12 Best Ways To Earn Lots of South African Airways Voyager Miles [2024]

Updated: January 11, 2024, 4:59am CST

Edited by:

12 Best Ways To Earn Lots of South African Airways Voyager Miles [2024]

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South African Airways is an unexpectedly small airline when you consider its strategic position as the flag carrier of South Africa. Home to one of the economic powerhouses in Africa, South African Airways has been plagued by a continuous bout of mismanagement and corporate losses.

It is the state-owned, de-facto airline of South Africa, which means that its goal isn’t only to turn a profit like Southwest Airlines, for example. It plays a pivotal role in connecting the world to South Africa and creating jobs to prop up the country’s economy.

As a result, it’s done everything it can to save money besides reducing headcount, and this includes destroying much of the straightforward value of its frequent flyer program.

Nonetheless, there are always going to be numerous opportunities to maximize any frequent flyer program. Before you spend any miles, however, you’re going to have to earn them. Let’s learn about the best ways to earn lots of South African Airways Voyager miles.

The first thing you’ll want to do is to register for a South African Airways Voyager frequent flyer account. After you create an account, you’ll be able to log in and view your account activity, along with upcoming reservations.

To register, simply visit the link above and fill out all the information. Remember to click the button that says Activate flysaa.com Reservation Profile and Do you agree with the terms and conditions? After clicking Submit, you’ll be able to confirm and access your Voyager account.

Earn Voyager Miles With Credit Cards

1. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

The easiest way to earn South African Airways Voyager miles is to put your normal spending on the right credit cards. South African Airways only has 1 transfer partner — Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott Bonvoy enjoys the largest list of airline transfer partners, and this covers more obscure airlines such as South African Airways, so you’re going to need to focus on earning Marriott Bonvoy points to accrue lots of South African Airways Voyager miles.

Marriott Bonvoy transfers at a 3:1 ratio, which means that 3 Marriott Bonvoy points equal 1 Voyager mile. You’ll also get a transfer bonus of 5,000 Voyager miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points you transfer to Voyager. In other words, transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points will result in a total of 25,000 Voyager miles.

Recommended Marriott Bonvoy Cards

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card

A great option for Marriott hotel fans who want a no annual fee card and automatic Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on eligible purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
30,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$210

Annual Fee

APR

21.49%–28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Casual travelers who like to frequent properties that are part of the Marriott Bonvoy collection of brands may want to consider the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card.

The Marriott Bold card rewards cardholders for Marriott stays and gives them a boost towards Marriott Bonvoy elite status.

Pros

Up to 14x points per $1 on Marriott purchases
2x points per $1 on travel purchases
15 Elite Night Credits each year (automatically gives you Silver Elite status)
No foreign transaction fees
No annual fee

Cons

Lower point earn rate than other Marriott Bonvoy cards
Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status is the lowest status tier

Earn 30,000 Bonus Points after you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Pay no annual fee with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card from Chase^®!
Earn up to 14X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Card.
1X point for every $1 spent on all other purchases.
Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
No Foreign Transaction Fees.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49%–28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

LIMITED TIME OFFER

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

U.P. Rating

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card

Marriott loyalists will love this card's annual free night award, automatic elite status, and up to 17x points per $1 on Marriott hotel stays.

Welcome OfferEarn 5 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after spending $5,000 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card!
Earn 5 Free Night Awards

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,750

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.49%–28.49% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

If you’re a frequent traveler and a Marriott loyalist, there’s a lot to love about the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card. The card comes packed with several great benefits like a free hotel night once a year, automatic Silver Elite status (with a fast-track to Gold Elite status), and multiple options for redeeming points.

Pros

Earn big when you use your card at thousands of participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels
Earn big at grocery stores, gas stations, and dining
Automatic Silver Elite Status
1 Free Night Award each cardmember anniversary (valued up to 35,000 points)
One year complimentary DoorDash DashPass subscription
No foreign transaction fees

Cons

$95 annual fee
Marriott Silver status is the lowest status tier

Earn 3 Free Night Awards (each night valued up to 50,000 points) after qualifying purchases.
Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining.
Earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend.
1 Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary.
Earn up to 17X total points per $1 spent at thousands of hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^® with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Card.
Receive 15 Elite Night Credits annually, automatic Silver Elite status, and path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each calendar year.
No Foreign Transaction Fees. Your points don't expire as long as you make purchases on your card every 24 months.
Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

APR: 21.49%–28.49% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

NEW 155K OFFER

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy card gives you automatic Marriott elite status and helps you earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on your everyday purchases.

Welcome OfferEarn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
155,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,085

Annual Fee

$250

APR

20.99%-29.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, the latest mid-tier offering in the Marriott Bonvoy lineup of cards, offers cardholders automatic elite status and ways to earn more Marriott Bonvoy points on each of their stays and daily purchases.

Pros

6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy
4x points per $1 at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases per calendar year, then 2X points)
2x points per $1 on all other purchases
Complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status
15 Elite Night Credits per year
1,000 bonus points per paid stay
1 Free Night Award (up to 50,000 points) when you spend $15,000 on the card in a year
No foreign transaction fees (rates and fees)

Cons

$250 annual fee (rates and fees)
Free Night Award certificate is not an automatic benefit

Earn 155,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $5,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy^® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
Earn 4X points at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on up to $15,000 in combined purchases at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets per calendar year, then 2X points).
Earn 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Marriott Bonvoy 1K Bonus Points Per Stay: Earn 1,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® bonus points per paid eligible stay booked directly with Marriott for properties participating in Marriott Bonvoy.
With complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elites status, earn up to 2.5X points from Marriott Bonvoy^® on eligible hotel purchases with the 25% Bonus Points on stays benefit, available for Qualifying Rates.
Marriott Bonvoy Bevy Free Night Award: Earn 1 Free Night Award after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ Card in a calendar year. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 50,000 Marriott Bonvoy^® points) at a hotel participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
15 Elite Night Credits: Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express Card^® you can receive 15 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
Plan It^® is a payment option that lets you split up purchases of $100 or more into equal monthly installments with a fixed fee. Plus, you'll still earn rewards the way you usually do.
$250 Annual Fee.
Terms apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

NEW 185K WELCOME OFFER

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Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

U.P. Rating

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

Apply With Confidence

Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card

A premium card for Marriott fans who want perks like an annual statement credit and Free Night Award, plus a fast track to Marriott elite status.

Welcome OfferEarn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
185,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:
$1,295

Annual Fee

$650

APR

20.99%-29.99% Variable

Credit Recommended

Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card is a premium card designed with road warriors and Marriott Bonvoy loyalists in mind.

So is the card a worthwhile addition to your wallet?

Pros

6x points per $1 at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy program
3x points per $1 on flights booked directly with airlines and restaurants worldwide
2x points per $1 on all other purchases
25 Elite Night Credits each year
Priority Pass Select membership upon enrollment
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee statement credit
Annual Free Night Award after card renewal
Complimentary Platinum Elite status

Cons

Steep annual fee of $650 (rates and fees)
6x points per $1 is the same earn rate offered with lower annual fee alternatives like the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card

Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
$300 Brilliant Dining Credit: Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card at restaurants worldwide.
With Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite status, you can receive room upgrades, including enhanced views or suites, when available at select properties and booked with a Qualifying Rate.
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. 3X points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines. 2X points on all other eligible purchases.
Free Night Award: Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy^®. Certain hotels have resort fees.
Each calendar year after spending $60,000 on eligible purchases on your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card, you will be eligible to select a Brilliant Earned Choice Award benefit. You can only earn one Earned Choice Award per calendar year. See https://www.choice-benefit.marriott.com/brilliant for Award options.
$100 Marriott Bonvoy Property Credit: Enjoy your stay. Receive up to a $100 property credit for qualifying charges at The Ritz-Carlton^® or St. Regis^® when you book direct using a special rate for a two-night minimum stay using your Card.
Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®: Receive either a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($100) or a statement credit every 4.5 years after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck^® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider) and pay the application fee with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
Each calendar year with your Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® Card you can receive 25 Elite Night Credits toward the next level of Marriott Bonvoy^® Elite status. Limitations apply per Marriott Bonvoy member account. Benefit is not exclusive to Cards offered by American Express. Terms apply.
Enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited airport lounge visits to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying. This allows you to relax before or between flights. You can enjoy snacks, drinks, and internet access in a quiet, comfortable location.
No Foreign Transaction Fees on international purchases.
With Cell Phone Protection, you can be reimbursed, the lesser of, your repair or replacement costs following damage, such as a cracked screen, or theft for a maximum of $800 per claim when your cell phone line is listed on a wireless bill and the prior month's wireless bill was paid by an Eligible Card Account. A $50 deductible will apply to each approved claim with a limit of 2 approved claims per 12-month period. Additional terms and conditions apply. Coverage is provided by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
$650 Annual Fee.
Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

APR: 20.99%-29.99% Variable
Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Marriott Bonvoy

2. Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles

American Express has one of the most generous referral bonus structures in the world. As long as you have an Amex card, you can refer a friend to earn bonus points.

For example, if you have an Amex credit card, your referral bonus will be in Membership Rewards points, while if you have a Marriott Bonvoy card, your referral bonus will be in Marriott Bonvoypoints.

This means that if you want to earn more South African Airways Voyager miles, you’ll want to refer a friend using your Marriott Bonvoy card. Best of all, your friend doesn’t need to end up applying for the same card that you have to get a referral bonus!

They can use your referral link to apply for The Platinum Card^® from American Express or the American Express^® Gold Card, which are arguably 2 of the best cards on the market.

This means that as long as they use your referral link and are approved for any Amex card, you’ll get your referral bonus.

Chase also has a referral program, though it doesn’t offer referral bonuses for all of its credit cards. Remember that to refer a friend to a Chase card, you must also have the same card, which is an important distinction compared to American Express.

3. Non-U.S.-based Credit Cards

There are several options for non-U.S-based cardholders to earn South African Airways Voyager miles. Specifically, these cards are administered and offered by Nedbank, a South African financial services company.

Generally speaking, you need to be a South African resident or have a valid work permit to be eligible for this card, in addition to meeting income, age, and credit requirements. Here are some of the cards available for application:

SAA Voyager Gold Mastercard Credit Card
SAA Voyager Mastercard Credit Card

You might be wondering what a cheque card is. Simply put, a cheque card is just another term for a debit card. When you swipe your cheque card, you’re using funds directly from your bank account, so there’s no creditor-lender relationship.

Learn more about the credit card offerings and cheque card offerings.

There are other options that you can explore in other countries, such as the Ecobank SAA Voyager MasterCard in Ghana. To find out if there is a unique credit card option in your country, simply change the country of the South African Airways website to the desired country, and visit the Credit card section.

South African Airways Voyager Different Country — To see co-branded credit card options in any country, simply change the **country** and then click the **Credit Card** button. Image Credit: South African Airways

Earn Miles Through Travel

If you find yourself flying quite often, you’ll want to credit your airline miles to get the most out of your travel.

4. Airfare and Airline Purchases

South African Airways JNB VFA business class seat — South African Airways business class cabin. Image Credit: Keri Stooksbury

When you fly South African Airways flights, you’ll earn at a rate of 1 mile per R1.60 spent on the base fare, plus carrier-imposed fees (fuel surcharges). Critically, this excludes the portion of your taxes and fees from earning Voyager miles. Miles may take up to 15 days to credit to your account.

5. Crediting Partner Airlines to Voyager

South African Airways has tons of airline partners. While many of them are Star Alliance airlines, some of them are non-alliance airline partners, such as Virgin Australia or Emirates.

If you provide your Voyager account number when booking any partner airline flight or checking into your flight at the airport, you can accrue miles according to the fare class of your ticket.

Airline partner flights take around 14 business days after travel is finished to credit. These particular flights earn miles based on distance traveled, as opposed to how much you spend on flights.

If you’re traveling on partner flights marketed by South African Airways (codeshare), then miles should be deposited 3 to 5 days after travel is finished. With all that being said, you’ll want to refer to the following accrual chart to figure out how many miles you’ll earn on your flight:

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Airline	Cabin Class	Fare Class	Mileage Accrual Structure
Aegean Airlines	Economy	R, N	0%
	Economy	E, O, J, T, U, S, K, P	50%
	Economy	Y, B, G, W, H, L, M, V, Q	100%
	Business	A, C, D, Z	125%
Air Canada	Economy	X, I	0%
	Economy (Domestic)	S, T, L, A, K, G	0%
	Economy (Domestic)	W	50%
	Economy (International)	K	25%
	Economy (International)	W, G, T, S, L, A	50%
	Rouge	Rouge	20%
	Economy (International)	Y, B, M, U, H, Q, V, O, E, N	100%
	Economy (Intercontinental)	O	100%
	Business	C, D, Z, P	100%
	Business	J	125%
Air China	Economy	O, I, X, N	0%
	Economy (Domestic)	T, L, K, P	25%
	Economy (Domestic)	M, U	75%
	Economy (International)	M, U	50%
	Economy (International)	H, Q, V, W, S	50%
	Economy (International)	E	90%
	Economy	G	110%
	Economy (Domestic)	R	110%
	Economy (International)	R	125%
	Economy (International)	Y, B	100%
	Business	C, D, Z	125%
	Business	J	130%
	First	A	130%
	First	F	150%
	First (Domestic)	J	150%
Air India	Economy	P, S, E, O, I, X	0%
	Economy	G, L, U, T	25%
	Economy	H, K, Q, V, W	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, R, A, N	100%
	Business	J, Z	100%
	Business	C, D	115%
	First	F	150%
Air New Zealand	Economy (Domestic)	W, T, L, G, S, P, F, N	0%
	Economy (Oceania)	V, W, T, L, G, S, K, P, F, N	0%
	Economy (International)	L. G, S, K, P, F, N	0%
	Economy	M, H, Q, V	70%
	Economy (International)	W, T	70%
	Economy (International)	U, E, O, A, Y, B	100%
	Economy (Domestic)	Y, B	100%
	Business (International)	C, D, J, Z	200%
All Nippon Airways	Economy	R	0%
	Economy	L, K	30%
	Economy	V, W, S, T	50%
	Economy	U, H, Q	70%
	Discounted Premium Economy	N	70%
	Economy	Y, B, M	100%
	Premium Economy	G, E	100%
	Business	P	70%
	Business	C, D, Z	125%
	First	F, A, J	150%
Asiana Airlines	Economy (International)	T, G, O, X, L, N, I, R, P	0%
	Economy (Domestic)	F, L, W, T, G, J, D, Z, O, N, X, I, P, R	0%
	Economy (International)	V, W	70%
	Economy (Domestic)	V	70%
	Economy	Y, A, B, E, H, K, M, Q, S	100%
	Business (Domestic & International)	U	100%
	Business	C, D, Z	125%
	Business	J	135%
Austrian Airlines	Economy	A, F, K, S, T, L, X, R, I	0%
	Economy	Q, V, W	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, U, H, G, E, N	100%
	Business	Z, P	100%
	Business	J, C, D	125%
Avianca	Economy	U, I, X, N, R	0%
	Economy (International)	W, S, U, T	50%
	Economy (Domestic, Central America, and intra-Colombia)	W, S, U, T	25%
	Economy	H, M, B, Y, E, V, Q, P, O, L, G, Z	100%
	Business	C, D, J, A, K	125%
Brussels Airlines	Economy	T, E, L, K, X, I	0%
	Economy	W, S, O, Q, V	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, U, H	100%
	Business	J, C, D, Z	125%
Copa Airlines	Economy	N, X, I	0%
	Economy	E, L, T, A	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, H, Q, K, V, U, S, O, W	100%
	Business	C, D, J, R	125%
Croatia Airlines	Economy	I, R, X, N, T, E, L, G, U	0%
	Economy	W, S, J, O P	50%
	Economy	Y, B, A, F, M, H, K, Q, V	100%
	Business	C, D, Z	125%
Egyptair	Economy	F, A, P, O, I, R, X, N, G, L, S, T, U, W	0%
	Economy	V	25%
	Economy	Q	50%
	Economy	K	75%
	Economy	Y, B, M, H	100%
	Business (Domestic)	Z	125%
	Business (International)	C, D, J	125%
Emirates	Economy	S, D, Z, N	0%
	Economy	V, X	10%
	Economy	T, L, Q, G	30%
	Economy	U, B, M,W,K	50%
	Economy	Y, R	100%
	Business	P	100%
	Economy	E, W	110%
	Business	H	110%
	Business	C, J, O, I	125%
	First	F, A	150%
Ethiopian Airlines	Economy	X, I, N, P, R, W, E, O	0%
	Economy	U	15%
	Economy	Q, T	25%
	Economy	H, L	30%
	Economy	M, K, V	50%
	Economy	Y, G, S, B	75%
	Business	C, J, D, Z	125%
EVA Air	Economy	R, I, E, V, W, N, X, G, A, O	0%
	Economy	H, S, Q	50%
	Economy	M	75%
	Economy	K, L, T, P, Y, B	100%
	Business	C, D, J	125%
JetBlue	Economy	X, T, N	0%
	Economy	Z, O, U, S, P	50%
	Economy	Y, E, K, H, Q, B, L, V, R, W, M	100%
	Business	J, C, D, I	125%
LOT Polish Airlines	Economy	N, J, I, X	0%
	Economy	V, W, L, U, O	25%
	Economy	S, M, H, Q, T, G,E, K	50%
	Economy	A, Y, R, B	100%
	Economy	P	105%
	Business	Z, F	100%
	Business	C, D	125%
Lufthansa	Economy	O, I, X, R, P, L, K	0%
	Economy	T	25%
	Economy	W, S, Q, V	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, H, G, U, E, G, N	100%
	Business	C, D, J, Z	125%
	First	F, A	150%
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines)	Economy	R, N, O, T, I, X	0%
	Economy	G, K, L, U, W	25%
	Economy	E, H, M, Q, V	100%
	Economy	A, J, B, S, Y, P	125%
	Business	C, D, Z	125%
Shenzhen Airlines	Economy	L, K, O, I, X, N	0%
	Economy	H, Q, S, V, W, E, T, P	50%
	Economy	G, Y, B, M, U	100%
	Business	D, Z, R	100%
	Business	J, C	130%
Singapore Airlines	Economy	K, G, Q, V, N, O, I, X	0%
	Economy	M, H, W	75%
	Economy	Y, B, E, S, T, P, R, L	100%
	Business	C, D, J, Z, U	125%
	First	F, A	150%
Swiss International Air Lines	Economy	R, I, O, X, T, L, K	0%
	Economy	V, Q, S, W	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, U, H	100%
	Premium Economy	G, E, N	100%
	Business	P	100%
	Business	C, D, J, Z	125%
	First	F, A	150%
South African Airways-marketed flights on non-Star Alliance airlines (codeshares)	Economy	I, X, E, U, N, R	0%
	Economy	L, W, G	25%
	Economy	H, S, Q, T, V	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, K	100%
	Business (Domestic)	D	100%
	Business	Z, D, P	125%
	Business	C, J	150%
TAP Air Portugal	Economy	A, E, F, I, J, N, O, R, T, U, X	0%
	Economy	W, S, L, K, P, G	50%
	Economy	Y, B, H, M, V, Q	100%
	Business	C, D, Z	150%
Thai Airways	Economy	O, I, E, X, N, R, G, V, W, L	0%
	Economy	T, K, S	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, H, Q	100%
	Business	C, D, J, Z	125%
	First	F, A	150%
Turkish Airlines	Economy	F, U, I, R, X, N, P, W, G	0%
	Economy	V	25%
	Economy	S, O, E, Q, T, L	50%
	Economy	Y, B, M, A, H	100%
	Business	J	110%
	Business	C, Z, D, K	125%
United Airlines (Basic Economy N fares don’t count towards Tier Status)	Economy	F, I, X	0%
	Economy	S, T, L, K, G, N	50%
	Economy	Q, W, V	75%
	Economy	Y, B, M, E, U, H, O, A, R	100%
	Business	Z, P	100%
	Business	J, C, D	125%
Virgin Atlantic (JNB-LHR-JNB excluded)	Economy	G, P, A	0%
	Economy	T	25%
	Economy	U, M, E, Q, X, N, O	50%
	Economy	Y, B, R, L	100%
	Economy	W, S, K, H	115%
	Economy	V	150%
	Business	J, C, D, I, Z	125%
Virgin Australia	Economy	X, Z, U	0%
	Economy	M	25%
	Economy	R, E, O, N, V, P, Q, T, I, S, G	50%
	Economy	Y, B, W, H, K, L, A	100%
	Business	J, C, D	200%

Let’s take an example. If you fly round-trip from New York City (JFK) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) on an ANA V class ticket, you’ll earn 50% of the total distance traveled. In this case, the flight distance is 13,490 miles each way. Therefore, you’ll earn a total of 6,745 miles on this round-trip ticket.

As always, please remember to double-check the mileage accrual rates directly with South African Airways Voyager’s earning miles policy.

6. Car Rental Partners

In addition to earning miles with airfare, you can earn Voyager miles with select car rental partners as follows:

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Voyager Partner	Accrual Rate
Avis	250 to 500 miles per rental
Bidvest Car Rental	100 to 500 miles per rental
Europcar	250 to 500 miles per rental

7. Hotel Partners

Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch exterior day — Earn 2 miles per dollar spent at Johannesburg Marriott Hotel Melrose Arch. Image Credit: Keri Stooksbury

South African Airways Voyager has numerous hotel partnerships. It’ll take around 7-45 business days for activity to be reflected in your Voyager summary.

Furthermore, mileage credits aren’t eligible for longer than 6 months after the activity.

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Voyager Partner	Accrual Rate
Best Western	500 miles per stay
Hilton	100 to 500 miles per stay or 1 mile per dollar spent
IHG Hotels & Resorts	200 to 500 miles per stay
Marriott Bonvoy	1 to 2 miles per dollar spent
Radisson Rewards Americas	Can only convert points at a 10:1 rate
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts	500 miles per stay

8. Rocketmiles

If you’re looking to earn bonus miles for hotel bookings, one of the best ways to do it is to use Rocketmiles, an online travel agency specializing in hotel bookings. Although the rates are often higher than the cheapest available option, it could be worth it depending on how you value your miles.

To search for hotels that’ll earn Voyager miles, simply visit Rocketmiles.com, select South African Airways Voyager, and perform a search as normal. You’ll then earn bonus miles depending on which hotel you end up booking.

9. Miscellaneous Travel Partners

There are a couple of neat travel partners for miscellaneous travel that you can earn Voyager miles on. These are:

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Voyager Partner	Accrual Rate
Cruises International	0.5 to 1 miles per $1 spent
Total SA	1 mile/liter

When you book Cruises International, you’ll earn 1 mile per $1 spent on Oceania Cruises, Crystal Cruises, and AmaWaterways. You’ll earn 1 mile per $2 spent on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Seadream, Azamara, and Seabourn cruises.

Total SA is the French state-owned oil company. When you fill up your tank with petrol and diesel at Total Service Stations in South Africa, you can earn 1 Voyager mile per liter. Be sure to refer to these terms and conditions for additional information.

Earn Miles Through Shopping

One of the easiest ways to earn miles is by getting more out of your ordinary spending. In the case of South African Airways, there are a few ways you can leverage normal transactions and earn Voyager miles.

10. South African Airways Shopping Partners

South African Airways has a few partners you can earn miles with. The partners and earning structures can be summarized as follows:

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Voyager Partner	Earning Structure	Voyager Partner	Earning Structure
FlySAA Duty Free	Earn 1 mile per R10 spent (Blue Voyager members) Earn 1 mile per R7 spent (Silver Voyager members) Earn 1 mile per R5 spent (Gold Voyager members) Earn 1 mile per R3 spent (Platinum Voyager members) Earn 1 mile per R2 spent (Lifetime Platinum Voyager members)	Specsavers	Earn 1 mile per R5 spent on qualifying purchases
Health Spas	Earn 1 mile per R7.50 spent	Wine of the Month Club	Earn 1 mile per R7.50 spent on qualifying purchases

When you are transacting with any of these partners, simply provide the company with your Voyager number at the time of purchase. It may take up to 45 days for your miles to be credited.

Specialty Earnings for South African Airways Voyager Miles

Now that we’ve covered the most mainstream ways of earning South African Airways Voyager miles, here are some of the uncommon ways you can earn Voyager miles.

11. Buy or Sell a House in South Africa

Seeff is a household name in Southern African real estate. Likened to RE/MAX and Sotheby’s, this established real estate company has operations in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Eswatini, and Mauritius.

It’s not immediately clear which transactions are eligible for miles accrual, but they can be credited to both sellers and buyers. Specifically, you’ll earn 1 mile per R100 through Sole Mandate sales and 1 mile per R200 on purchases. All you have to do is provide your South African Airways Voyager number when you are buying or selling through Seeff.

12. Other Financial Partners

The very last method to earn South African Airways Voyager miles is to use select financial partners.

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Voyager Partner	Accrual Rate
Bidvest Bank	Earn 40 miles for every R1 000 loaded onto a World Currency Card
Diners Club	Earn 1 mile for every R12,50 charged on Platinum and 1 mile for every R8,00 charged on Prive
UCount Rewards (Standard Bank)	Transfer 1 UCount Rewards points for 1 Voyager mile

Final Thoughts

Well, there you have it! South African Airways’ frequent flyer program is extremely dense and difficult to decipher, due in part to the lack of a user-friendly website.

You can either look at crediting partner airline flights to Voyager or use select travel partners in order to rack up miles. Lastly, there are some niche ways to earn miles, including buying or selling houses in South Africa or using the co-branded credit cards offered by various African banks.

The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Bold^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
The information regarding the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless^® Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express^® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant^® American Express^® card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.

Featured Image Credit: South African Airways

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Voyager mile worth?

Voyager miles can be worth anywhere from 0.5 to 20 cents per mile, depending on how exactly you redeem them. As a rule of thumb, premium cabin flights are going to offer the most value, as opposed to using miles for cheaper economy tickets.

Can you earn Voyager miles on Emirates?

Yes! Since South African Airways is a partner of Emirates, you can earn Voyager miles when you fly on Emirates. The exact structure is determined by Voyager, but it is summarized in the table within this guide.

How do SAA Voyager Miles work?

South African Airways has a loyalty program called Voyager. The miles you earn and redeem are called Voyager miles or South African Airways Voyager miles.

You can redeem your miles for flights, rideshare vouchers, and much more.

Do SAA Voyager miles expire?

South African Airways Voyager miles expire 3 years after the year in which they are earned (a year is calculated from April 1 to March 31). To learn how to extend the validity of these miles, please reference the terms and conditions.

What can I use my Voyager miles for?

You can use Voyager miles for award flights, flight upgrades, rideshare vouchers, simulator sessions, and much more.

Which credit cards earn South African Airways Voyager miles?

At the moment, the only way for U.S. cardholders to earn Voyager miles to transfer from Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio with a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred to Voyager.

Transfers take around 3 business days.

There are a number of co-branded credit card options, but these aren’t viable for U.S. residents, as you must live in Africa to qualify.

How do I transfer South African Airways Voyager miles to a spouse?

You can’t transfer, assign, sell, or combine any Voyager miles to any other person.

When do South African Airways Voyager miles post in your account?

The exact timing will vary, depending on the partner through which you earned miles. It can take anywhere from 3 to 45 business days for miles to post to your account.

Are South African Airways Voyager miles refundable?

Yes. As long as you cancel the award ticket within 30 days of issuance, you can pay an R210 (~$14) fee per ticket to cancel your award reservation and refund your miles.

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About Stephen Au

Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.

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12 Best Ways To Earn Lots of South African Airways Voyager Miles [2024]

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Earn Voyager Miles With Credit Cards

1. Marriott Bonvoy Credit Cards

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2. Refer a Friend for Bonus Miles

3. Non-U.S.-based Credit Cards

Earn Miles Through Travel

4. Airfare and Airline Purchases

5. Crediting Partner Airlines to Voyager

6. Car Rental Partners

7. Hotel Partners

8. Rocketmiles

9. Miscellaneous Travel Partners

Earn Miles Through Shopping

10. South African Airways Shopping Partners

Specialty Earnings for South African Airways Voyager Miles

11. Buy or Sell a House in South Africa

12. Other Financial Partners

Final Thoughts

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a Voyager mile worth?

Can you earn Voyager miles on Emirates?

How do SAA Voyager Miles work?

Do SAA Voyager miles expire?

What can I use my Voyager miles for?

Which credit cards earn South African Airways Voyager miles?

How do I transfer South African Airways Voyager miles to a spouse?

When do South African Airways Voyager miles post in your account?

Are South African Airways Voyager miles refundable?

About Stephen Au