Originally Posted by MaputoBound

Summary : advice needed

Where: RT San Diego (SAN) -> Johannesburg (JNB) (then Maputo (MPM), probably by ground)
When: Between Feb 18th 2012 and Mar 27 2012 (as much time as possible in that span)
Assets: 107k BA miles, student status

My wife will be working in a hospital in Maputo, Mozambique in February - March of 2012. I'd like to join her from as early as February 18th to as late as March 27th. I'd like to make stops along the way.

Choices

Student fare to Maputo (Continental, Ethiopian): $1950
BA miles to Maputo: Doesn't seem possible

...or get to Johannesburg, then take a bus to Maputo. This is fine by me, as I'd get to see Joburg as well, and bus travel is apparently quite easy to Maputo from there.

Student fare to Joburg (BA): $1450
BA miles to Joburg: 90k + $1000 (with free stopovers in London, Cape Town)

I am a graduate student, so I can get a student discount via STAtravel.com. Currently, the best fare I can find to Maputo in that date range is around $1950, on a mixture of Continental and Ethiopian Airlines.

Or, I can get to Johannesburg for $1450 on British Airways on a student fare. This is a much better route, as well, with only one stop: SAN -> LHR -> JNB. I've read it's quite easy to get ground transport from Joburg to Maputo, and I wouldn't mind staying there for a few days to see it as well.

I have 107k British Airways miles. I do place some value on these miles, as I figure I could get $500 - $100 worth of flights to Maine or Hawaii from them (the only other large trips I'll likely be taking in the next year or so). However, I've heard they are being devalued, so perhaps now is the time to use them.

For 90k BA miles plus $1,120 I can get the same kinds of fares that I can get as student fares for $1450 (these are inclusive of all taxes). This is the same excellent route: SAN -> LHR -> JNB and back the same way.

This values my 90k BA miles at only $300, which is pretty poor. However, I do get the option of stopping off in London and / or Cape Town, which I would very much like to do. That would definitely add several hundred dollars of value for me.

I really appreciate any advice you may have on the best way to proceed in my search. Also, if you have any advice about living in Maputo or visiting Southern Africa, I'd love to hear that too (PM).

Some more questions:

- I've had no luck finding availability on partner airlines using BA search. Would it be worth the time trying to do so, or would I just lose my stopovers and the fantastic SAN -> LHR option just to save a few hundred in fees?

- If I book the fare via STA Travel exclusively on BA, can I later add in stops in Heathrow and Capetown? I don't see that there is any option to add these at the time of booking.

- If I make connections in Port Elizabeth or Durban, would they let me stop there as well? Only if I purchase with miles?

- Any way to get more stopovers in new places? Open-jaw via BA miles?