Global Traveler: Tell us about your background and what you are doing now at SAA.
Philip Bekker: I began my career with SAA in Johannesburg 35 years ago, and have held positions throughout the company, including training, operations, sales, finance and marketing. I spent six years in Japan working to develop the tourism market to South Africa and to open new routes. In 1997, I was the head of operations for SAA’s U.S. office and developed Miami as a gateway, introducing daily flights. Before I was called back to head the U.S. office in November 2004, I was in North Asia, working on a codeshare to open the mainland China market to South Africa. No matter where I’m based, my first priority is always to push for expanded travel and to motivate people to experience South Africa firsthand.

GT: SAA has been awarded several accolades, including Global Traveler’s award for No. 1 Airline to South Africa, as voted by its readers. What services will the business traveler find at SAA that make the airline unique to the industry?
PB: I’m very proud of our U.S.–South Africa service. Our 180-degree, lieflat seat in premium business class has been named the “Word’s Best Business Class Seat” by the airline benchmarking experts at Skytrax. It’s an incredible piece of engineering, with something like 300 unique positions; combined with on-demand dining and on-demand entertainment, we hear continual raves about the premium business seat and service from our guests.

Another SAA advantage is the time savings. SAA offers the fastest and most direct route from the United States to South Africa, so travelers can avoid changing planes in Europe, which cuts hours off their journey. Whether it means that you’re in South Africa in time for the afternoon game drive or just that you’re arriving relaxed and refreshed, it’s a huge benefit. We are also in the midst of removing rows from our economy-class cabins aboard our new Airbus aircraft to provide more leg room for economy-class passengers. This refit should be completed by the new year.

Last of all, but perhaps most important, are the convenient connections to our unmatched African network. SAA offers flights to 20 destinations in South Africa and connections to more than 20 cities across the continent. Our daily nonstop service from New York (JFK) to Dakar, Senegal, (DKR) also connects business and leisure travelers to western Africa.

GT: With your accomplished career at SAA and the airline’s increasing successes, what changes have you seen in your industry in recent years? What’s in store for the future?
PB: At SAA we are continually honing our focus on the customer, and I think that’s important. The industry has to focus on the customer and not just provide a commodity. Airlines must also strive to become more efficient, both business-wise and staff-wise, and plan and prepare to ride the cycles that affect all businesses, especially airlines, in the current economy. For the future, I believe that planning is necessary to handle the types of non-airline disasters that also affect the business.

GT: SAA’s flight route has recently grown to include a new gateway at Dulles International Airport (IAD). How will the new routes impact business and leisure travel to and from South Africa?
PB: SAA’s new Washington Dulles route allows us to offer increased options to our passengers, including the return of the Boeing 747-400, which offers three classes of service, including lie-flat seating in both first and business class. (The New York and Atlanta routes feature the Airbus with two-class service: economy and premium business.) Offering direct service from such a major business, government and leisure hub also allows us to stimulate business, meet our growing demand and open the convenience of direct travel to South Africa to a vast new market.