Discovery Vitality members can now book local flights for December on kulula.com

JOHANNESBURG, 5 November2020 – Discovery Vitality is excited to announce that Vitality members can now book kulula.com flights. While the kulula.com booking platform has been live for several weeks for accommodation, car hire and select international flight bookings, the reintroduction of local air travel bookings is a huge and positive milestone.

From today, Vitality members can make new bookings for domestic flights with kulula.com and international Emirates and Qantas flights through the kulula.com website.Members are able to save between 10% and 35% with exclusive early access to new domestic kulula.com flight bookings on the kulula.com website before the platform opens to the country on Monday, 9 November. British Airways flight bookings will open in due course.

“The impact of the pandemic has been significant on our members, limiting their ability to travel and eroding social connection. It has also been a tough time for our partners, with the reduction in economic activity, so we are thrilled that the booking platform is now available to our members again. Collectively, we are excited to take this step towards more activity – safely of course,” says Vitality CEO Dinesh Govender.

Take advantage of exclusive travel benefits safely

In addition to the exclusive early access to bookings, Vitality members can boost their domestic flight saving to up to 75% with a qualifying Discovery Bank product with Vitality Money. This means that Discovery Bank clients will get the maximum travel reward percentage based on their Discovery Bank product, credit card colour, and Vitality Money status, provided they book flights before the end of November 2020. In addition, Discovery Bank Purple and Black cardholders now enjoy faster security clearance with Discovery Bank Priority Fast Track at O.R. Tambo International Airport and, from January 2021, at Cape Town International Airport, making travel more rewarding than ever.

On international flights, Vitality Health members can save between 10% and 35% on Emirates and Qantas flights, with British Airways international flights opening in due course. Vitality Money members can save up to an additional 40% on international flights, dependent on their Vitality Health and Vitality Money status.

Partnering to deliver excellent service

“We are excited to be recommencing with the selling of flight tickets, beginning with Vitality bookings, and expanding to general public bookings this Monday. This has been a complex journey for us but our collective priority is to take to the skies on 1 December in as safe and customer conscious a way as possible,” says Glenn Orsmond, who represents the Comair Rescue Consortium. “We are mindful that customers have many questions and we are working around the clock to allay all travel and booking concerns. That being said, this is a massive step in the right direction.”

For clients with existing bookings, there has been increased progress on processing international flight refunds. As for domestic flights, clients will receive the full Rand value of their cancelled flight tickets credited into a kulula.com travel bank account in January, which they will be able to use towards any flight bookings until November 2021.

Govender emphasises the importance of being safe and cautious whether you’re travelling or not. “South Africa is still recording new COVID-19 infections, so we must continue to be cautious. In line with the President's guidance, let's work together to avoid a second wave of COVID-19 infections.”

Members and the public are encouraged to consider their personal circumstances and health status when making travel plans. Follow the recommended preventive guidelines, including wearing a fabric face mask, physical distancing, regular handwashing and sanitising as well as downloading the COVID Alert SA app to protect themselves and ability to protect others.

For more information on bookings, please visit Vitality’s latest news page and for more information on safe travel, please visit the Discovery COVID-19 Hub.