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2019-03-12: Kulula has grounded their Boeing 737 MAX8 fleet following an Ethiopian Airlines crash earlier this week involving the same model. This follows a worldwide trend. While no cause has been established for the fatal crash of the Ethiopian Airways flight, airlines are taking preventative measures as this is the second crash involing Boeing's new model in under 6 months. It seems that Comair is currently only in posession of one of the 8 aircraft ordered from Boeing.
2017-08-02: Kulula has changed their check-in times on all domestic flights to 45 minutes prior to departure. Customers are advised to make use of online check-in and bag drop facilities to speed up the process.
2017-06-12: Kulula has changed their infant policy, and those under the age of 2 years (at the time of travel), will no longer pay a flat fee but rather exactly 15% of the adult price. This means that minor pricing will also be subject to peak season price increases. This became effective on the 29th of May 2017.

Kulula and Etihad Codeshare

2016-10-05: Kulula has signed a codeshare agreement with Etihad, allowing the Middle Eastern carrier to offer flights to and from a number of key cities in South Africa. All Etihad airways flights from the 30th of October 2016 can now connect from Johannebsurg to Cape Town, Durban, George and East London. This allows guests to through-check-in and baggage transfer to their final destination. Etihad will also place their EY code on these kulula flights from Johannesburg.

Erik Venter, Chief Executive Officer of kulula’s parent company, Comair said, “We are delighted to be adding Etihad Airways to our growing list of strategic airline partnerships and are excited about exploring additional opportunities to expand on the relationship. We look forward to welcoming Etihad Airways’ customers on board our flights.”

Earning Avios points with Kulula

2016-02-17: Kulula has partnered with the global rewards programme Avios, which will see every Kulula passenger signed up to Avios earning 3 points for every R10 spent on Kulula. Passengers need to create a kulula ID and insert their Avios membership number in order to earn Avios points. Once kulula has validated the number, they can start earning points. The ability to spend Avios points with kulula will be added at a later stage.

Kulula Avios Partnership

2016-02-17: Kulula has partnered with the global rewards programme Avios, which will see every Kulula passenger signed up to Avios earning 3 points for every R10 spent on Kulula. Passengers need to create a kulula ID and insert their Avios membership number in order to earn Avios points. Once kulula has validated the number, they can start earning points. The ability to spend Avios points with kulula will be added at a later stage.

Kulula Hahn Air Deal

2015-08-28: Kulula has signed an interline agreement with German Hahn Air allowing agents from around the world to book Kulula domestic flights. Hahn Air airlines can be booked on Amadeus, Galileo and Sabre. This means that international travellers can now arrange their internal flights to George, Lanseria, Durban, East London and Cape Town through their local travel agents.

Kulula Upgrades Fleet

2015-07-31: Kulula will soon be the South African Airline with the youngest fleet! Already ordered in 2009, Kulula will take delivery of six next generation Boeing 737-800’s, from the 10th of August 2015 until October 2015. The new planes are among the most efficient airplanes available and will save the airline an average of 18% usage per seat. ERik Venter said, "Our decision to purchase these highly fuel efficient aircraft is a significant component in managing our exposure to the volatile fuel price." The new planes will also be fitted with the latest technology to reduce a further 1,2% fuel consumption and improve passenger comfort. “This is testament to kulula's long-term objective of investing in future technology to maintain the highest standards of safety and ensure continuous sustainability” Venter said. This makes Kulula the most green airline inside and out!

Emergency Exit Seats Pre-bookable at Extra Cost

2015-06-01: Kulula passengers now have the option of pre-booking emergency exit row seats at a small extra cost. Passengers who pre-book these seats will have to check in at the airport, online check in is not available for these seats. Customers can book these seats online, via the call centre or at Kulula's sales desk at the airport.

Kulula Pets Lounge

2015-04-20: Kulula has announced that they will no longer allow pets to be checked in at their check in counters from the 4th of May 2015. Comair has built a new "pet lounge" at Cape Town International and OR Tambo International where pets flying on British Airways Domestic (Operated by Comair) and Kulula Airline will be accepted and checked in. Please call 0800 22 1139 or email animals@bidaircargo.com to make arrangements for pet transportation.

Competition

2015-03-02: Want to win a nifty luggage scale with Kulula? With ACSA cracking down on hand-luggage, making sure you stay under 7 kg has never been more important. So stand a chance to win one of five luggage scales by simply entering on their Facebook page. All you have to do is navigate to the competitions page and indicate which of the options are acceptable as hand-luggage (super easy). It is as simple as that!

Comair financial report

2015-02-17: Comair's latest financial report shows that revenue has grown by 5% thanks to a 3% increase in average yield and a 2% increase in passengers over the last six months ending the 31st of December 2015. Comair is in the process of upgrading their fleet of Boeing 737-300 aircraft to the more efficient 737-800 and 737-400, which they believe will help curb the effect of increasing fuel prices which they anticipate later this week. They have pointed out that their catering and lounges as areas for improvement.

No In-Flight WIFI for Kulula

2015-02-03. Kulula has said that they will not be following Mango by installing in-flight Wi-Fi on their planes. Kulula describes itself as a no-frills low cost carrier which is why they aren't planning to install the technology. The high costs of buying and installing would have a direct influence on ticket prices. The airline has however said that they will consider installing Wi-Fi on their fleet if the price of the technology comes down.

Check an extra bag

2015-01-28. Own a Kulula credit card? No need to edit your packing list for your next trip as Kulula are offering you an extra checked bag of 20 kg for free. Just make sure your next flight departs before 12 April 2015.

Kulula Safest Low Cost Carrier in the World

2015-01-07. Kulula has been recognized as one of the safest low cost airlines in the world. Airline rating website, AirlinesRating.com, has named Kululu as one of the Top 10 safest low cost carriers in the world. The airline passed all of the Air Transport Association Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) audits which according to the ISOA many other airlines failed, thats why they did so well on the AirlinesRating.com list. The safest airline in the world is Australian airline Qantas.

Kulula Recognised as Best Low Cost Airline

2014-12-03. Congratulations are in order as Kulula has just been recognised as the 'Best Low Cost Airline' at the Airline Excellence Awards hosted by AirlineRatings.com! They took the top spot at the international awards due to their unique combination of airline safety, technology and good sense of humour. It is good to know that our low cost options are in line with international offerings.

Kulula Online Check-In Campaign

2014-11-19. Kulula are currently running a campaign through which they are encouraging clients to check-in online during this holiday season. Checking in online will considerably reduce your travel time as you can skip the long queue. They are also running the campagin with zef Rapper, Jack Parow. Listen to Jack Parow and Kulula and check yourself in online, you can thank them later.

Kulula signs Codesharing Agreement with Air France

2014-10-02. Kulula and Air France have signed a codesharing agreement. The agreement will see Air France adding its code to Kulula’s domestic routes, this will allow customers to connect to and from Durban, Cape Town, East London and George by booking a single Air France ticket. Premium Air France clients will be able to get access to Slow lounges at domestic terminals in OR Tambo, Cape Town International and King Shaka International in the near future. Watch this space for more information regarding this exciting new venture between Air France and Kulula!

Kulula breaks the news on twitter:

Breaking the news on Facebook:

Kulula's new Cover Picture on Facebook:

Kulula Comes to the Help of Children in Need

2014-08-07. The Children’s Hospital Trust and Kulula have teamed up for a great cause. Kulula will start flying children who are in critical need of medical attention to the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s from all corners of South Africa. Eve Liebetrau from Kulula said that they will be flying children as well as their parents who cannot afford the flights to the Cape Town hospital for medical treatment free of charge. They will also fly specialist doctors across South Africa to locations where they are desperately needed. Kulula has pledged R1 million to the Children’s trust through the value of air tickets and a money donation that will be used to pay for the accommodation of parents who will be travelling with their children. Louise Driver from the Children’s Trust has thanked Kulula for their contribution which will go a long way in making the lives of sick children and their parents easier. Well done to Kulula on this massive contribution. Stories like these make us proud to be South African!

Kulula Makes Headlines on Roads

2014-01-26. Kulula transported an old Boeing 737-300 to their operations building which will be used in training their cabin crew. The airline was allowed to close down the R21 in Johannesburg for 4 hours to move the aircraft to the new location.

Khuluma In-flight Magazine

2019-02-06. New Year, new you? Wrenelle Stander shares some inspiration for the coming year. "As June Jordan wrote in her seminal 'Poem for South African Women', presented to the UN in 1978: 'We are the ones we have been waiting for," she said. So don't let anything hold you back this year and have a wonderful 2020!
2019-12-12. In the final edition of Khuluma for 2019, newly appointed CEO Wrenelle Stander gets philosophical. "A quote by Steven Erikson from his book Midnight Tides captured my attention. It reads, 'stones make no splash on a frozen lake.' This could mean that change can only take place when people are open and ready for something new," she said. Does this mean that Kulula is in for some major changes in 2020?
2019-11-12. Comair Joint Chief Executive Wrenelle Stander shares some wise words in the latest edition of the Khuluma. The Chinese proverb "The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it," as shared by Wrenelle, serves as a dose of inspiration for the last stretch of the year.
2019-09-03. In the latest issue of Khuluma Joint Chief Executive Wrenelle Stander shared some positive stories that have recently made the news. This inspired her to live life a little differently. "And I was reminded of a quote by Kerli, a fabulous Estonian singer-songwriter: "Your life is your canvas, and you are the masterpiece. There are a million ways to be kind, amazing, fabulous, creative, bolf, and interesting," she said.
2019-06-03. Comedian Lindy Johnson graces the cover of the June issue of Khuluma and offers some good advice for anyone who has ever not reached the their career goals the first time around. "I was a bit bleak that I didn't win, but then I remembered that Beyonce came second in her first talent competition and that sorted my head out," she said. That is some great advise to help keep you going if at first you don't succeed!
2019-05-06. In the May issue of Khuluma cover star Robby Collins talks us through his path to stand-up comedy. "I grew up in Durban where my career was determined by a lucky break at school. Because - you know? -there's always that one teacher who really gets you," he said. Surprisingly his big break was actually leaving school to persue his dream. Proof that anything is possible if you hustle and work hard.
2019-04-03. In the April issue of Khuluma Wrenelle Stander shares her obsession with elephants and what we can learn from nature. "Long-term vision, teamword, and the ability to collaborate within a wider network... These are just a few simple lessons from nature that - like elephants - you should never forget," she said.
2019-03-04. In the latest edition of Khuluma, Comair Executive Director Wrenelle Stander shares some valuable advise for young businesses and individuals. "Hope is the ability to hear the music of the future. Faith is the courage to dance to it today," she said. Grab the magazine in front of you to learn more about the one thing that Amazon, Google and SpaceX has in common.
2019-02-04. South African singer and comedian Tracey-Lee Oliver shares the perfect way to bond with your seat neighbour in this edition of Khuluma. [J]ust give this one basic vocal exercise a bash: Try singing 'Zoo-hoo-la-ha-raaaaahhhh' while doing a piano scale. Go ahead and give it a bash right now... I'm sure the person seated next to you won't mind at all. Maybe you can do it together, or try getting everyone on this plane to sing in harmony," said Tracey-Lee. What could be more proudly South African than a whole airplane singing together?
2018-12-03. It is the festive edition of Khuluma mag with comedian Barry White on the cover. Instead of sharing the usual joke, we thought we'd quote from Comair CEO Erik Venter's relevant piece on over-eating. "No need to wait for a global pandemic, nuclear holocaust or famine - you might just ear yourself into oblivion," he said. Wise word to bear in mind as you go to for a second helping of trifle this festive season.
2018-11-05. Irit Noble shares some insight in this month's Khuluma on how to win the battle against your negative thoughts. "I realised, when I don't think about all this stuff all of the time, I feel a lot better," she said. Wise advise from a woman who says she lost her mind. Read all about her story in the latest Khuluma found in the pocket on the back of your seat.
2018-10-01. Whilst this month's Khuluma magazine theme seems to have something to do with being lost, actor-comedian Daniel Mpilo Richards shares some valuable life advice perfectly geared towards all Matrics as they finish their school career. "[A]s much as life's a mystery in which we sometimes get lost or take a few detours, it usually turns out alright in the end," Richards said. Might we add that if it is not alright, it is not the end!
2018-09-08. They usually say radio faces aren't made for TV, but social entrepreneur Danito Acquisto is proving all those naysayers wrong. He also has some great advise for the younger generation facing career choices. "I think that very often what is holding people back is that they haven't given themselves permission to go out there and do what they need to do - whether it's to be themselves or make a difference in the world," Danito said. Read more about his unique journey to fame in the September issue of Khuluma.
2018-08-02. This month's Khuluma cover star is South Africa's beloved Chester Missing, oh and his ventriloquist friend Conrad Koch. Conrad took the opportunity to share some insight into South Africans. "But, as far as I am concerned, we are all freaks aspiring to a 'normal' that doesn't really exist." Don't be surprised if you see your fellow passengers reflecting on this in silence for the rest of the flight!
2018-07-02. South African cartoonist Jonathan Zapiro is the cover star of July's edition of Khuluma, which has been dubbed the Zen-edition. Comair CEO Erik Venter shares some wisdom on the subject: "Unfortunately, human nature is not very compatible with Zen, at least not until we get close to shuffling off this mortal coil and suuddenly realise what is really important, by which time we have wasted our lives pursuing all the things old people kept telling us not to."
2018-06-04. In this month's Khuluma, Erik Venter shared his thoughts on curiosity and invention. "So, while necessity is deemed to be the mother of invention, curiosity certainly qualifies as the proverbial wicked stepmother," he said.
2018-05-04. In the latest issue of Khuluma Comair CEO, Erik Venter, shares his thoughts on what makes a real feast. "It is only a feast if you have to change your clothes after you've eaten, wash the table and pasteurise your face. It is a feast when a serviette simply will not do the job (even though you have mastered the knife and fork), you have to undo the button on your pants, and even rge dog is too ovese to get up for walkies," he said. All this food talk has us thinking about a snack and speaking of snacks, head to the Kulula Flights page for all the snacks on offer Kulula flights this month.
2018-04-04. In Khuluma's latest edition CEO Erik Venter shares a glimpse into Kulula's side gig. "[We'll] soon be the largest aviation crew training facility in Africa. Our 32 international airline clients will attest to the fact that commercialisation of innovation is still quite possible in Africa," he said. So if you want to play flight simulator, you know exactly where to go.
2018-03-05. In Khuluma's Green issue CEO Erik Venter contemplates the problems on SA's roads. "While the ability to entirely bypass the K53 licensing system explains much of the incapacitated barbarian berserker mentality, it has also produced some efficient solutions to infrastructure development. My two-lane route to work now has four lanes, with a high-speed mud-and-grass lane on the left abd supersonic gravel lane on the right - all at no cost the municipality," he said. I guess we should be happy there are no short-cuts for pilots!
2018-02-01. Whilst America's Dreamers might be a hot topic right now, Kulula is sure putting a fresh spin on the term in their latest edition of Khuluma. Local performer Senliso "Sne" Daldla mentions that he now only has one dream, "I do have one dream for the future that I cling to, though. If tomorrow can be a place where we can just all finally see one another as people, what a wonderful world that would be." We couldn't agree more!
2018-01-02. South African comedian Alam Committie stars on this month's khuluma cover. And if you're thinking: Another comedian on the cover? Am I having de ja vu? The answer is yes, this is the De Ja Vu edition! But talking about how the brain works, Alan shares some insight that we can't help agree with. "It's great, because it reminds us that as brilliant and as magnificent as our computerised brains are, they can also stuff up and require rebooting once in a while. The best place to do this is on an island with a warm beach, where the sunshine and heat and sounds of the ocean push you into a waking dream and you trip out of reality for a while..." Can you say pina colada?
2017-12-01. Covering the latest edition of Khuluma, comedian Auntie Merle (or should we say Marc Lottering?) shares her tips for saving water during Cape Town's sever drought. "Our big thing is the shower. Because we are four people at home, we now shower very sparingly. No more than two minutes per person. No matter which bathroom we use," she shared. She also shared that she hasn't reported her neighbour whose car is always shining - good thing too, as for all she knows it could be a waterless car wash (very handy until the rain returns!).
2017-11-01. This month Khuluma is getting playful, with cover star Krijay Govender sharing her sentiments on playtime for adults. "I don't think any of this is about discovering an inner child. I think it's just a decision we need to make, that adulthood might involve growing up, but needn't necessarily be so serious," she said. So time to find your hobby!
2017-09-01. The first of September marks the start of spring. Ever the pessimist, kulula CEO Erik Venter says "[H]ave a funtabulously gloriforous kululatastic day!" This off course after ranting about the negative effect of the mere 30% pass-mark. Luckily the bright Zoe Brown lights up the cover!
2017-08-02. This August Khuluma celebrates Kulula's 16th birthday with South African export Trevor Noah on the cover and Comair CEO Erik Venter explaining why star signs are irrelevant. "Only one small problem, though. The sun is constantly moving relative to the earth and the rest of the universe, so if you are born between 19 April and 20 May today, you are far from the constellation of Taurus," he pointed out. Perhaps that is why Khuluma is lacking the monthly horoscope?
2017-07-03. The July issue of Khuluma is dedicated to legends, which might leave some baffled as to why Rob van Vuuren made the cover. Besides their choice of model they managed to deliver a few strong jokes, the best of which came from Comair CEO Erik Venter, "And if your kulula meaty roll looks like chicken, tastes like chicken and feels like chicken, but Chuck Norris says it is beef, then it's beef. Few can dispute the versimilitude of Chuck Norris - but, even if you could, you would not dare. After all, he didn't just study latin, he invented it."
2017-06-02. The June issue of Khuluma is all about Exploring the unknown and features comedian Nik Rabinowitz on the cover. He shared some wise words on what it means to be an explorer: "I guess that's part of what it means to be an explorer: testing our limits, and going beyond our own boundaries. In the process, hopefully we discover who we are.
2017-05-03. The May issue of Khuluma is all about cosying up to your neighbours and features guest editor Shimmy peeking through the blinds. She shared some wise words with regards to the people that live next to you. "Like I said: don't be scared when your neighbours come looking to borrow a bit of sugar - or sit down for idle conversation. Now more than ever, we South Africans should be finding reasons to extend the hand of friendship." Maybe it is time to strike up a conversation with your seat neighbour?
2017-04-06. It is April, which means we're all celebrating our freedoms and Comair ceo Erik Venter is no different. "Of course, we still have a couple of 'minor'challenges in good old Mzanzi like the odd criminal or two. But it is not surprising that tourists to South Africa are still often jealous of our freedoms and all the tales of adventure that we have to tell,"he said. The 27th of April marks Freedom Day, be sure to celebrate by doing something rebellious like booking a spur-of-the-moment trip!
2017-03-01. kulula's CEO Erik Venter reflects on fairytales in this months Khuluma, noting that modern fairy tales likely won't be turned into childhood favourites. "But do not fear: Cleis Press has released several new fairytale anthologies, including Fairytale Lust, Lustfully Ever After, and a Princess Bound. None of them will be released by Disney any time soon, I imagine." This is just a taste of how entertaining the Khuluma can be.
2017-02-01. kulula's CEO Erik Venter reflects on a recent local holiday, saying, "[It] makes me question to what extent the appeal of overseas travel arises from simply escaping the daily national babble back home, whether you are a South African, or coming to South Africa from some other paradise with its own political crises."
2017-02-01. kulula's CEO Erik Venter reflects on a recent local holiday, saying, "[It] makes me question to what extent the appeal of overseas travel arises from simply escaping the daily national babble back home, whether you are a South African, or coming to South Africa from some other paradise with its own political crises."
2017-01-04. "I hope this [it] will give you some distraction from the things we've all noticed on domestic flights. Like the guy who doesn't respect armrest border laws. Or that tall, overeager person at a window seat who feels the need to stand up before anyone else disembarks, but then ends up awkwardly hunched under the hand-luggage compartment for 10 minutes, looking like an alpaca chilling under a coffee table," Phil de Lande. An up-and-coming comedian, Phill challenges you to find a person that does exactly that and keep your laughs to yourself.
2016-12-02. "What a year its been! [...] Now it is time to save our sanity. You can finally ditch your heels for flip-flops, pin stripes for polka dots and sensible hair for crazy highlights. Okay the rand has a bit of babalas, but it has plenty of fight left," Tumi Morake. Tumi is a South African comedian and perhaps most notably,a second-time Khuluma cover star! We love her quips about what makes South Africa and South Africans great - and like freshly baked goods!
2016-10-03. "I hope that your in-flight entertainment will keep you happily occupied as you travel across our great lands to find whatever it is that you are looking for. I know that I would travel great distances for things such as revenge or whisky, but hey, we all have our journeys to follow, and on your journey I'd like you to be as happy as can be," said comedian cover-star Devin. However hard it is to take him serious in that onesie, he does have some wise words to share with travellers. Just maybe don't follow his lead when sharing a cabin with a baby!
2016-09-01. "The theme is 'Peace and Love'- and it is here to save 2016. Now stop what you are doing, take a deep breath, hold it in for four seconds and breathe out for five. Feel better and more relaxed? You're welcome," said Donovan David Goliath whilst discussing the troubles that have plagued everyone this year. Why not spread some love and peace with a big smile, just head Donovans advice and don't do it for too long.
2016-07-11. "Having the best climate in the world, we are a little unprepared and thin-skinned for what we call winter, but which many other countries would gladly accept as summer," said kulula ceo Erik Venter. This makes winter the perfect time of the year to explore our own country, as the summer crowds haven't emerged yet and travel costs are generally cheaper.
2016-06-01. Khuluma's June guest-editor, comediene Mojak Lehoko, delivers a powerful message to all South Africans during Youth month. "What I am trying to say is that we don't need superheroes, but rather more people that are willing to do good. Napoleon Hill put it pretty well: 'If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way." This is a great message for our country, where people often don't realise their ability to bring about a positive change. Imagine the youth of 1976 didn't think they could make a difference.
2016-05-09. Comair CEO Erik Venter clearly is not in favour of the ever popular selfie, pointing out the obvious dangers involved: "Tourists have also fallen off monuments when backing up to take the perfect selfie." I wonder if he feels differently about kulula plane selfies?
2016-04-01. Comedian Jason Goliath appears on the latest cover of the latest Khuluma, which also happens to released on the 1st of April. Coincidence? We think not! As this is Khuluma's space issue, Jason explains his views on the vast nothingness: , " This month's theme is "Space," which to me represents the vastly unknown, but also the wonderful thought of endless possibility." We wonder if kulula is considering branching out to space travel in the near future?

2016-03-04. Comedian Yaaseen Cred's appears on the latest cover of Khuluma, which also happens to be the Easter month. He makes some apt jokes about our government's love for public holidays and how to maximise them, " And as a nation, we're planning on going into "holiday season", where if you planned your off days properly, you can get 20 days of leave. This is a true example of the new South Africa; maximising our time off." He finishes by reminding us that unlike the rest of the world, seeing a Muslim on the cover of an airline magazine doesn't scare us. We have so much to celebrate on Human Rights day!

2016-02-08. Guest editor and South African comedian Thenjiwe Moseley offers some sound advice for travellers active on social media: "I can also tell you which houses are empty, just in case you would like to go and break in. Some people are so excited to tell us they're going to New York for two weeks that they forget they are also informing us that their homes will be empty." So next time, you might want to keep some of your excitement to yourself and only share the drool-worthy pictures after you're back to safeguard your home.

2016-01-08. Guest editor and jack-of-all-trades Glen Biderman-Pam expresses his hope to entertain you whilst you're off for a bonus holiday or returning to reality in the latest Khuluma mag. If the name doesn't ring a bell, don't worry: "I haven't heard of you either," he laments. So enjoy your flight and continue reading for your delight.

2015-12-04. Guest editor Nataniël offers some tips not only on how to survive this holiday season, but how to truly experience it. "Silence. Every day, every person needs a few minutes of complete silence. The puzzle between your ears needs to become complete again, this can only happen with complete silence. Sleep. It is affordable, it is available, just find the time. Eat. The right way. You need to sit down, breathe, smell, look and taste. Your body needs to go into a healing mode in order to be healthy." He adds that distancing yourself from your communication devices can also help you to rest and relax.
2015-11-03. "Humankind has developed a severe obsessive-compulsive attachment to the cellphone under any circumstances, whether in a rest-room cubicle, riding a bicycle, or chasing a bison," says kulula CEO Erik Venter. He might have added that is what makes flying the perfect mode of travel - you can play games on your phone and take a gazillion selfies without ever receiving a pesky work email or call from your mom! There is no need to pay attention to the road, or the airways in this matter, and there is no internet access. Bliss!
2015-10-01. "Don't forget to take your aeroplane selfie! The FOMO (fear of missing out-for those who still don't know, sigh) factor is off the scales for your friends when you get to fly to a new destination. Safe travels!" said Liezel van der Westhuizen, all-around bad ass (with a long list of creds) and guest editor of Khuluma's Rocktober issue.
2015-09-01. "Cave paintings show that our ancestors hunted mammoths, but we can’t tell whether the stick figures lying down are mammoth roadkill or if they are just rolling around in hysterics because Ug fell off a cliff," said Erik Venter, CEO of Kulula airlines. This month's Khuluma issue is dedicated to Heritage month.
2015-08-12. "You don't have to try be black in order not to be racist. In fact, it is a little condescending. Just be a good person, and you can bypass all the racism, genderism, social faux pas and so forth, by just not being a knob," said Nina Hastie. Nina is a successful South African comedian who has performed at several well-known comedy festivals like the Nando's Comedy Festival and the Soweto Comedy Festival. She also happens to be female.
2015-06-07. "So you should feel good right now, travelling at 850 km/h with no speed bumps, no pedestrians and no need to strap your chicken to a moped," said Erik Venter, CEO of Kulula Airlines. See what Erik is on about and why you would possibly want to strap your family pet/lunch to a motorcycle in the July 2015 issue of Khuluma.
2015-05-06. "Most of our comics are young, some of the fans are even younger, but laughter has become one the most sought-after and thriving entertainment genres in South Africa today - for all ages,"said Joe Parker, a legend of South Africa's comedy industry. He goes on to say how brave and free South African comedians are. If you want to read more about what Joe and Erik have to say make sure you get your hands on the June 2015 issue.
2015-05-05. "Two of our worst afflictions are the tendency to worry about things over which we have no control, and the belief that the grass is always greener on the other side, when in actal fact it is only greener on Kulula," said Eric Venter, CEO of Comair. "So unless you have a ubiquitous cure for politicans, or you're generating a few spare megawatts in your backyard, relax and enjoy the grass." If you want to read more about what Erik thinks about excrement and statues you should get your hands on the May issue of Khuluma - preferably whilst enjoying the benefits of being where the grass is always green.
2015-04-08. "Now it may be a bit taboo to talk about the emergency seat in an airline magazine, but it is about time someone spoke out," said this month's guest editor David Kibuuka. "Firstly, there needs to be some sort of competency test beyond asking the person sitting in the seat if they're willing to help other passengers. Lots of people are willing, but are they able?" He goes on to say, "Then there needs to be a reward that's bigger than just extra legroom." Local comedian David is getting all serious in Kulula's April edition (yup, the one for Fools). You can read more about David's ramblings in Khuluma's April issue.
2015-03-10. "I was totally taken out of my comfort zone," said comedian Ndumiso. "Usually, I'm in my trademark hat, button-up shirt, jacket - you know like my Mamma dressed me for church - but these guys put me in tights and a lime-green vest." We just hope they don't strip you of your Sunday best, so best make sure you don't set off the metal detector or just skip straight ahead to the leggings and tights (we know you were going to anyway). You can read more about Ndumiso's experience as a Kulula editor in the March issue of Khuluma.
2015-02-02. "We don't love enough,"said Robben Warrenson, Joburg comedian. "...many of you are probably sitting there irritated with the way the guy next to you is breathing and wondering where the cabin attendants are with the beer," he continued. Maybe it is time we start appreciating each other a little more. You can find Robben waxing about how much he likes Valentine's Day in the February issue of Khuluma.
2014-12-05. "So, instead of the life jacket, rather demonstrate a bulletproof vest. 'Ladies and gents, in case of an armed robbery, put on this bulletproof vest with a built-in bulletproof bra..." household name Leon Schuster on things that would be more useful than a lifejacket on domestic flights over the Karoo. Remember to look out for the Italian Lifestyle logo which you'll find hidden in a Khuluma story. Visit their website at khulumaonline.co.za to get details to entry. Find more details in the December issue of Khuluma.
2014-11-04. "Right now, even if it's weird, lean over to the passenger on either side of you: introduce yourself and remark, 'how amazing is the moustache on this guy?' They will appreciate your honesty and become lifelong friends..." award-winning stand-up comedian, Dusty Rich's, advice on how to create a life-long friendship on your next short-haul Kulula flight. Also keep a look out for the competition on page 1 of the magazine. Find more details in the November issue of Khuluma.
2014-09-01. "As I once said to a blind couple who were fans. 'If you see me, wave to me. I'll wave back.' I klapped myself on the forehead afterwards." Casper de Vries, actor, comedian, entertainer, composer, director, producer, radio presenter and artist is the editor for the September issue of Khuluma. Also keep an eye out for the MyGarage logo hidden somewhere in the magazine and enter the competition for the chance to win a garage makeover. Find more details on page 1 of the September issue of Khuluma.
2014-08-01. "I had a great time in Cape Town with the photoshoots. The weather was cold but I was offered great tea and I quickly warmed up as I slipped into my lounge-singer character. Although you can't hear it through the cover, that's me singing kulula a very happy 13th birthday!" Celeste Ntuli, the Queen of Zulu Comedy, the Airwaves and Speed as the editor of Khuluma's August Issue.
2014-03-01. "Being the true accountant that I am, I have taken to using the back roads in order to dodge the evil toll gantries that now litter our Gauteng highways...except now I have closer contact with the lunatic fringe who could not get a licence to herd goats down a wadi - never mind drive a car...I prefer to fly. Just a pity we can't bulldoze a few buildings in Sandton to make place for a kulula runway." Erik Venter, Chief Executive of Comair, taking the lead in dishing out the humour in the February 2014 edition of Khuluma.
2014-02-01. "Music is a very personal taste, so I promise not to play mine on the PA system on any kulula flight - it wouldn't do justice to the artists!" Erik Venter, Chief Executive of Comair, taking the lead in dishing out the humour in the February 2014 edition of Khuluma
2012-01-01. Kulula's inflight magazine, Khuluma, will from now on be published by Picasso Headline (part of the Avusa Media Group). Previously it was published by Pixelink24, which is part of Media24.
2008-01-01. Review of the Kulula magazine - Comic Life.

Latest News

2014-09-11 Erik Venter, CEO of Comair, said that Kulula airlines won't be able to compete with new low-cost airlines entering the market as they already operate on a very small profit margin of about R51 per flight. Erik also stated that they will only be able to offer competitive airfares for a week or two around FlySafair's launch date, 16 October 2014. Unfortunately the revolution in airfares we were expecting looks like it might be short-lived.
2014-08-01 We can't believe that Kulula is celebrating 13 years in the airline industry this month! We'd like to congratulate the airline on their birthday and wish them many more to come. On the 13th of August 2014 in honour of their birthday they are offering you 13% off all flights with travel dates until next year on the 7th of July.
2014-04-10 Kulula joins forces with Kenya Airways. The 2 airlines have signed a codeshare whereby Kulula offers Kenya Airways flights between Johannesburg & Nairobi, on its booking engine (& Kenya Airways offers code MN flights).
2013-12-11 Message on Kulula's website to Madiba "Your compassion and forgiveness will be remembered forever. We will endeavour to keep your legacy alive in our daily actions. Thank you for all the lessons you have taught our nation."

2013-08-26 Amadeus & Kulula have renewed their agreement originally entered into on the 13th June 2012, allowing subscribers of Amadeus continued access to Kulula's airfares, schedules & service info. “Travel agencies remain a key sales channel for kulula It is critical that our travel agency partners have access to our fares and services. Amadeus is an important distribution channel for us, enabling true global coverage and reach. We are pleased to extend our agreement as we enhance our distribution relationship with Amadeus.” said Caomir's Mr Brian Kitchin.
2013-06-19 Kulula tops SAcsi Index : Kulula came top of the South African customer satisfaction index for commercial airlines, as measured in the first quarter of 2013. Kulula provided 5.7% more satisfaction than the industry average.
2013-06-19 No more Bank Deposits : Kulula stops accepting bank deposit payments or EFT, unless the EFT is made with a "Secure Instant Deposit"
10 May 2013. You can now secure your seat before your flight at a cost of R35, by taking advantage of Kulula's pre-paid seats (sadly, this does not include the emergency exit seats - for safety reasons these must be allocated at check-in).
8 Apr 2013. Kulula is colourful! It was voted by Skift as one of the top 20 most colourful airlines in the world.
Mar 2013. Kulula flights the new Europcar moving your way logo with the "e" on it, on the livery of its new Boeing 737-800

11 Mar 2013. SouthAfrica.TO design a new aircraft, claiming it is the Most South African Airways:

Kulula also do a redesign of their initial plane! Creating "A Very, Very South African Airways".

3 Mar 2013. In a cheeky advert in the Sunday Newspapers, Kulula claim to be the "Most South African Airways" - let's see what South African Airways have to say about this!

Kulula advert - Most South African Airways

29 Jan 2013. Kulula offers travel insurance covering personal accidents, flight delays, baggage loss and flight cancellation.

28 Nov 2012. Identifying the 100 most uniquely South African people, to pack together on a Kulula Most South African flight.

16 Oct 2012. Kulula has teamed up again with the Smile Foundation to sponsor 4 children to receive facial animation surgery to enable them to smile again (1 in every million suffer from facial paralysis). The marketing manager of Kulula, Nadine Damen, said: “We are delighted to be part of such a worthy initiative with The Smile Foundation for the second year running. These surgeries will literally give these children the chance to smile – a natural ability that most of us take for granted.”

8 Oct 2012. Kulula was the only South African airline competing at the international SimpliFlying Awards, and won 2nd place for Excellence in Social Media, behind American Airlines. “We are delighted with the result of 1st Runner Up in this global competition and so proud of our passionate team whose commitment to please clearly stood out.” said the Kulula's Marketing Manager, Nadine Damen.

25 Sep 2012. Air-to-air shoot of Kulula's new Boeing.

5 Jul 2012. Kulula's ridiculously posh new Boeing launch. I love the planned seating arrangement - Brett Murray seated next to Zuma's 1st wife!

22 Jul 2012. Kulula's iconic flying 101 plane spotted at Lanseria Airport.

Jul 2012. Here's a video of Kulula's newest plane being put together, several days work compressed into 2 minutes, from the parts being delivered by train to the aircraft pushing out of the hanger.

Jul 2012. Kulula launches a new-look website, with new functionality. The new system operates on a platform called "Sabre". Flight extras can be purchased online, for instance extra bags. With e-ticketing, passengers need only show their ID (or drivers licence/passport) at check-in to receive a boarding pass. A downside of the new system is the loss of the bargain browser, which used to allow customers to see the prices on a route on each day of the month. All Port Elizabeth Kulula flights are suspended until the end of July.

18 Jun 2012. Kulula Airline reveals its marketing secrets, in this interview with Heidi Brauer:

Heidi Brauer: I get to work with amazing people all day, who challenge the way we do things and who are incredibly creative and love to do things green.
Interviewer: Absolutely green! Well, right now we have got this plane in front of us, which is a phenomenon around the world, it's the flying 101 plane of Kulula. So, tell us the story behind that switch, I mean SimpliFlying.com went down when they posted this plane on our site.
Heidi Brauer: Well, as long as it was only the website that did that! So, each of our aircraft is decorated individually and our team, we've got our own team of people who design the aircraft exteriors, it's quite a talent cause you have to know where you can paint and where you can't and where you get wear and tear and so on. And it's quite a challenge cause our customers love to say: Oh I flew on flying 101, or I flew in camo plane or I flew in cow plane. And this one we've really, honestly, we've got a file like this of, we don't have enough aeroplanes for the amount of designs we have.
Interviewer: We should start selling them and count that as ancillary revenue.
HB: Ja, we should do that hey. Anything counts these days. So, this was one of our team members', one of our young designers, I mean it was just an incredible idea that we just knew everybody would love. And it was designed in-house and painted internationally, overseas, and was spotted by a plane spotter, who photographed it and I think that's why it got so much incredible coverage straight away, because it spread all over the world. It's been emulated, simulated, copied, in fact we've copied it. We've got a car called cruising 101, I'll have to show you a picture of that. We did a campaign to celebrate our tenth birthday, where we said that we were gonna fly to Mars, cause one of our pilots calculated that we've actually flown enough miles to fly to Mars and back, and we've got a spaceship called, um, about flying to Mars, so this has really had legs and wings.
Interviewer: Very nice. So this flying to Mars, was that an April Fools joke?
HB: No, no, it wasn't an April Fools joke.
I: But you do pull off some quirky campaigns, like "fourth wife flying free"?
HB: Yes, we do. We do quirky campaigns a lot. I think our ad agency and creative spend, they probably don't sleep too much. But, look, we don't do them for nonsense's sake, we try to do things that are relevant and meaningful, and when people see them they go: yeah, yeah, makes sense. It's not like: oh Kulula's doing another quirky campaign. So "fourth wife flies free" was something that in fact came up on Thursday as an idea, and was live on Friday.
I: That was last week.
HB: Yes, that was last week.
I: Brilliant. And, is that an incentive to get married four times?
HB: Well, if that's what floats your boat, then that's ok. But it was acknowledging our charismatic president, who was married for the fourth time, actually for the sixth time.
I: The sixth time?
HB: The sixth time, but his present fourth wife this weekend.
I: Wow, that's phenomenal. And then there were also a number of quirky campaigns, especially during the World Cup, you had this Fifa campaign running with the president's name on it, the Fifa president.
HB: We did. In fact, that was another one that just evolved and it wasn't a campaign. People have asked me, how did the campaign get born. It was a great story to tell, it is a great story to tell, because what happened was, we were taking a lot of flack in the airline industry in this country because people thought we were putting up prices unreasonably, so we put an ad out to say actually you can fly over the World Cup, but Fifa had put incredible restrictions where they said, you can't say "soccer", and you can't say "soccer balls" and you can't say "World Cup 2010" and you can't say anything, so, our ad, our creative, was all about pricing and affordability, but it did push the boundaries of what was legal. And we did consult, so we weren't trying to be disobedient. We did push the boundaries a little bit, and no sooner had the campaign aired, well in fact, it was one ad, that we heard very quickly from Fifa's lawyers, who said: You will not. So we pulled that ad. But then we made another one. And soon, the global media just latched on. And the local media. Because South Africans at the time were just up to here with being told what to do by Fifa.
I: Right.
HB: Cause it was supposed to be a celebration, and it wasn't feeling very celebratory.
I: So again, just a recon, anyone with the same name as the president of Fifa would have flown free, is that right?
HB: so, in fact, that was probably the third or fourth little bit in this campaign that wasn't a campaign. What we did was we said, if your names Sepp Blatter we will fly you for free. And that ad was once in the Sunday papers and wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles, a dog contacted us, well actually his master did, and said well my dog's called Sepp Blatter, so will you fly him for free? So, we keep our promises.
I: So did the master pay and the dog flew free?
HB: Well, the dog got to fly around, and we did take his master with him, as well.
I: Ok, that's a fair deal. Now, it seems like it's a factory of creative ideas. There's an email that I keep receiving, once every couple of months, which has a list of inflight announcements by Kulula: Oh Sorry for the delay, you have now landed in Zimbabwe, or something like that. How is this built in with the culture?
HB: Well, you know, it's incredible. That email, I get it too, every couple of months, and people say: incredible viral marketing, but I think that one was a real virus cause it started out all by itself, and I think some people add to it, cause some of them really are our own onboard announcements and some I think are additions and amendments that have made their way around the world.
I: You can start using them perhaps.
HB: Ja, I think that we definitely can do that. Look, when Kulula began, it really was the whole initiation of low fares actually and we had to break through the clutter of the old fashioned of when you fly you need gloves and a hat and that it's a whole, sort of, classy not-for-everybody kind of thing. And humour was used to do that, so the humour has been part of Kulula's DNA from the very beginning. So it's not something put on, or something unnatural. People say: do you hire your cabin crew for their sense of humour? Well, we don't, we hire them as safety officers first and foremost, but it does help if they have a personality and a sense of humour. And we don't legislate what they have to say, safety announcements first, with a Kulula twist.
I: I wanna learn how it's different with other airlines, for example, to be specific: the dancing flight attendants, on Lady Gaga, actually that was a graduation ceremony dance, so all the flight attendants put that together and then it went viral. At South West, flight attendants are regularly encouraged to add some personal touches and humour to it. Is that a practice, or does that just come naturally?
HB: Ah no, it's definitely a practice and they are encouraged and taught and mentored how to do it, and you know, we have an incredible culture in this country of laughing at ourselves and with ourselves, and we've got eleven official languages, and we really are the rainbow nation, so that's great material to work with. And sometimes we tiptoe on cultural sensitivities a little bit and we have to pull back and every now and then we annoy somebody, but it's always in good spirit and good humour, and it's just the Kulula way. And what's interesting is how we've had to up our level of sophistication with our humour, cause when we began we really were cheap and cheerful and more comic kind of humour, but more than half our customers now are business people, and they're flying frequently.
I: More than 50% are business customers? Flying for business?
HB: Yes.
I: Not necessarily a business class product though.
HB: Yes, absolutely.
I: Wow, that's a perfect hybrid airline in that emergent sense.
HB: In seeking a definition, yes, that'll do.
I: Right, now, you're big on Facebook and Twitter as well, more than 20 000 fans on Facebook I think it was, over 10 000 followers on Twitter. How do you see this Kulula brand translating online?
HB: Well, you know, our team believes, that there are many media, and we don't see social media as a separate thing, so when we talk about a campaign, for example, our "fourth wife flies free" campaign, we immediately consider all our channels and pick the ones that are the most appropriate. So, we don't have some social media person sitting in a little room, somewhere sitting by herself, or himself. So, we really believe in integrated communications and we just live and breathe that and I think that's, if you're honest and if you're genuine, if you talk media you do it in a thoroughly integrated way, and your agency can do that, then you've got the best chance of success.
I: So then is social media in house in the company, or is that an agency handling that?
HB: It's in house, in the company.
I: And I'm guessing it's a divided role, that multiple people are handling.
HB: Um, yes, because you know what happened, when we started, it was a marketing kind of function and you know what happens it becomes a channel for customers, a service channel for customers, so it divided and it does live in between marketing and customer experience now.
I: Well, there's always this talk, especially at conferences about ROI and return on investment for quirky marketing especially. Which have been the most successful campaigns for you in terms of ROI?
HB: Well, you know, it's always tough, I think the tendency with social media and social media marketing or new marketing, is that it's demonstrable in terms of hits and links and so on, easy to measure ROI. But the truth is, ring fencing where the source of your information came from when you made a booking or ring fencing brand building initiatives and seeing what the ROI or the return on marketing investment is, is really tough, because brand building happens over time and over years, and people develop an affinity which will put you in the competitive set when they come to make a choice, will make them more or less sensitive to pricing when they are making a choice, will make them tolerate or not tolerate poor experience or a service disruption or whatever it might be. So being able to say, people booked with me because they saw my billboard is not a really mature….

23 Jun 2012. Kulula implements its Sabre Airline Solutions. Amongst the changes are:

Multicity bookings can be done in the same transaction

A new notification system which will "ensure we deliver up to date info as it happens via SMS"

"Traveller details must be the same as on the traveller identification, as no name changes can be made at a later stage"

"Flights will only be confirmed, once payment has gone through, so the first to pay will be the first to fly"

"You’ll be able to make one online change. For a small fee, further changes can be made through our Contact Centre on 0861 KULULA (585852)"

1 Apr 2012. In what is becoming annual bit of Kulula fun, it is announced on April Fools Day that Kulula water landings will be taking place at the Hartbeespoort Dam in order to keep costs down.

Feb 2012. For R26/traveller/flight you can now purchase Kulula travel insurance, which covers:

Flight cancellation (in the event of medical or other specified conditions) up to the total original flight cost

Baggage up to R10 000 (plus valuables up to R2 500)

Baggage delay R500 per 3hr delay up to R3 000

Flight delay R500 per 3 hour delay

Personal accident R25 000

16 Dec 2011. The first ever flash mob on a Kulula flight, as dances promoting 8ta (a Telkom cellphone subsidiary) get out of their seats and dance in the aisles. The Marketing Executive of 8.ta., Stephen Blewett, said that “We’ve decided to engage with the public in this manner to highlight the fact that December is playtime for South Africans as we all embark on our holidays, mostly to various coastal destinations. Having fun is part and parcel of the 8.ta brand and we are celebrating summer.”

Nov 2011. Kulula changes its baggage allowance policy to a piece system, where only 1 piece of luggage weighing up to 20kg is allowed to be checked in, for one person. Anything above that is charged for.

29 Jun 2011. Kulula launches Daddy's Deals to its jetsetters, an newsletter which will provide discount offers to subscribers (such as restaurant & spa discounts, the type of thing which Zappon & Groupon are running with).

27 Feb 2011. Kulula pilot, Captain Margaret Viljoen, was temporarily blinded by a laser pointed from the ground, whilst landing flight MN455 from Cape Town at Lanseria Airport, and had to look away from the ground and rely on instruments to land the aircraft.

13 Feb 2011. Kulula.com offer cows for Kate and William for lobola.

2008-06-03: Review of the June edition of Kulula Comic Life
19 Dec 2010	Closing date of the Kulula Sky Poster competition on Facebook.
10 Sep 2010	Cheapest daily prices for Kulula Airline in November 2010, R299 for Cape Town to Port Elizabeth or Durban to Port Elizabeth flights.
21 Jun 2010	Sepp, a Boston Terrier, receives free flights around South Africa on Kulula planes, following an offer to fly the Fifa President (the dog's owners said the offer didn't specify which Sepp the ad referred to, so they changed their dog's name to Sepp).
8 Apr 2010	Satish Makan has his complaint upheld by the ASA Directorate, that Kulula's adverts do not state that the prices are for 1-way trips.
Sep 2009	The Kulula connect radio campaign wins a Bronze Loerie awards.
Aug 2009	In the Sunday Times Top Brands survey, Kulula comes 2nd behind BA Comair.
Jun 2009	Kulula get into the spirit of the Confederations Cup football, by painting the nose-cones of their planes to resemble footballs.
21 May 2009	Flight Centre outlets stop selling Kulula flights, after they could not agree a suitable remuneration model with Kulula.
May 2009	Heidi Brauer is appointed executive manager of group marketing for Kulula. She was previously deputy CEO of Markinor.
6 May 2009	Kulula reduces its free checked luggage allowance from 23kg to 20kg.
8 Apr 2009	Kulula introduces a fee of R50 per trip for infants and allows 1 free checked bag weighing up to 10kg plus a collapsible pushchair and a child car seat, tickets purchased for infants prior to 08 April 2009 were not subject to this fee and also not entitled to 10kg free baggage allowance.
Dec 2008	At the Feather Awards, Kulula is voted best low cost carrier at the Port Elizabeth and George airports.
Nov 2008	A Creative Circle Award is given in recognition of Kulula's radio campaign.
28 Oct 2008	Kulula increase the frequency of their Johannesburg Lanseria - Cape Town (from 1 to 5 on Sundays, from 3 to 6 on weekdays) and Johannesburg Lanseria - Durban (to 2 daily, except Saturdays) flights. At the same time Johannesburg Lanseria - Port Elizabeth flights are being scrapped.
2 Oct 2008	Kulula Connect launches an online shop (powered by Altech Autopage Cellular) where you can browse, build and buy a cellphone package with any of Cell C, Vodacom or MTN.
2 Sep 2008	Kulula redesigns its website, seperating it into Kulula Air, Kulula Travel, Kulula Connect & Kulula Card.
27 Aug 2008	Kulula launches 3 sub brands - Kulula Air (flight, car, hotel and taxi bookings), Kulula Travel (online travel site for booking package holidays) & Kulula Connect (cellular and data packages).
Aug 2008	The Markinor Sunday Times "Top Brands" survey places Kulula 2nd in the domestic South African Airlines category.
13 Aug 2008	A Kulula Boeing 737-400 on route from George to Johannesburg runs into pressurisation problems when hitting cruising altitude. Oxygen masks drop as the plane descends and returns to George.
22 Jul 2008	Kulula celebrates its 7th birthday by offering R147 in Kulula moolah to its credit car holders.
21 Jun 2008	Kulula announces that it will be offering Kauai's cuisine on board its flights.
21 Jun 2008	Kulula teams up with Netflorist to provide an email reminder service for anniversaries and birthdays (and to flog Netflorist flower arrangements).
May 2008	Kulula establishes its Jetsetters club, a loyalty club whereby you can earn Kulula moolah for booking flights.
3 May 2008	A Kulula flight MN755 from Cape Town International Airport (on its way to Port Elizabeth) scrapes its tail on taking off and lands again at the airport (nobody hurt). Passengers are delayed for 12 hours in Cape Town whilst parts are flown down from Johannesburg.
17 Apr 2008	With the planting of a tree at Monde Primary School in Katlehong, Project Green is launched. Project Green is a partnership with Food and Trees for Africa aiming to plant grass and trees in developing areas which have deteriorated. When booking flights donations from R10 to R200 can be made towards the project.
11 Mar 2008	Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk, announces a joint venture between Kulula and SA Tourism to put together low cost holidays in South Africa (focussing on Cape Town, Durban, George, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth). Kulula will put together affordable packages with small tour operators and Bed & Breakfasts.
1 Mar 2008	SouthAfrica.to picks up that Kulula have started including airport taxes in their flight prices again.
29 Feb 2008	Kulula's last scheduled flight in an MD82, all Boeing 737s from this point.
26 Feb 2008	Kulula announces its intention to launch Kulula Wealth, a joint venture with Liberty Life.
30 Jan 2008	Some 15 minutes after taking off, a bird flies into one of the engines of Kulula flight MN702 from Durban to Cape Town, forcing the pilot to shut down the engine and return to Durban Airport.
4 Jan 2008	Kulula.com wins the SouthAfrica.TO 2007 award for record cheapest flight on the Cape Town to Durban flight route, the Johannesburg to Cape Town flight route as well as the record cheapest flight in South Africa overall in 2007.
Nov 2007	Project green commences, in conjunction with Food & Trees for Africa.
Aug 2007	In Skytrax's 2007 survey, Kulula airlines was voted the best low cost carrier in South Africa (and indeed, in Africa).
Apr 2007	Airfares can be paid for with eBucks.
18 Aug 2007	The Kulula credit card is launched, in partnership with FirstRand Bank.
July 2007	Kulula starts excluding airport taxes from their advertised flight prices (they indicate what the airport taxes will be at the bottom of the page). Subsequent to this, 1time airline starts advertising their flight prices as "unlike Kulula, these prices include airport taxes". In March 2008 Kulula start including airport taxes in the flight prices again.
Apr 2006	Teaming up with Discovery Health, and Vitality members are offered cheaper Kulula flights.
Jan 2005	Members of the SAPS (SA Police Service) & their immediate family are offered 1-way flights at fares lower than R300.
Mar 2004	Computicket becomes the first non-travel agent to sell flights, when they start selling Kulula products (including car hire with Imperial & accommodation with Protea Hotels).
Jan 2004	Protea Hotel partnership is established, and pax can reserve a room online.
Jan 2003	ACSA votes Kulula has being the best airline flying domestic South African routes.
2002	Imperial Car Rental team up with Kulula to start hiring vehicles with flights.
Jul 2001	Kulula Airlines is established, after Comair decided to start a low-cost airline

Flight Routes

Kulula hasn't been afraid of experimenting with new routes, shutting down the ones which haven't worked and keeping the ones which do (or transferring them to BA Comair in one case).

1 Mar 2013. JNB-ELS flights commence in Boeing 737-800 planes. Johannesburg flights are from O.R. Tambo International Airport. “We have introduced this route to meet the demand for flights in and out of East London, and support the economic growth of the Eastern Cape region. We are pleased to be able to address the needs of our kulula fans in East London by making it easier and more affordable to fly from this city.” says the marketing manager of Kulula, Nadine Damen. Bookings open on the 28th November 2012.
27 Mar 2011. Comair changes from using Kulula branded aircraft to British Airways branded aircraft on the Durban - Port Elizabeth - Cape Town flight route. Comair Limited's Executive Manager for Group Marketing, said Heidi Brauer, said: “We are experiencing demand for premium travel options to coastal destinations, mostly from the increased number of business travellers on these routes. British Airways will therefore be taking over the servicing of these routes from low fare carrier kulula.com from 27 March 2011, offering travellers the full service Club (business class) experience as well as Executive Club benefits. Furthermore, the current BA flight configuration and aircraft types are better suited for these routes, further enhancing operational efficiency.”
Jan 2011. Comair announces that they have secured rights to operate flights to Maputo with 420 seats per week. Comair plans to start services from Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport in the first half of 2011, using both the Kulula and British Airways brands.
29 Oct 2007. Good news for Kulula Lanseria fans. The airline starts operating flights from Johannesburg's Lanseria airport to Port Elizabeth and Durban (as well as increasing the frequency of its flights from Lanseria to Cape Town to 3 per day).
Feb 2006. Kulula begins operating flights between Lanseria (Johannesburg) Airport and Cape Town International Airport.
Aug 2003. Johannesburg to George flights commence.
Apr 2003. Flight routes are opened between Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
2001. The flight route between Durban and Johannesburg is opened.
Aug 2001. Operations commence with daily flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Category : Kulula Airlines