What Timbo said. Haven't been to Joburg but my wife and I do a lot of int'l nonrev. I've had several times with wide open flights where they cleared us very early, as in when we checked in, and then later called us up to the podium and wrote first class seat numbers on the boarding pass in pen. Guessing that's what's happening in Joburg...unless they're just incredibly sadistic pricks sticking employees in the back for a 15 hr flight!
