Bolt Home Mauritius and leading South African low-cost carrier FlySafair have entered into a collaborative affiliate partnership, to positively impact both corporate and tourist travel between Mauritius and South Africa. FlySafair will begin to operate a twice-weekly flight to Mauritius from Johannesburg on 8 March 2022, which marks the carrier’s first international venture outside South African borders.
Aviation connects the world. Aviation reunites families. Aviation moves economies.
Since Mauritius reopened its borders on 1 October, there has been an increasing appetite among South Africans and Mauritians seeking to travel and explore opportunities between the two countries for leisure and business purposes. At the same time, the Finance Act of 2021 has streamlined visas to encourage people with skills, talent and business to venture to Mauritius and help boost the local economy.
In this context, Bolt Home Mauritius and leading low-cost South African carrier FlySafair have announced Bolt Home Mauritius as an affiliate partner of FlySafair on the ground in Mauritius. The carrier will start to operate flights to Mauritius, with their maiden flight imminent. Bolt Home Mauritius is uniquely positioned to support FlySafair, having built an ecosystem of network partners and communities in South Africa and Mauritius. Through the use of best in class technology, which includes their Mobile App and interactive website, they are best positioned to build awareness of the new cost-effective travel options on offer by FlySafair.
Commenting on the affiliate partnership with FlySafair, Founder and CEO of Bolt Home Mauritius; Vanessa Flynn, said:
“There is nothing better than seeing and supporting international trade between Mauritius and South Africa. Being a born Mauritian and having had the privilege of growing up in South Africa for many years, this is a culmination of two of my favourite things. We are ecstatic to be partnering with FlySafair. This alliance will contribute to the positioning of Mauritius as a great destination to live, work, study, invest or retire. Our mission is to connect people with the right opportunities. FlySafair’s new route between Mauritius and South Africa is being launched at a time where we are experiencing tremendous growth and demand for remote working specialists and digital nomads. This has fuelled the need for additional flight capacity. Mauritius has also recently been honoured with the title of the Indian Ocean’s Leading Adventure Destination, at the World Travel Awards 2021.”
“We believe that our partnership will help foster collaborative relationships to positively influence the mobility of local and global talent, investors, business professionals and tourists to and from the island.”
“We are also seeking to build a sustainable business that supports people in achieving their life purpose as well as empowering their growth through our network. We’re so excited to be giving local consumers access to affordable flights through our platforms.” Vanessa added.
Bolt Home Mauritius ‘uniquely placed’ to support FlySafair
Explaining how Bolt Home Mauritius will support FlySafair, Elizabeth Keeve, Managing Partner and co-founder of Bolt Home Mauritius, said:
“We are uniquely placed to integrate FlySafair with our community and build awareness through our Bolt Home Mauritius mobile app and interactive website, where we can facilitate flight bookings and announce special deals and flight information to those in our Mauritian network who are less familiar with FlySafair; all in a seamless fashion.”
“At Bolt Home Mauritius we offer a high touch customer experience through our concierge service for anyone interested in living, working, investing, retiring or travelling to Mauritius. Through this partnership, we look forward to creating awareness of FlySafair’s offerings that provide travellers the opportunity to enjoy either Mauritius’ sandy beaches and translucent waters or South Africa’s wildlife, safari and adventure; or simply to meet up with family, friends or colleagues who may have been separated due to the pandemic,” she highlighted.
Reconnecting communities in Mauritius and South Africa
With travel restrictions due to the pandemic, the communities in Mauritius and South Africa have anticipated the reopening of the Mauritian borders for more than 18 months. The longing of being reunited with family and friends, and the need for businesses to reconnect and continue with work in both South Africa and Mauritius, the ability to travel freely has been long awaited! Through the partnership of Bolt Home Mauritius and FlySafair, aviation will enable the vision and mission of Bolt Home Mauritius to truly come to life.
According to Statistics Mauritius, over 118,000 South Africans visited the island in 2019. Now, with travel restrictions having been relaxed in stages and the island accepting South African tourists again, its once thriving tourism industry will get a much-needed boost.
First FlySafair flight to Mauritius to depart from SA on 8 March
FlySafair was granted the rights to operate to Mauritius in December 2020, but the second and third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic halted the launch plans. Speaking about the imminent launch, Elmar Conradie, CEO of FlySafair, said:
“The launch of our service to Mauritius marks an important milestone for our company, as our first venture outside South African borders, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Bolt Home Mauritius and integrating with their thriving community. Mauritius holds a special place in the hearts of South Africans, and we’re so looking forward to offering flights starting in March.”
Airfares start from as low as MUR Rs 14,237 (R 4 950) and are already available for sale on booking platforms, including the Bolt Home Mauritius Mobile APP and Interactive Website (https://move2mauritius.com/), with the first Mauritian-bound flight departing on 8 March 2022. Standard fares will include a 20 kg checked-luggage allowance, and customers will have the option to upgrade their flight experiences with added extras like pre-selected seats, priority boarding, and extra luggage.
With health and safety regulations pertaining to travel and COVID-19, FlySafair have implemented strict measures to ensure maximum prevention of infection through undertaking various protocols and steps to keep customers and crew safe from infection during flight. FlySafair Travel Tips and Flight Regulations.
The airline will also be selling tickets in its new Business Class solution where middle seats between aisle and window passengers are blocked for added comfort and privacy. FlySafair will operate its existing Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route. The total flight times will be approximately four hours, and flights will be direct with no stopovers.
