Originally Posted by
jetfan
Thanks for a great flight report!
I go to South Africa often for business purposes and can well imagine what you went through at JNB airport.
It can be a nightmare.
You feel almost like royalty, the way they pamper you on board and then, upon deplaning, it's really back-to-reality with the busing, the waiting at immigration (it can take more than an hour in the morning peak), the waiting at overcrowded baggage carrousels etc etc.
CPT is much more intimate and thus efficient.
Next time spend some more money on accomodation mate - if you're splashing out in mileage for a FIRST award then it seems a bit odd to stay in a HOSTEL in a country like South Africa where decent hotels (or even B/B's) are affordable...?
I have to say I disagree. When I travelled for a year between school and uni, during uni summer holidays and also in the year after university, I found it far more beneficial staying in guesthouses and hostels. You meet people your age, you spend less money (something important for whentravelling long term) and you hear about the most student orientated things. Also it is rather easy to find a job (if the country you're in allows that sort of thing). Money being the key factor here. When I was 16-23 I was miles rich and cash poor (admittedly not that poor due to my language skills and finding holiday work in Europe for a well known Qatari bank). Miles rich because from year dot I was brought up in HKG, SYD and SFO (not at the same time). Went to boarding school at 8, uni at 19, so trotted home 6 times a year (for 14 years) . Cash poor because my parents would never want me throwing champagne bottles at the wall of Annabel's in London
