Separate airline tickets feasability
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 7
Separate airline tickets feasability
I tried to find a more appropriate place for this but this was the best I found. I am looking at flights between DSM and either DAR or VFA/HRE. What I am finding is that I can fly premium econ much cheaper to NBO (for DAR) or JNB (for VFA/HRE). My plan would be to book the Premium Econ tickets to either NBO or JNB and then buy separate RT tickets to the final destination in coach. I know we will have to clear customs, have a visa, recheck baggage, etc. I'm trying to figure out if it is a feasible plan or not. On the way in we would probably stay a day or two to adjust in NBO or JNB but on the way out, ideally we would have a short layover and fly out immediately. Does anyone have any experience doing something similar?
#2
Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 88
I tried to find a more appropriate place for this but this was the best I found. I am looking at flights between DSM and either DAR or VFA/HRE. What I am finding is that I can fly premium econ much cheaper to NBO (for DAR) or JNB (for VFA/HRE). My plan would be to book the Premium Econ tickets to either NBO or JNB and then buy separate RT tickets to the final destination in coach. I know we will have to clear customs, have a visa, recheck baggage, etc. I'm trying to figure out if it is a feasible plan or not. On the way in we would probably stay a day or two to adjust in NBO or JNB but on the way out, ideally we would have a short layover and fly out immediately. Does anyone have any experience doing something similar?
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,683
All perfectly doable. Personally I like to make a virtue out of the stopover and see something by staying overnight. Obviously the risk with a short connection is that a delay means you miss your onward flight. That could come with a significant additional cost so please do the maths before committing!
#5
Join Date: Dec 2014
Programs: OZ Diamond, QR Gold, HH Gold, IHG Plat, Accor Plat
Posts: 678
I have done this several times in JNB connecting onto or from BA, ET, TK or QR. I actually did it yesterday from Airlink to ET. Yesterday they had a lack of power in the arrivals hall, the queue became insanely long, there was no heating, no announcements or WiFi. I actually had about seven hours and was going to get a hotel for a few hours shut-eye but ended up spending several hours waiting for immigration to sort themselves out. I would be inclined to spend a night in JNB on way in and/or way out. You may find CPT is s similar price and can open jaws the intercontinental section.
#6
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,167
All perfectly doable. Personally I like to make a virtue out of the stopover and see something by staying overnight. Obviously the risk with a short connection is that a delay means you miss your onward flight. That could come with a significant additional cost so please do the maths before committing!
I have done this several times in JNB connecting onto or from BA, ET, TK or QR. I actually did it yesterday from Airlink to ET. Yesterday they had a lack of power in the arrivals hall, the queue became insanely long, there was no heating, no announcements or WiFi. I actually had about seven hours and was going to get a hotel for a few hours shut-eye but ended up spending several hours waiting for immigration to sort themselves out. I would be inclined to spend a night in JNB on way in and/or way out. You may find CPT is s similar price and can open jaws the intercontinental section.
We saw this very thing occur to other people this past July. We were flying back from a Sabi Sands safari camp on a lodge/camp shuttle. This is a charter/shuttle operator who I have used before, multiple times. I would certainly use them again. Our shuttle flight was supposed to depart from the lodge airstrip between 12:30 and 13:00 and arrive at JNB no later than 14:30. The carrier's website indicates that passengers should not book a departing flight form JNB no earlier than 17:00. Well, on our departure the carrier had some sort of issue. We were never told why. But the aircraft arrived at 14:30 and then departed immediately after dropping passengers off and then made another stop or stops and returned sometime after 15:00. There were other issues (they couldn't find a passenger) and the plane did not take off until 15:40. We didn't arrive, get off the plane and get our luggage until after 17:00. There were passengers that had reservations on the 17:40 QF departure for SYD. Those folks were sick with worry. They weren't dropped off at the departures level of the terminal until 17:15.
I personally would not book this kind of connection without at least a 4 hour interval between the scheduled arrival and subsequent departure. And preferably a little longer.
#8
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,167
There are some really decent values in hotels within walking distance (or a 5 minute shuttle ride) of the terminals at JNB. If you have a bunch of IHG points, you can stay at the Intercontinental (across the street from the terminal) and it has a very good breakfast buffet. Great meal to have before leaving for another destination.
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SE1, London
Posts: 23,683
There are also some interesting things to do in JNB - the Apartheid museum, Soweto, a tour of the CBD (if you like Mad Max vibes), Cradle of Humankind at Sterkfontein, Cullinan Diamond Mine, Pretoria or a night out in Maboneng. Johannesburg has a very bad reputation and it certainly isn't Dubai, but with some sensible precautions it's a fascinating place well removed from the western cliches of southern Africa.
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 7
We will definitely be looking for something low key to do we may even spend two nights there on arrival just to rest a little more.
Help me with something else please. What would you choose? 1 stop 24hr/20hr return in economy on DL or 2 stop 32hr/28hr return in premium economy on BA for 3700 more for 5 people? Is the extra time and money worth it for premium economy? A 15 hr flight in economy may kill my 6'6" body...
Help me with something else please. What would you choose? 1 stop 24hr/20hr return in economy on DL or 2 stop 32hr/28hr return in premium economy on BA for 3700 more for 5 people? Is the extra time and money worth it for premium economy? A 15 hr flight in economy may kill my 6'6" body...