FlySafair asks for all midweek public holidays to be converted to long weekends

[Jan]

Major changes to public holidays in South Africa proposed

FlySafair has suggested changes to South Africa's Public Holidays Act to shift mid-week holidays to a Monday or a Friday.

The low-cost airline says it drafted a proposal to change public holidays in South Africa to speed up the recovery of the tourism industry following travel restrictions imposed throughout 2020.

 

[rvZA]

Will not happen.

 

[Gaz{M}]

And Saturday holidays must shift too. Hate losing out on a Public Holiday because it's a Saturday.

 

[Polymathic]

People already take long weekends if the public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday. The only day people don't take long weekends is when the public holiday falls on a Wednesday.

 

[Stickfigure]

And Saturday holidays must shift too. Hate losing out on a Public Holiday because it's a Saturday.

Losing out on both Christmas and New Years

 

[rvZA]

And Saturday holidays must shift too. Hate losing out on a Public Holiday because it's a Saturday.

Of course, what use would a Saturday public holiday be to the tourism industry? Move Saturdays back to Fridays and Sundays to Mondays.

 

[ronz91]

Now here is a proposal I can get behind XD

 

[agentrfr]

That... that.... that's actually a really good idea

 

[Pegging]

This isn't the USA

 

[Scooby_Doo]

Its not a bad idea.

 

[rvZA]

People already take long weekends if the public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday. The only day people don't take long weekends is when the public holiday falls on a Wednesday.

I used to take either the Monday or Tuesday or the Thursday or Friday.

However, I do not agree with Safair. I do not think this will help the tourism industry at all. Covid gave the economy a beating. Many people lost their jobs or cut in pay. The ANC is worsening the effects with their policies. I do not think people will travel the way they did prior to Covid.

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

Makes sense. Not a bad idea at all.

 

[Speedster]

This has been suggested numerous times and shot down by the powers that be every time

 

[C4Cat]

I used to take either the Monday or Tuesday or the Thursday or Friday.

However, I do not agree with Safair. I do not think this will help the tourism industry at all. Covid gave the economy a beating. Many people lost their jobs or cut in pay. The ANC is worsening the effects with their policies. I do not think people will travel the way they did prior to Covid.

They presented evidence though

 

[Ghost64]

Who is this person? I like them lolzzz

 

[Hamster]

I think Belgium does this.

 

[karnuffel]

Me likes.

 

[rvZA]

They presented evidence though

Not really sure what 'evidence' they have brought that could show people who lost their jobs would still have money to fly. Or people who took pay cuts to save their jobs would still have enough money to fly around. Be as it may, I still do not think this will happen.

 

[JohnStarr]

Makes absolutely no sense really. Why would an airline want this?

 

[C4Cat]

Not really sure what 'evidence' they have brought that could show people who lost their jobs would still have money to fly. Or people who took pay cuts to save their jobs would still have enough money to fly around. Be as it may, I still do not think this will happen.

The airline used this year’s Easter season and the Heritage Day weekend as examples of how long weekends can increase revenue in the tourism industry.

95% of accommodation establishments were fully booked on the Friday and Saturday nights during the long weekend in September, according to the eThekwini municipality.

This resulted in a spend of R107m, showing that South Africans will travel if given the right circumstances.

FlySafair noticed a more than 20% increase in air travel passengers over a three-day weekend compared to public holidays that fall mid-week.