Hi everyone,

I want to book a CPT-JFK-JNB ticket in whY with a stopover in one or both directions.

CPT-JFK-JNB via LHR in June is the same price as CPT-JFK-CPT, so that's fine.

I've tried using the BA multi-city tool and ringing the call centre* to add in one stopover but the price jumps about USD400: extra $280 in fare and extra $120 in taxes. Fare rules state one free stopover is allowed, so I can understand paying higher taxes but not a higher fare when availability is fairly consistently open and low. I've also tried doing individual searches on BA.com for CPT-LHR-CPT, LHR-JFK-LHR, JNB-LHR-JNB to see the lowest individual flights and then select those on the multi city booking or BA call centre.

Adding a second stopover (ZAR750/USD82 in fare rules) once again causes fare & taxes to jump.

This I don't know about, but I want to stopover in AMS, not LHR in one direction. I would think adding LHR-AMS-LHR would have a minimal additional cost as going CPT-LHR-AMS (stopover) AMS-LHR-JFK and then back to JNB with no stopover in Europe would have a minimal additional cost as the fare might be higher but I wouldn't be paying UK taxes, but it's considerably more expensive.

Any help on these topics would be great. I couldn't find similar issues on FT, except that the stopover tool on the BA site is apparently(?) gone.

*I'm in HKG but ringing the US call centre on Skype using the 1800 number. They seem savvy but would the South African call centre have better fares?