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Mango is South Africa’s newest low cost airline, getting its start in October 2006. It faces hefty competition from more established low-fare airlines, 1time and Kulula Air.

Mango is owned by South African Airways, and this is sometimes a point of contention among air travelers and competing airlines. Tired of losing market share to the other low cost carriers, SAA launched Mango offering starting prices for seats that were almost half that of its competition, sparking problems on two fronts.

According to Mango’s reports, 15,000 booking requests were made in the first 10 minutes after the website went live.First, its website, its major base of operations, crashed as eager would-be customers overwhelmed the site to take advantage of the cut rate price.

Mango’s competitors pointed out that because they were a subsidiary of SAA the airline could cut it’s prices due to the SAA being funded by taxpayer dollars. This information caused accusations of unfair trading practices.

In spite of its less-than-stellar beginning, Mango is already reporting healthy profits.

Current routes include: Johannesburg to Cape Town, Cape Town to Johannesburg, Cape Town to Durban, Durban to Cape Town, Bloemfontein to Cape Town, and Cape Town to Bloemfontein

Mango offers some attractive fares called cool-off flights in which passengers pay only R175 (one-way, all inclusive) to fly to Durban or Johannesburg. Available only via its website, vouchers are not acceptable for this special.

The Mango fleet is made up of the Boeing B737-800, known for its safety. It carries’6 guests in leather seats. Seats are arranged in two rows of three seats on either side of the center isle. Travelers receive their seat assignments after check in. Guests can choose in-flight food service.

Children aged 7 days to 24 months may ride in an accompanying adult’s lap. However, if a child turns two years of age before his return flight, a ticket must be purchased for the return flight.

Mango also offers accommodations for handicapped or impaired travelers, providing access for several types of wheelchairs. These passengers and those with small children will not be asked to sit in emergency exit rows.

The ability to transport your pet in the pressurized cargo hold is subject to availability. Pets are not allowed in the cabins on Mango’s flights.

Mango offers Mango Flex tickets which allow ticket holders to change the date, time and destinations of their tickets. These features apply to travel during the week, not weekend flights. Business travelers are the main participants in this program. For added flexibility for this group, Mango Plus tickets provide access to a business class lounge, 10 kg extra luggage and vouchers for meals. Customers may choose to pay for tickets by credit card, by Edgars account (adds approximately R40), cash, voucher, or POLi – internet banking and debit cards.

Mango has partnered with several other companies to offer additional discounts and conveniences. Tempest SIXT, a low-cost car hire company, offers deeper discounts for Mango customers. A partnership with Edcon gives Mango customers the option to use store credit cards to pay for their tickets. And Vodacom credit card holders can save up to 25 percent when they purchase Mango tickets on their Voadacom card.

Tom Martens is the content syndication coordinator for South Arica’s leading Flight comparison portal, which includes Mango Airlines amongst others.