RIP Kulula

[konfab]

I would love that because I regularly take regional flights on routes not serviced by anyone else.

Vitality with SA Airlink would do wonders for local tourism because of that.

 

[F1 Fan]

Feel sad for the employees ... I know one and it's been rough for a very long time

Hopefully they will move to competitors?

 

[system32]

Now we wait for our refunds...

View attachment 1326832

+1

Based on this announcement, I'm not confident of ever getting a refund.

31 May, 20h00 Comair announcement of suspend flights​

31 May, 21h38 Unaware of announcement I bought 2 tickets via eBucks​

My purchase was 1h38m after the announcement, but they still accepted the booking & money.

 

[Agent_Smith]

+1

Based on this announcement, I'm not confident of ever getting a refund.

31 May, 20h00 Comair announcement of suspend flights​

31 May, 21h38 Unaware of announcement I bought 2 tickets via eBucks​

My purchase was 1h38m after the announcement, but they still accepted the booking & money.

I've been scouring all channels for info on this. I checked the Instagram page and one reply to a comment about refunds from someone was anywhere between 6 - 8 weeks

 

[Craig_]

Kulula and BA were great till around 2018 then a few issues started popping up and flight were often delayed. They also had the maintenance and safety issues and after Covid I think most airlines are hanging by a thread. Sad but as Richard Branson said If you want to be a Millionaire, start with a billion dollars and launch a new airline.

This. Last flight I had with them was end 2019 ( I think), flight was 5 or 6 hours delayed and I got to Cape Town after 23h00. Decided to never fly with them again after that. Compared to Lift that I recently used, those people were super on time and on the way up, and down they communicated the reason for the 25 min delay constantly. I'd much rather use Lift anyway.

 

[The_MAC]

So who's left, FlySafAir and Lift, who else is in the sky?

 

[Baise]

But recently they did have something that 1Time had: the same CEO.
Jokes aside, your points make sense. In theory they had what they needed to continue to be a success, but you can’t disrespect your customers by being chronically late and unreliable for years and years while your biggest and hungriest competitor is laser-focussed on predictable on-time performance which makes for a seamless travel experience.
Not that I am the most prolific domestic traveller in SA but for many years now I have chosen to pay slightly more to avoid Kulula in particular (and BA generally) unless it was unavoidable. The last time I flew Kulula was in March out of necessity when they were grounded (which they handled appallingly) and I’m still waiting for that refund…

100% this.
I asked the question on the other thread as to their demise, as I was curious what the final straw was.
I used to fly a lot - DBN - ELS - PLZ - GRJ - CPT on a regular basis, and used to use Kulula wherever I could, if they serviced that route. But as mentioned, from around 2017/18 their service got increasingly worse. In fact 9 out of the last 10 flights that I took with them were late or delayed - not by minutes but hours.
I switched to Fly Safair and never went back.
Did they become complacent / arrogant that they had so much market share and didnt give a toss about service, or were they just plagued by bad luck and poor management.
All a moot point now, but its sad how such a successful business model fell from grace and is now ashes.

 

[modern10]

Yes, but the trough was bigger. More to scoop for the cadres.

What? Some okes aren't smart at all

 

[Ecco]

I have British Airways tickets to Mauritius - any clarity if these flights may continue with a different operator or best to start asking for my refund too?

 

[Ecco]

I have British Airways tickets to Mauritius - any clarity if these flights may continue with a different operator or best to start asking for my refund too?

For anybody in the same predicament, i found the below
kulula.com/travel-updates

 

[L-Dog]

So who's left, FlySafAir and Lift, who else is in the sky?

A few Airlink, SAA and Cemair but Comair had like 40% of the market so prices will definitely increase considering the cost of fuel over the next few months

 

[Creag]

Kulula and BA were the only airlines I travelled with (before Covid-19). Sad, sad day!

 

[Sepeng]

+1

Based on this announcement, I'm not confident of ever getting a refund.

31 May, 20h00 Comair announcement of suspend flights​

31 May, 21h38 Unaware of announcement I bought 2 tickets via eBucks​

My purchase was 1h38m after the announcement, but they still accepted the booking & money.

Apparently, those who bought during that sale will be refunded this week.
"Comair has struck a deal with Airlink to help out stranded British Airways passengers with new flights on certain dates, while those who booked tickets during a kulula.com sale announced shortly before flights were suspended, will be refunded."

Airlink to help stranded British Airways passengers, kulula.com to refund sale tickets | Business

Comair has made a deal with Airlink to help out passengers holding British Airways (operated by Comair) flights on certain dates.

www.news24.com

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

so another one bites the Dust? shame flew them a few times, besides their Pathetic Security enjoyed it immensely.

first Nationwide, 1time and now Kulula,
wonder when Safair and Lift will say bye...

being a LCC isn't a good business to be in clearly. or is it just the demands of the market making things rough?

and I dont see why an international company like Virgin could come and build a subsiduary in SA, call it Virgin Africa or something like that.
or even Jetstar/Scoot, buy and rebrand everything to Jetstar Africa or something.

I mean if you operate well in one part of the world, and there is decent demand, why couldn't they make it work?

 

[Speedster]

so another one bites the Dust? shame flew them a few times, besides their Pathetic Security enjoyed it immensely.

first Nationwide, 1time and now Kulula,
wonder when Safair and Lift will say bye...

being a LCC isn't a good business to be in clearly. or is it just the demands of the market making things rough?

and I dont see why an international company like Virgin could come and build a subsiduary in SA, call it Virgin Africa or something like that.
or even Jetstar/Scoot, buy and rebrand everything to Jetstar Africa or something.

I mean if you operate well in one part of the world, and there is decent demand, why couldn't they make it work?

I read somewhere that JHB/CT was one of the busiest routes in the world. Surely a half-decent business model could make it work?

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

I read somewhere that JHB/CT was one of the busiest routes in the world. Surely a half-decent business model could make it work?

exactly, I mean UK to France or Singapore Changi to Phuket is busy

and Jetstar Asia flies it all the time with arguably less airplanes and still turns a profit.
so what went wrong?

 

[Drifter]

Yup, did some price checks yesterday. I am flying to Durban at the end of August and just the flight up there is more than my return ticket was with Kulula. Cheapest Flysafair ticket was R2,400 while SAA came in at R2,900.

Pffft. My tickets to Toronto went up R5K between April and now. Same dates, same flights. This is on BA.

 

[Speedster]

Pffft. My tickets to Toronto went up R5K between April and now. Same dates, same flights. This is on BA.

That could also be due to crazy increases in fuel prices

 

[Drifter]

That could also be due to crazy increases in fuel prices

Probably.

 

[Speedster]

exactly, I mean UK to France or Singapore Changi to Phuket is busy

and Jetstar Asia flies it all the time with arguably less airplanes and still turns a profit.
so what went wrong?

With Kulula/BA out of the game there's surely a gap for someone to fill. Whether one of the local guys ramp up or a foreign player steps in I think it'll prove too tempting to pass over.