Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - Check In Times in Cape Town

I'll be flying on the South African CPT-LHR flight in a couple of weeks. I've never flown out of Cape Town before; if the flight departs at 18.40, what time do I really need to be at the airport for check in?

Is on-line check in an option on SA? I'll only have a carry-on so that might help with the time.

Also, what's the traffic like in Cape Town? This will be a Wednesday, if that matters.

TIA
DLM

Yes, you can check in on line. Theoretically you can PYOBP too for LHR (but I have never been able to do this - it seems to be new since I last did this route on SA). So you should be set to go provided you get to the airport not much less than 1 hour prior to the flight - but that is pure guesswork on my part, others can confirm or refute.

I have heard of long queues developing at immigration but have never experienced that myself. There's an EK flight that leaves at 18:10 that might cause some congestion.

IMO your biggest potential logistical problem is traffic. Assuming you are coming from the city you will be right in the thick of the afternoon rush hour. Traffic will definitely crawl up to Hospital Bend and the flow could be slow at other points further along. And to make matters worse the roads are under construction at several places. So you need 45 minutes at the very least to make the journey and I would allow more than that. Heaven forbid there is even minor accident on the route - the journey time could double.

Concur with Cheetah on the timing. If I were you I would leave town shortly before 16.00 hrs in which case you usually get through with out too many traffic problems. Leave a few minutes after 16.00 and you'll be stuck in traffic.

Regarding the boarding passes. You will be able to check-in online but SA doesn't allow for them to be printed (I believe this has to do with the fact that they have to check your passport, but I am not 100% sure).

Security and passport shouldn't be too much of an hassle. I have never waited longer than 10 minutes to clear both.

Thanks for the quick answers. As far as treaffic goes, out offices are in the Westlake area. (Near where the M3 ends at the M42.) Does that make a difference on timing?

My other options are the BA flight that departs around 20.00 or the KLM at 23.00.

Also (I've asked this elswhere but didn't get much feedback) any thoughts on the SA 340-200 v the BA 744 v the KLM 777? The SA aircraft does not seem too popular but I'm not sure the other options are any better in Y. Any idea what the loads are the first half of September?

Cheers,
DLM

Firstly as far as timing is concerned, I agree with the other 2 CPT based gentlemen. Departing from Westlake should make it slightly better than from town as the first bit (until hospital bend) is against the traffic and you don't have to fight yourself out of town. Leaving before 16h00 is still essential to miss most of the rush.

As far as SA vs BA vs KL is concerned: The main 'problem' with the SA A342 is that it has no AVOD and in Y it is (AFAICR) a main screen only. So if IFE is important to you (it is not to me), that may be a killer. I have not flown that route on BA in Y (but I know the have IFE). I seriously dislike KL (and I am even a Dutch citizen!): the departure time for me is a serious drawback, the food comes in a cardboard box and is (in my fortunately limited experience) inedible and - assuming you want to go to LHR - why fly via AMS (although I like AMS!).

Loads in the first half of September? I looked at a few dates on seatcounter (dont have EF or KVS) and from this (unscientific) sample, the loads on BA look slightly lower than on SA.

There you have it, hope it helps.

Coming from Westlake you will take the M3 northbound, which should be fine (traffic flows the other way round in the afternoon), however, once you get to the N2 you will hit the traffic jam. From Westlake I would leave at 15.45 (if you have the option to leave that early, but that's me I hate being stuck in traffic jams especially when I have a flight to catch). I would think 17.30 hrs would be your latest time to be at the airport and with traffic as it is at the moment with all the construction going on 16.30 would be the latest I would leave Westlake (as Cheetah said you might be pushing your luck in case there is an accident and they do happen quite frequently on that stretch of the N2).

The 340-200's have only overhead entertainment - that's the major setback. Other than that they are fine - as far as a flight in Y is fine. Normally, I would tend to go with KL in Y but considering that your end destination seems to be LHR BA or SA might be your preferred choice.

BTW: Westlake has a wonderful golf-course should you be interested in that.

The risk with KLM is they could always swap planes for a 747-combi. These are to be avoided at all costs!

As *A points and AVOD is important to me, I used to fly via Joburg

The risk with KLM is they could always swap planes for a 747-combi. These are to be avoided at all costs!

As *A points and AVOD is important to me, I used to fly via Joburg

Not on the CPT route - that has always been a 777. I have never heard of a substitution with another plane on this route.

The risk with KLM is they could always swap planes for a 747-combi. These are to be avoided at all costs!

<snip>



Thus not flying KLM. I start from Houston which is ALWAYS the 747-combi.

I ended up booking through JNB on a 346 outbound and the direct 342 on the return so I'll try them both. AVOD is not a big deal as I have everyting I want to watch on my iPod and I usually sleep a good bit on the flights.

I would love to take in a round of golf but my schedule just does not permit it. I'm in Tuesday at noon and out the next evening. More time in the air than on the ground, I'm afraid...

Thanks for all the help.

Cheers,
DLM

....
I ended up booking through JNB on a 346 outbound and the direct 342 on the return so I'll try them both. AVOD is not a big deal as I have everyting I want to watch on my iPod and I usually sleep a good bit on the flights.
.....




The 346 is a lot better than the 342 (AVOD as well as a few inches more pitch in Y). Every now and then, SA use a 346 out of CPT (I am lucky on 17 Oct LHR-CPT :D, although in C the difference is only the AVOD), but all flights between 1 and 15 Sep (you mentioned 'first half of Sep') are unfortunately 342's. :(

Why don't you take the DL flight to ATL and onward to Houston? I would think that one would be the most convenient (that is if it flies on that specific day - it's only a thrice weekly service until the end of September by which time it will be gone.)

Regarding the boarding passes. You will be able to check-in online but SA doesn't allow for them to be printed (I believe this has to do with the fact that they have to check your passport, but I am not 100% sure).I've never been able to print mine either but the website specifically says you can for LHR, FRA and MUC. :confused:

Security and passport shouldn't be too much of an hassle. I have never waited longer than 10 minutes to clear both.Again this has been my experience for a long time now. But I saw a trip report that mentioned a long queue. When search works for me again I'll try to find it.