Cheap flights to
South Africa

Things would be so much easier for travelers if there were a certain day of the week or month when airfare was reliably cheap to buy, but that’s just not the way it works. We’ve been watching the constantly changing cost of airfare for years now—and while there’s no magic day when tickets are cheap, there is a pattern that can save you money. There’s a period before every flight when you’re most likely to get a great deal on a ticket: 1-3 months before a domestic trip and 2-8 months before an international one. We call this sweet spot the Goldilocks Window.

Now, if you’re planning a trip over a big holiday or during peak season, or if your travel dates are set in stone or you have zero flexibility about vacation time, we recommend adding a few months to that math. And you don’t want to wait until the last minute, hoping for a bargain basement fare. Airlines almost always raise prices on tickets 21, 14, and 7 days before departure, so book before then if possible.

There really isn’t any magic involved in getting a good deal on airfare, though it does sometimes require a little creative planning. Take, for instance, our beloved Greek Islands Trick. The trick (and its name) comes from the fact that finding a cheap flight to the Greek Islands is significantly harder than we’d like it to be. Instead, we advocate finding a cheap flight that gets you close (say, to Athens) and then booking a separate ticket to get to the islands (on a plane or a boat). And the trick works for destinations all over the world, saving travelers lots of money.

Since there are only a few nonstop flights to South Africa, chances are very good you’ll end up with a connecting flight anyway. And that means that it couldn’t hurt to look around for the cheapest route to get you there. You could book a nonstop flight from Newark to Johannesburg, but you might pay $1,500 or more roundtrip. If you find a $300 roundtrip fare from NYC to London, however, then even buying a separate $770 roundtrip ticket from London to Johannesburg means you’re saving a few hundred bucks. Yes, this kind of itinerary requires more legwork on your part, but the savings may be worth it.

This money-saving tip is a bit like the Greek Islands Trick, only it’s about potentially changing the departure airport rather than the arrival one. Travelers who live near multiple major airports are already accustomed to searching for flights from all of them to find the best deal, but it’s a good habit for any traveler who wants to save money.

Fabulous deals pop up all the time across the country, from both big hub airports and smaller regional ones. Let’s say you’re looking at flights from Detroit to Cape Town, but they’re in the disheartening $1,700 roundtrip range. If you find there’s a flight from New York to Cape Town for around $975 roundtrip, though, you could still save a bundle even if you have to fly from Detroit to NYC to take it.

Being flexible when you’re starting to plan a trip is one of the best ways to save money overall, whether it’s on airfare or lodging, or just about anything else. This is why so many frequent flyers avoid peak season and target the shoulder (or even low) season. But not everyone has the luxury of that kind of flexibility, either because the kids are only out of school in the summer or because your work schedule limits when you can take time off. If you have even the smallest amount of flexibility, though, you can still save a little bit of money.

For travelers for whom it’s either summer or never, check out the fares during the first two weeks of June and the last two weeks of August, as they are often the cheapest summer weeks to fly. You probably know Thanksgiving is notoriously expensive to fly in the US, but it’s something of a secret cheap week to fly internationally. You should also try to avoid scheduling flights on the most expensive days of the week (Fridays and Sundays), targeting the cheaper days of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday instead.

You can save both time and money with an automated airfare search, which is just the kind of win-win we all love. When you’re starting to figure out a flight itinerary, sign up for a fare alert for that trip. Then, you’ll get an email notification when the fare drops, so you know when it’s time to buy. Just keep in mind that if you’re looking at multiple trips, you’ll have to sign up for multiple alerts. Or, you could join Going and put our dedicated airfare search resources to work for you.

The main international airport in South Africa is Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport (JNB). It’s a hub for Airlink, CemAir, FlySafair, LIFT, and the country’s flagship carrier, South African Airways. There are an additional 42 airlines with service into Joburg and two airports in the US with nonstop flights: Newark (EWR) and Atlanta (ATL).

Cape Town International Airport (CPT) also has a few nonstop flights from the US. There are direct flights into Cape Town from Atlanta, Newark, and Washington DC (IAD). It’s a hub for Airlink and FlySafair, with service from another 26 carriers.