enzian

My husband mentioned that he would like to visit South Africa. This will be late 2015 or 2016, so we will be able to book 330 days in advance. I am trying to figure out the route using our AS miles. Looks like we can fly east ( via LHR) or west ( via Hong Kong). What is the recommended or "best" route? By best I mean shortest flight time, and/or best airline choice, and/or best chance of scoring 2 seats in J.

kwl747

The following AS partner airlines serve JNB. See the Award Charts for mileage rates.

DL, EK, KL, AF, BA, CX

I would steer clear of BA since you will likely have $100's in fuel surcharges. My personal preference would be CX or EK. JNB is a great redemption because you get 2 long flights NA-HUB-JNB. Award space could be scarce though.

pgppetch

CX is a fabulous airline but routing through HKG US-South africa greatly lengthens the trip. I stopped in HKG outbound and flew JNB-HKG-YVR connecting on return. Left JNB around midday, arrived HKG very early morning and passed the day in the F lounge mostly in a private cabana relaxing, taking a bath and sleeping on the cushioned bed and reclined lounge chair before a 16:00 14+ hour flight to YVR and slept on that in a comfy F fold flat and horizontal seat and when i got off in YVR I was LOOPY with jet lag! I was renting a car to drive to Seattle and could barely manage. CX mileage cost for awards to South africa is great but it is a LONG routing and unless they allow a partner connection onto British for JNB-CPT, you would have to buy that segment but that is not a big deal or expensive. If a stop over is allowed in HKG, take it on the return-the jet lag is worse in that direction. South africa is a fabulous destination-consider a side trip north to see Victoria Falls, don't travel that distance for their winter (had no other choice my second visit and never again) but try to do the Cape before or just after the peak of tourism each year, Nov-Feb.

u2g0d

I've been looking for a similar trip as well and I'm thinking of doing SEA->YVR->HKG->JNB on CX for the outbound and CPT/JNB->DXB->SEA on EK on the inbound.

Orwaid

CX F HKG - JNB going forward after Fall 2014 will be hit or miss, assuming it does not go away altogether.

Gardyloo

FC on that run has been seasonal for quite some time, and last time I checked (and used it) they still used the "old" CX coffins in J.

Manoa Chris

I have avoided Delta like the plague the last couple years, but the ATL-JNB flight in J is phenomenal and much faster than any other option from North America (including South African through JFK which is a pain to connect to). Great redemption option with MP if you can find availability.

3Cforme

Checking Sunday/Monday/Tuesday schedules this month, SEA-AMS (DL) - AMS-JNB (KL) is the shortest duration of possible 3-segment or fewer and no change of airport itineraries SEA-JNB. It is more than 9 hours shorter than Emirates via DXB but runs afoul of Alaska's 'one partner' rule. Longer still is the shortest CX routing, SEA-YVR (AS) YVR-HKG-JNB (CX).

SEA-ATL-JNB (DL) is <1 hour longer than via AMS. By reputation, saver awards are very tough on ATL-JNB.

enzian

Thank you all. This is very helpful. We will have to avoid Delta as we prefer to book one way at a time, as soon as the date is released. On the other hand, we could fly from LAX or SFO instead of SEA as we have family both places and could visit before flying out. So we could do different partners inbound and outbound. I don't really mind the high BA surcharges if we are getting seats in J if that is the best ( least air time) route. We also have BA miles ( Avios) we could use one way or the other. The advantage of those is we could book earlier (355 days ahead). Just trying to figure out the best way to approach this and which miles program to use.

Right now we are holding flights from Melbourne back home next January on both CX (with AS miles) and QF ( with BA miles, $$$) and need to release one of them. That decision will give us a whole lot more miles to work with for the JNB trip later.

Tide_from_PAE

SEA-YYC-AMS-JNB on AS/KL would be an option. YVR is an option if you want to have a 23 hour connection in AMS. Going via IAH would require a 22 hour connection in IAH.

Dieuwer

One ways coming to Delta 1/1/2015.
With KL, you could do LAX-AMS-JNB.

CDKing

CX F HKG to JNB is permanently ending in August 2014. Initially it was September but changed. It could quite possibly end even earlier should they change their minds again. Its moving to three class 777-300ER

brarrr

I did this in december '13 sea-lax-hkg-jnb and the return via sfo. all but hkg-jnb in F. Well worthwhile. Even worthwhile if you've got to hump it in biz for hkg-jnb and back. That said, I haven't been on EK yet so if I were to go again i'd probably try for that.

As far as the extra time routing via hkg, it's a matter of a few hours difference vs going through europe (maybe 4?) according to the conversations I had with the friends I was meeting up with.

alphaeagle

Starting in May Delta in J is going to be more expensive than EK to JNB. CX is the best deal in J IMO.

Calculon

It was my understanding that First is available as long as you can still get a flight the 747 on that leg. As of February, I think it was still half and half (half of the week the daily flight is on a 3-class 777, and the other half on 4-class 747). It's days are numbered, though. Stuff changes all the time so maybe my understanding is already outdated?

When was the last time you flew J to Joburg? We went in February and it appeared to be the "current" version - the Cirrus product that you see a lot these days (new American as an example). Coming from first class on the SFO-HKG flight it did feel coffin-like, but only by comparison I think.

Anyway, as for availability: We needed three seats, which of course is not possible in first class until last minute, but we ended up getting all three in the highest class offered a day or two before the flights. Captain was a little surprised to see one family occupying half the first class cabin, when he came down to chat before the flight back to LAX.