FARE BACK (BUT HIGHER) - AC cheap business class sale to South Africa
Jun 21, 2014, 9:38 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: BGI (ex-YYC, YYZ)
Programs: AC*G-E100K (once again)
Posts: 1,701
FARE BACK (BUT HIGHER) - AC cheap business class sale to South Africa
UPDATE AS AT APRIL 15, 2016 - It appears that the fare sale is back.
Ticket must be issued on or before April 21, 2016.
Starting at $2,300 CAD incl tax, round trip.
YYZ-FRA-JNB = $2,378
YYC-FRA-JNB = ~$2,600
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 21APR 16.
===========================================
UPDATE AS AT JAN 23, 2016 - It appears that the fare sale is back.
Ticket must be issued on or before Feb 4, 2016.
Starting at $2,600 CAD incl tax, round trip.
YYZ-FRA-JNB = $2,643
YYC-FRA-JNB = $2,847
YVR-FRA-JNB = $2,836
- TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 04FEB 16.
- PERMITTED 07MAY 16 THROUGH 31AUG 16 ON THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL SECTOR.
- 1 FREE STOPOVER PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT IN FRA/DUS/MUC/LON/GVA/PAR/VIE/ZRH/BRU.
- RESERVATIONS FOR ALL SECTORS ARE REQUIRED AT LEAST 90 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE.
===========================================
UPDATE AS AT AUG 14, 2015 - It appears that the fare sale is back.
Ticket must be issued on or before Aug 31 2015.
They've brought the business class sale back, which was nowhere as good or at the levels as last year (I guess due to Canadian FX), nor as good as Oneworld/BA pricing right now (about $200 cheaper), but still not too bad for a flight if you travel/depart in December.
YYZ-JNB - approx $3,700 (under AC PRCT45 YTO to JNB)
YUL-JNB - approx $3,700
YYC-JNB - approx $4,400
YVR-JNB - approx $4,400
YYZ-CPT - approx $3,700
YUL-CPT - approx $3,800
YYC-CPT - approx $4,400
YVR-CPT - approx $4,400
A search shows AC, LH, LX, and SA being participating airlines.
From a FX perspective, when the sale happened last year in June 2014, the sale was at CAD $2600 which equated to approx USD 2,430. Today, the sale fare of CAD $3,700 is approx USD 2,800.
==========================================
UPDATE AS AT JULY 3, 2014 - It appears that the fare sale has been extended/restarted and it now ends on July 17, 2014.
Ticket must be issued on or before July 17, 2014.
==========================================
Original post on June 22:
Air Canada seems is having a seat sale to Johannesburg, South Africa and Cape Town, South Africa! This is a fantastic deal for 4 long haul flights in business class. Offer ends July 1st, ticket must be issued before July 1. You can plan to fly AC's 787 to London and the Lufthansa's new A380 business class on the way back via Frankfurt (see my sample itinerary below). Participating airlines include SAA, Lufthansa, Swiss, British Airways (for CPT).
Flight search appears to result in AC flights combined with either Lufthansa or SAA codeshares.
You have a few options to find this fare
1. Search on Air Canada's website at http://www.aircanada.com. This method is simpler, but more limited as it does not show all available flights.
2. Best option: Search on Google's ITA matrix at http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ . Select your dates and choose "business class or higher". Choose your flights with best prices. Once you found the fare you want, call Air Canada reservations directly (1-888-247-2262) or your travel agent directly, and provide them the dates, flight number and fare class of the flight you want. This method is more robust and offers more options.
3. Alternative option: you can also try http://flights.google.com
There does not seem to be a time limit for departure or return on the seat sale - seats appear to be available throughout the whole year - including the busy Christmas season, all the way up to May 2015!!! Update: People on this forum have had success booking all year round including Christmas time and New Years.
Note: if you plan to fly Lufthansa's A380, make sure to do a search on Lufthansa's website and check the seat layout in order to determine if the seat is the new lie-flat business class. Alternatively, you can also fly SAA too which has a fantastic product (Their A330s are newer and better than their A340s).
Air Canada AC PRCT99 YTO to JNB:
- Ticket must be issued on/before 1 July 2014.
- Free stopover permitted on the pricing unit in RA/DUS/MUC/LON/GVA/PAR/VIE/ZRH/BRU.
- Price: +/- $2,600!!!
Here is an example from AC's website:
Update: It appears the fare is available from Calgary too... see screenshot below as an example
Ticket must be issued on or before April 21, 2016.
Starting at $2,300 CAD incl tax, round trip.
YYZ-FRA-JNB = $2,378
YYC-FRA-JNB = ~$2,600
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 21APR 16.
===========================================
UPDATE AS AT JAN 23, 2016 - It appears that the fare sale is back.
Ticket must be issued on or before Feb 4, 2016.
Starting at $2,600 CAD incl tax, round trip.
YYZ-FRA-JNB = $2,643
YYC-FRA-JNB = $2,847
YVR-FRA-JNB = $2,836
- TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 04FEB 16.
- PERMITTED 07MAY 16 THROUGH 31AUG 16 ON THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL SECTOR.
- 1 FREE STOPOVER PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT IN FRA/DUS/MUC/LON/GVA/PAR/VIE/ZRH/BRU.
- RESERVATIONS FOR ALL SECTORS ARE REQUIRED AT LEAST 90 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE.
===========================================
UPDATE AS AT AUG 14, 2015 - It appears that the fare sale is back.
Ticket must be issued on or before Aug 31 2015.
They've brought the business class sale back, which was nowhere as good or at the levels as last year (I guess due to Canadian FX), nor as good as Oneworld/BA pricing right now (about $200 cheaper), but still not too bad for a flight if you travel/depart in December.
YYZ-JNB - approx $3,700 (under AC PRCT45 YTO to JNB)
YUL-JNB - approx $3,700
YYC-JNB - approx $4,400
YVR-JNB - approx $4,400
YYZ-CPT - approx $3,700
YUL-CPT - approx $3,800
YYC-CPT - approx $4,400
YVR-CPT - approx $4,400
A search shows AC, LH, LX, and SA being participating airlines.
Fare rules & restrictions
Air Canada (AC) PRCT45 YTO to JNB
General notes
BUSINESS CLASS ADVANCE PURCHASE FARES P
APPLIES FOR ROUND TRIP FARES
FOR ADULT
Category 3: Seasonal restrictions
PERMITTED 12AUG 15 THROUGH 15DEC 15 ON THE FIRST
INTERNATIONAL SECTOR.
Category 8: Stopover restrictions
1 FREE STOPOVER PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT IN FRA/DUS/
MUC/LON/GVA/PAR/VIE/ZRH/BRU.
Category 15: Sales restrictions
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 31AUG 15.
Air Canada (AC) PRCT45 YTO to JNB
General notes
BUSINESS CLASS ADVANCE PURCHASE FARES P
APPLIES FOR ROUND TRIP FARES
FOR ADULT
Category 3: Seasonal restrictions
PERMITTED 12AUG 15 THROUGH 15DEC 15 ON THE FIRST
INTERNATIONAL SECTOR.
Category 8: Stopover restrictions
1 FREE STOPOVER PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT IN FRA/DUS/
MUC/LON/GVA/PAR/VIE/ZRH/BRU.
Category 15: Sales restrictions
TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED ON/BEFORE 31AUG 15.
==========================================
UPDATE AS AT JULY 3, 2014 - It appears that the fare sale has been extended/restarted and it now ends on July 17, 2014.
Ticket must be issued on or before July 17, 2014.
==========================================
Original post on June 22:
Air Canada seems is having a seat sale to Johannesburg, South Africa and Cape Town, South Africa! This is a fantastic deal for 4 long haul flights in business class. Offer ends July 1st, ticket must be issued before July 1. You can plan to fly AC's 787 to London and the Lufthansa's new A380 business class on the way back via Frankfurt (see my sample itinerary below). Participating airlines include SAA, Lufthansa, Swiss, British Airways (for CPT).
Flight search appears to result in AC flights combined with either Lufthansa or SAA codeshares.
You have a few options to find this fare
1. Search on Air Canada's website at http://www.aircanada.com. This method is simpler, but more limited as it does not show all available flights.
2. Best option: Search on Google's ITA matrix at http://matrix.itasoftware.com/ . Select your dates and choose "business class or higher". Choose your flights with best prices. Once you found the fare you want, call Air Canada reservations directly (1-888-247-2262) or your travel agent directly, and provide them the dates, flight number and fare class of the flight you want. This method is more robust and offers more options.
3. Alternative option: you can also try http://flights.google.com
There does not seem to be a time limit for departure or return on the seat sale - seats appear to be available throughout the whole year - including the busy Christmas season, all the way up to May 2015!!! Update: People on this forum have had success booking all year round including Christmas time and New Years.
Note: if you plan to fly Lufthansa's A380, make sure to do a search on Lufthansa's website and check the seat layout in order to determine if the seat is the new lie-flat business class. Alternatively, you can also fly SAA too which has a fantastic product (Their A330s are newer and better than their A340s).
Air Canada AC PRCT99 YTO to JNB:
- Ticket must be issued on/before 1 July 2014.
- Free stopover permitted on the pricing unit in RA/DUS/MUC/LON/GVA/PAR/VIE/ZRH/BRU.
- Price: +/- $2,600!!!
Here is an example from AC's website:
Update: It appears the fare is available from Calgary too... see screenshot below as an example
Last edited by Braindrain; May 29, 2016 at 4:27 pm Reason: Update for 2015
Jun 22, 2014, 12:08 am
#2
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE100K MM
Posts: 903
Thanks OP for posting, same price from YYC! Might have to book one of these for the spring!
Does anyone have an expiring discount code they won't be using to prevent my credit card from screaming!
Does anyone have an expiring discount code they won't be using to prevent my credit card from screaming!
Last edited by mountaingrl; Jun 22, 2014 at 12:20 am
Jun 22, 2014, 4:36 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2002
Posts: 8,003
I see some connections offered in YVR on the return.
Playing with google flights, connections available in YVR both directions.
Europe - YVR-YEG-YYC was also offered. The booking link said to call AC.
MUC-IAH-YYC is also an option.
Playing with google flights, connections available in YVR both directions.
Europe - YVR-YEG-YYC was also offered. The booking link said to call AC.
MUC-IAH-YYC is also an option.
Last edited by tracon; Jun 22, 2014 at 5:37 am
Jun 22, 2014, 6:15 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ontario, CAN
Posts: 5,813
Jun 22, 2014, 6:27 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: BOS/EAP
Programs: UA 1K, MR LTT, HH Dia, Amex Plat
Posts: 32,048
thankfully they have had these prices for months. I think it started in early April and they have been around most of the time. Same as last year. Not sure why they continue to offer South Africa and India cheaply out of Canada all the time ... I sure take advantage of it
Jun 22, 2014, 7:21 am
#15
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,146
thankfully they have had these prices for months. I think it started in early April and they have been around most of the time. Same as last year. Not sure why they continue to offer South Africa and India cheaply out of Canada all the time ... I sure take advantage of it
Is there a sale on India in J too?
I cant see it