Travel

Air Travel
The event organisers are very pleased to announce that South African Airways (SAA) is an official event partner and is offering all teams and riders travelling to the event – from whichever departure destination in the world – discounted rates and special travel benefits.

A breakdown of the relevant discounted rates that will apply for the event are as follows:

From           Business Class        Economy Class

United Kingdom 8% to 10% 10% - 12%
Germany 15% 15%
USA - New York & Washington 10% - 18% 10%
USA - Other Points 10% - 12% 10%
South America 8% (n/a for classes Z & D) 8% (n/a for classes T & V)
Australia 10% (n/a for class D) 10% (n/a for classes Q,T & V)
Hong Kong 10% (n/a for class D) 10% (n/a for classes Q,T & V)
India 12% 12%
Middle East n/a n/a
African Countries 10% 10%
Other worldwide venues 5% - 10% 5% - 10%

Should teams and riders wish to take advantage of these special rates, the following operational criteria are to be followed:

1. All flight reservation requests are to be emailed to Leesh Lobo, the SAA office team leader at leeshlobo@flysaa.com
2. Customers will do all correspondence through her and SAA will offer travelers either the MICE fares above or cheapest they can offer for the route/dates requested.
3. All bookings have to be sent through together with a scanned copy of the customer’s passport. This is to avoid any name errors that cannot be rectified later.
4. Payment can be done with a credit card, but the requisite forms need to be completed and sent back to SAA together with a copy of the back and front of the credit card. (ID copy not necessary if they have already received a copy of the passport.
5. Transportation of bikes have to be cleared in the country of origin and with the airline the traveler is departing on as each airline has their own “conditions of transport” for these items.
6. These conditions and discounts will apply only for customers that travel to and from South Africa on South African Airways.

It should be noted that discounts will vary dependent on the class of seats booked – this is dependent on when the bookings are made and the fares will be cheaper the earlier the bookings are mad.

Official Vehicle Partner
The organisers are in the process of finalizing an agreement with an official car hire partner and this arrangement will be concluded shortly and all details of this agreement and the benefits that will apply to teams and riders will appear on the official website when in place.

Of course, there are a number of other car hire options available to all and all major car hire agencies operate from Durban or Johannesburg as well as Pietermaritzburg.

Visa and Passport Arrangements
Every person seeking to enter South Africa must be in possession of a valid passport for travel to South Africa and, where necessary, a visa. Enquiries can be directed to South African diplomatic representatives abroad or the Department of Home Affairs in Pretoria. Visitors who intend traveling to South Africa's neighboring countries and back into South Africa are advised to apply for multiple entry visas. Visas are not issued on arrival at South African ports of entry.

VISA Requirements:
• Passport valid for no less than 30 days after the expiry of the intended visit;
• Passports must contain at least one unused page for entry or departure endorsements;
• Payment of the prescribed fee, if applicable;
• A vaccination certificate, if required by the Act;
• Statement and/or documentation confirming purpose and duration of visit;
• Two identity photographs (see website for details);
• Proof of financial means; and
• A return / onward ticket.

In terms of existing arrangements, passport holders of certain countries are exempt from visa requirements. Tourists must satisfy immigration officers that they have the means to support themselves during their stay, and that they are in possession of return or onward air tickets. They must also have valid international health certificates.

Further information can be found at: http://home-affairs.gov.za
And link: http://home-affairs.pwv.gov.za/visa_schedule.asp

For those riders that require support documentation from the organisers to make their visa applications, this can be arranged and details as to whom enquiries should be addressed to will be forthcoming in the following newsletter.