Getting the best flight deals from South Africa
Flights South Africa
By now, most people are aware of the typical advice shared when it comes to finding cheap flights which includes:
Buy in advance where possible, at least *6 weeks.
Searching and buying on Tuesdays tends to be cheaper.
Ensure you clear your browser cookies and browse in incognito (private) mode.
Travelling on a weekday is cheaper than a weekend.
Have flexible dates.
Fly to none major airports.
Book early morning & late evening departing flights which tend to be cheaper.
Sign up to newsletters for alerts on discounts and specials.
Although the above tips are useful, sometimes it just does not get you what you are looking for. You might have fixed dates, flight timeframe and airports you have to travel to which then cuts out the potential low cost flight price you are looking for. Here are additional tips that could help.
Browse on several sites including direct airline websites
There are many ways to look for flights however from South Africa, these tend to be the best.
This is the best one stop site to find all airlines travelling on specific routes. They constantly have deals available if you sign up to the newsletter and tend to offer better discounts if booking via their app (Flapp). This is always a good starting point to see what are the flight options & prices available for your set date and times of travel.
Skyscanner - domestic and international travel
A very useful site for comparison purposes only. It is not advisable to do bookings through the 3rd party sites they recommend as they can be pricier and some are not reputable. It provides a good view of what flight combinations will give you the cheapest option and or the quickest route. Thereafter, either book directly on the airline websites or try find the same route and offering on Travelstart.
Ebucks Travel - domestic and international travel
FNB & RMB customers are fortunate to have eBucks Travel which has partner airlines it constantly has discounts for. Discounts are tiered depending on your eBucks level, with a maximum of 40% off. Additionally, customers can pay either with eBucks, partly eBucks and Rands or Rands only. Bookings can be done via the FNB app of Ebucks website.
Vitality Travel - domestic and international travel
New offering exclusive to Discovery Bank customers, partnering with major local and international airlines - Airlink, Lift, FlySafair, Emirates etc. Customers can receive between 10 - 75% discount on flights., including travel insurance when paying using their Discovery Bank account. Not yet a Discovery Bank customer? Sign up using code DDQ006 and get up to 5000 Discovery Miles (R500).
www.discovery.co.za/bank/vitalitytravel
Flight Centre - domestic and international travel
One of the longest standing and well-known travel agency globally. You can rely on them for support, getting you an all-round package including accommodation and deals. You can get a discount code on your birthday annually if you have signed up for their newsletter and they have a stokvel offering where a sole contributor or a group between 3-30 people, can contribute money toward a trip and receive a tailored service and discounts.
Airlink - domestic and regional travel
Now a privately owned airline, Airlink offers local and regional flights, +40 destinations in Southern Africa, including Victoria Falls, Beira, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam etc. Certainly one of the most reliable airlines with exceptional in flight service in South Africa.
*20kg check in bag and a meal is included in flight price.
Lift - domestic travel
New airline that took to the skies from 10 December 2020 with the routes on offer being Cape Town, Johannesburg and George. Durban route will be starting on 26 October 2022. “The airline has developed a unique flexible model where flights and routes can be quickly added based on demand. This has allowed Lift to re-imagine the processes around flying and to make air travel easier and less stressful for South Africans. LIFT travellers will in turn have full flexibility on their tickets‚ allowing them to change and cancel without penalties and giving them peace of mind particularly during this time of uncertainty.”
*23kg check-in bag with the Economy Bag option, there is a cheaper option without a check-in bag. A snack and a beverage is offered on the flight.
FlySafair - domestic travel only
A favorite among South Africans and the official domestic carrier for the Springboks and SA Rugby. It is relied upon as the most on time airline domestically and for providing cheaper prices compared to other airlines flying the domestic route. If you had your trips with them cancelled as a result of COVID19, you can get 20% off* your next flight when you use your compensation vouchers to book your travel. This offer is valid for the lifetime of the voucher. Please refer to Flysafair site for details and the voucher code.
*Check in luggage not included in the flight price (can be paid for separately) & no meal service included in ticket (snacks can be purchased onboard).
South African Airways - domestic and international travel
The national carrier boasts an extensive network offering direct flights across Africa and beyond. South African Airways being a member of Star Alliance means it can connect you to further places globally. The 28 member airlines operate together more than 18,500 flights a day, reaching 1,330 airports in 192 countries. The airline is however operating limited routes, with most being regional.
*23kg check in bag and a meal is included in flight price.
CemAir - domestic and regional travel
Operating small aircraft in their fleet including Bombardier to connect you to domestic destinations such as Hoedspruit & Plettenburg Bay, CemAir is an airline to consider as an operator in the South Africa domestic network.
*21kg check in bag included in flight price and & no meal service included in ticket.
Kulula - domestic and regional travel (note currently not operating - Comair undergoing liquidation)
This includes Kulula airlines and British Airways under Comair Ltd. During lockdown, Comair Ltd went under business rescue but is resuming domestic flights (Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, George and East London starting 1 December 2020 for Kulula operated flights. Regardless, during normal operations, it is an option for domestic and regional travel including Victoria Falls, Harare, Windhoek, Livingstone and Plaine Magnien. Discovery Vitality members also reap the rewards of discounted flights based on Vitality health status and can book their international flights with other airlines in the Discovery network on their website.
*23kg check in bag included in flight price and a meal is included on British Airways flights.
*20kg check in bag included in flight price and & no meal service included in ticket (snacks can be purchased onboard) for Kulula Flights.
Mango - domestic and regional travel (note currently not operating - undergoing business rescue)
Low cost airline and partner to South African Airways. Offers great low fares for local flights across the major cities, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Johannesburg, George, East London, Bloemfontein as well as direct flights to Zanzibar. Another great reason to book on Mango’s website is the various loyalty and benefit partners it supports which includes Momentum Multiply and Sanlam. Their on-time performance however is not the greatest nor the most reliable.
*20kg check in bag included in flight price and & no meal service included in ticket (snacks can be purchased onboard) .
Maximize on loyalty and benefit cards
As mentioned above, there are many sites that make use of loyalty and benefit partners outside of their general promotions and specials that you can redeem - percentage off flights or use as partial payments for flights. Here is the summary of what can be redeemed and on which sites.
Absa Rewards up to 15% off in cashback or a discount.
Capitec Cardholders get R100 Off All Domestic Flight Bookings, R400 Off All International Flight Bookings, Plus Access to the Best Deals on Exclusive Local and Regional Packages.
Virgin Active Premier Members get R200 Off All Return Domestic Flight Bookings, R300 Off All Return International Flight Bookings, Plus Access to the Best Deals on Exclusive Local and Regional Packages.
Mastercard cardholders Get 10% off base fares on any international return flight with any airline. Plus save R150 on any hotel booking made on this dedicated page
MTN Sky plan get travel, flight and accommodation discounts, both locally and internationally, when you sign up or upgrade.
Discovery Miles can be redeemed to book and pay for flights and hotel bookings.
Ebucks Travel site & FNB Banking App
FNB & RMB cardholders can get up to 40% off on select travel deals depending on your eBucks reward level. Full and partial payments with eBucks also accepted.
Kulula
Discovery Vitality members get savings between 15-35% depending on your Vitality status when you book flights, car hire or hotels online.
British Airways
Executive club members (free to join) can collect Avios and Tier Points on flights with the OneWorld alliance partners and can also redeem acquired points.
South African Airways
Voyager members earn Miles with SAA or through various global partners, including airlines, car rentals, hotels and lifestyle centres.
Momentum Multiply members can get up to 25% off on saver & plus flights, and up to 40% off on Select, priority and premium flights. Note - this can only be booked and redeemed through the Multiply Travel Desk.
SAA Voyager Credit Cardholders receive added benefits including more miles on bookings, lounge access and less miles required to be redeemed for flights.
Mango
Momentum Multiply members can get up to 50% off Mango flights.
Sanlam Reality members can get up to 30% off Mango flights.
Pensioners over 60, book a Mango flight on selected flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and receive 10% off the fare cost.
Diners ClubMiles members can book directly on the Mango site and pay with Miles.
Etihad airline - Absa Rewards customers will receive a benefit of as much as 30% discount on the base price of certain flight bookings made with Etihad airline when booking through the exclusive and dedicated Travelstart Link
British Airways - Redeem your Absa Cash Rewards for Avios and you could spend them on British Airways reward flights, cabin upgrades, hotel accommodation and car rental. You can only convert in increments of R10.
Whether you are looking for great deals on flights, local and international travel packages, car rental, hotel accommodation, local getaways and more – you’ll find it all at the UCount Travel Mall
As an Investec client, you have exclusive access to Travel by Investec, a leading online travel agency. Using the agency will not only ensure you get competitive quotes for local and international flights, accommodation, car hire, cruises, rail tours and exclusive holiday packages, but you can also earn and redeem Investec Rewards points.
Greenbacks can be converted to SAA Voyager Miles. 6 GB = 1 Voyager Mile.
Platinum credit card holders can participate in the International Airline Programme discounts and upgrades with these airlines: Etihad, Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, South African Airways and Qatar Airways.
Fly to local, regional and international destinations with British Airways, Kulula.com, Emirates and Qantas. Vitality Health members save up to 35% on local, regional and international flights (base fare and YQ tax). Boost your Vitality travel saving by up to an additional 40% as a Vitality Health member and a Discovery Bank client with the Vitality Money programme.
*please read the terms and conditions for these offers on the respective websites. Offers are subject to change.
There are further tricks and tips that can be applied, such as:
Booking separate flights for multi stop routes - where you have searched perhaps on Skyscanner and seen the cheapest route or quickest flight path but it’s across multiple airlines, it could be even cheaper booking the individual leg of the trip separately instead of one booking. Note, you have to be conscious of departure and arrival airports and where you are connecting from, enough time between flight connections and getting the timings right including time zones. One mishap and you have given yourself a bigger problem, time and money wise. The benefit of one booking is that if there are delays or cancellations, you are catered for based on that entire booking since airlines operate on a codeshare and partner basis.
Sales calendars - certain airlines have sale calendars and if you know in advance where you are planning to travel to, you can aim for those, notably Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Airline birthday deals, Flysafair R5 flights specials, Travelstart Blue Sky sales in October, Travel Expo by Flight Centre.
Be patient and play the last minute wait game - this can be a bit tricky and a hit or miss, but would recommend this more for local travel as opposed to international.
Reserve you ticket - mostly applicable for flights more than 3 days away, you can reserve your ticket for 24 hours at the set price found without having to pay anything whilst you browse around in the hope of finding better deals elsewhere. If you find that the reserved ticket is the best price you can find, pay for the ticket within the 24 hour window otherwise the reservation will no longer be valid after this timeframe.
Google flights is also a great tool to use - you can look at the calendar view to see when flights are cheapest for your chosen route across airlines, analytics of flight prices over time, the ability to track prices and be notified of a price drop and so much more.
In summary, start off with where you can get a discount based on loyalty and benefit rewards. If this is not possible, browse several sites and be patient as prices can vary quite a bit throughout the same day and the days leading to travel. Finally, make the purchase at the price point you had aimed for or you feel this is the best you can get.
Happy flying!