holy moly!
 

Using Friday, June 11 as an example, just looked at Delta.com and there running two 77L's to JNB from ATL that day. Flight #200 is already filled to capacity in BE and coach is over 90% full as well.

Flight #102 on June 11 is filling up very fast to. lots of availability in BE but coach is nearly gone already. Dam. Delta going to be making the big bucks for this!

You're not getting to Jo'berg on a buddy pass....hate to tell you....just not going to happen. In fact, I'd venture a 100% wager and bet that no non-rev's will get on any of the JNB flights before, during or after the World Cup.

Trust me on this.

Beyond the fact that your employee sponsor should have told you that there is an embargo that entire month meaning you cannot even list for the flights. I would talk with your employee friend.

:confused:. That doesn't make sense. There has to be some time/date when "after" ends. Or are you saying "never, ever", regardless of World Cup or not?

JNB is probably the hardest city to get in/out of in the Delta system.

I'm also going to SA for the world cup using a buddy pass. What I am doing to get around the Embargo is flying RT through Cairo with Delta and flying Egypt Air RT CAI-JNB. Flights from the States to JNB are ridiculously expensive for this event, so this was the most economical method.

I hope you have a pretty good cushion between your US-CAI flight and CAI-JNB flight.

The JNB embargo is June 4 to July 18 and they have the right to add to that at the drop of a hat.

HUGE risk you're putting yourself through. The CAI option sounds doable but I would give yourself a day at least going and coming to make sure you get it.

I have to go to JNB in late May (for non business purposes) and though I hold a Companion Pass card I'm ponying up for a paid ticket. Too big a risk with something as huge as the World Cup.

I would never think about going anywhere in Africa on a buddy pass, let alone JNB during the world cup. The Cairo route has warnings for pass riders, even those who fly before buddy passes. I've known employees who have been stuck for a week. I'd have to assume buddy passes get stuck for about 10 days before ponying up and buying a ticket. Save yourself A LOT of hassle and buy a ticket. I don't even give my buddy passes out anymore, because they WILL get stuck, and often have to buy an expensive walk up fare to get back.

OH, AFRICA
 

EK is offering good deals from NYC to World Cup events. Even in Y it is a nice airline.

A few things to keep in mind about travel in Africa....

1. Just cause the airline says a plane is going to leave at a particular time doesn't make it so (KLM, DL and other NON-African carriers excepted) Times can vary as much as 12 hours for no reason that you will ever figure out (I've shown up 2 hours early for a flight and the plane has been gone because someone important showed up and said let's go...this has happen to me more than once). You can get suck for days waiting for a flight that you have a ticket for.

2. The reverse of 1 where the plane just doesn't show up or leave for 12+ hours happens often too.

3. Even if you have a Visa not every customs officer will let you in or out without a "baggage surcharge"

4. Check the safety record of the airline you are flying inter-africa...there are a lot of carriers in Africa that USG employees are not allowed to fly because the USG deems them too dangerous (if the USG won't let its people fly it...do you really want to fly it?).

I make these points only to prepare you for the pain it could be to interline in Africa...CAI is better than most...ACC and LAG are a pain and should be avoided. NBO is pretty good.

I hate to say it...suck it up...buy a ticket...use the buddy pass later for a vacation to somewhere else that is not embargoed.

As is always the case, the only people who can help are the DL employees/retirees who can research loads and availability and embargo status on the Delta intranet site. You need to contact your "friend or family" who can do the research for you. You will get better info from them than a group of strangers in this case.

Getting there would be impossible but would you not expect the JNB-ATL flights for the first couple of days of the Cup to be somewhat light? I know I want go see the USA v. Red Coats on like June 12th and albeit awhile back when I checked it seemed fairly empty on the return. I would think most revenue pax would be staying at least a week from the start of the games. It's a long ride for non-non revs.

That being said I have looked into several alternate methods of arriving in JNB if I go - none of them that exciting.

Buddy Pass Help for World Cup
 

Hello, I am also trying to use a buddy pass to get to the world cup. I would be flying out of Minneapolis. I know it might be a long shot but please help me by sharing any ideas on how I could get to the World Cup!!!

buy a ticket

Guess I got lucky..... Daughter is doing a study abroad in May and June in Capetown. Even when I tried to book a free ticket then a revenue ticket to CPT the flights were sold out several months ago. Managed to snag a free ticket to JNB using points and then a paid ticket to CPT.

Welcome to Flyertalk. Now buy a ticket. Trust us on this one.