Cheap Flights To South Africa
Looking for cheap flights to South Africa? The good news is there are cheap flights out there, the bad news, it will take some work to find them.
When looking for cheap flights to South Africa there are several steps you should follow:
1. First do a search on all of the major online travel websites.
I will usually check Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity at the very least. This will give you a baseline to measure against for the rest of your search. And you never know, sometimes these sites will actually have really good deals if any of the major airlines are having a sale.
2. Check fares to both Johannesburg and Cape Town.
O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg is South Africa’s largest and busiest airport, but Cape Town International Airport, South Africa’s second largest, is a major gateway for international flights.
If your final destination is in one of these two cities, your best bet is to fly directly there, as the cost and time spent getting from one to the other could eliminate any savings you got on your ticket.
If, however, you are heading somewhere else in the country (or somewhere else in Africa for that matter) it is worth it to take a look at both airports as fares can sometimes vary dramatically.
3. Check directly with South African Airways.
A countries national airline will quite often, but not always, have the cheapest flights. After checking with the major online search engines and directly with South African Airways you will know the price you are trying to beat.
4. Check for flexible dates.
You can generally save quite a bit of money if your travel dates are flexible. Start your search with your preferred departure and return dates. Check the prices on flights for 2 to 3 days before and after these dates to find the cheapest combination.
Keep in mind that mid-week travel is usually significantly cheaper than flying on the weekends.
5. Check smaller regional and discount airlines.
Here is a list of airlines with flights to South Africa:
1 Time
Air Austral
Air Botswana
Air France
Air Madagascar
Air Malawi
Air Mauritius
Air Namibia
Air Portugal (TAP)
Air Seychelles
Air Tanzania
Air Zimbabwe
Bellview Airlines
British Airways
Cathay Pacific Airways
Civair
Delta Airlines
Egypt Air
EI-AI
Emirates
Ethiopian Airlines
Etihad Airways
Ghana Airways
Gulf Air
Hewa Bora Airlines
Iberia Airlines
Inter Air
Kenya Airways
KLM
LAM Mozambique Airlines
LTU International Airways
Lufthansa
Malaysia Airlines
Mango Airlines
Olympic Airways
Pelican Air Services
Precision Air
Qantas Airways
Qatar Airways
Saudi Arabian Airlines
Singapore Airlines
South African Airlink
South African Airways
South African Express
Swazi Express Airways
Swiss International Airlines
TAAG Angolan Airlines
Virgin Atlantic Airways
Virgin Nigeria
Zambian Airways
The thing to remember about searching for cheap flights to South Africa is that the price you pay in the end is usually inversely proportional to the amount of time you spend searching.
If you are willing to pay for it, you can book a flight right away, however, you can usually find good deals if you are willing to put in the time and effort.
If you want more information of how to find cheap flights to South Africa check out how this fired travel agent reveals how to get dirt cheap airfare tickets!