart, FNB eBucks where one is eligible for up to 40% off on selected flights depending on your eBucks reward level, and Vitality Travel, the offering by Discovery Bank, where customers can receive between 10 - 75% discount on flights. Not yet a Discovery Bank customer? Sign up using code DDQ006 and get up to 5000 Discovery Miles (R500).
With every Lift ticket, you are guaranteed unlimited penalty-free changes and cancellations, up until 24 hours before departure including the ability to change traveler name details or to change onto any earlier flights available if you happen to be at the airport early.
There is an option to book Economy - no bag which is cheaper and allows a 7kg carry-on bag. Economy - bag is the standard offering inclusive of 23kg check-in bag, and the Premium option is equivalent to Business Class. Extras are available, such as:
Dog friendly flights - request for flying small dogs which needs to be made at least 72 hours before your intended date of travel and only permitted on select flights.
Special assistance - this is for wheelchair assistance, unaccompanied minors, medical support, pregnant women, and service animals. This needs to be requested no later than 48 hours prior to departure and arrival at the airport needs to be at least 2 hours before departure.
Car rental - this can be booked on their website in partnership with Europcar exclusively.
Various payment options are accepted on the Lift website - debit or credit card (Visa & Mastercard). Ozow instant EFT, Mobicred, an iVoucher or Lift Wallet credit. As an added bonus, you can earn up to 3x Smart Shopper points with your booking on the Lift website. With any online booking made on any platform, an email confirmation will be sent which includes your booking details, booking number/airline reference, and a ticket number.
Our experience - both flights were booked on FNB eBucks inclusive of 23kg checked-in bag. Flight prices are comparable to the likes of FlySafair and often tend to be the cheapest. Do note that flight price is highly dependent on the date and time of intended travel.
January 2022 4pm flight - initial cost R941, eBucks discount R129, eBucks used R242.50, remainder paid R569.50.
April 2022 630am flight - initial cost R965, eBucks discount R132, eBucks used R370, remainder paid R463.
Check-in
An email reminder is sent when check-in opens, which is 24 hours before the flight departure time. Even when checking in on the website, this is quick and easy, with the option of getting your boarding pass via email or add to your iPhone wallet.
Our experience - the boarding pass was saved to the iPhone wallet, which was used throughout, at the security check as well as the boarding gate. With the January flight, only a carry-on bag was used so no need to go through the check-in counters at the airport. For the April flight, a check-in bag needed to be dropped at the counter and a physical boarding pass was provided.
Inflight
The Lift Airline fleet is Airbus A320-200 (Airbus is a personal favorite and preference over Boeing aircraft). Airbus aircraft are very comfortable, in this case with more legroom in the seating area, wider seats and a quieter flight experience (less engine noise). The cabin crew is welcoming, making the journey quite pleasant. Lift has a partnership with Vida e Caffe as a provider of hot beverages on the flight plus the signature Vida chocolate. Complimentary beverage options on the flight comprise of tea, coffee, juice, water, or wine plus savory or chocolate snack (dry roasted chickpeas) for afternoon flights and hot beverages, juice, water, croissant and rusks for morning flights.
Our experience - Take-off and landing was performed on time, with the entire crew adding to a wholesome ambiance for the trip including the serving of tea and savory snack as the choice for the flight. At no point was safety a worry during the flight, standard protocol was followed before takeoff with a safety demonstration and safety cards are provided in the seat pocket.
The Lift Wallet
There is an e-wallet that is available on the Lift website that can be used to get refunds‚ credits and vouchers and is available for making another booking or buying extras such as seats or baggage. You will be able to access your wallet 24/7 on the Lift website, linked to your profile and even buy discounted top-up bundles. Credits are valid for 12 months. It is unclear if refunded amounts can be transferred from your Lift Wallet to your bank account.
Final review
Overall this is a fantastic airline to use and a welcome to the domestic airline network. We would love to see them expand with more routes to other cities in South Africa. Is Lift Airline reliable? 100% yes! They provide a great affordable service with comfort. Nothing beats finding a good flight deal, traveling in comfort, and arriving on time. Lift Airline ranks highly, in our view, among domestic carriers.
Bonus - you will get a thank you email after your flight, a link to complete a survey and a 20% off discount code for your next Superbalist purchase.
