I agree about not wanting to be totally out of it in CPT. I have 12 hours in JNB. Do some searches -- I haven't booked anything, but I saw at least one other hotel actually in the airport and a handful within 1 mile that offer free shuttle service. You can definitely find something palatable between the IC and the lounge...

Is there anything to do on Johannesburg if I booked a 23 hour layover?

ITA seems to be timing out for me on this specific search. :-/

APPEARS TO BE DEAD :-(

Still seeing it on KLM.com

Sample dates: 5/23 - 5/29, IAH-JNB, $733 ai.

Gotta make a rare post but ty OP for finding this fare.

I'm booked for a safari, great white shark cage tour, some wine tasting and just going to backpack/hostel it up on a nice 10-day.

Would it be impossible to get Delta/KLM to give me 23 hour layovers in Paris/AMS?

Generally u gotta work for those. Look for the departure time from AMS of the CPT or JNB flight, or the arrival time in AMS of the return. On the outbound u gotta arrive just after that time the day before, and on the return u need to leave just before it on the day after.

Sometimes combinations fall into your lap if scrolling through a powerful system like ITA (look for the lonest total trip times and then examine the details). To do it manually you'd need to look at departures and arrivals of all the U.S.-AMS/PAR links. What it usually comes down to is booking on an early or late flight to a U.S. gateway that might not be your first choice, and then getting the domestic flights to work from there (e.g. IAH-MSP-AMS-CPT-AMS-DTW-IAH).

Usually they won't help you on the phone with something like this.

This might sound silly, but reading from the KLM site, a flight booked in R class earns 25% mileage for Flying Blue members.
IAH-JNB-IAH is about 21k +. It is saying that you would earn only a little over 5k for booking that round trip.
Why are they only getting that for their members, but giving 21k in Delta miles? Or are they truely paying 21k if you enter your DL Skymiles after booking at the KLM site?

Must know for sure before I book this. I would hate to only get 5k for this.

Thanks.

How did you pick your safari?

Hard to say what the deal is on that, but the Delta website definitely shows 100% MQM accrual in R: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_...-airlines.html

I called both Delta and KLM to confirm that my SM number was linked to the ticket and I believe other posters have confirmed 100% accrual in their Delta account using this itinerary.

I just returned from Cape Town and acquired full milage (R) class. JFK-YUL-AMS-CPT on the return CPT-JNB-AMS-JFK. Full MQM plus DM 125% miles. Milage run fare $920. I had 4hrs to kill in JNB and with lots of stores, restaurants and the Air France lounge (showers) it goes by quick.
*note no milage for CPT-JNB code share with BA, but nonetheless a great short under two hour flight on a new Product, new for me ;)
I've written a trip report about it.

Would love to read it. Link?

I did some research on reviews and feedback and it seems the one called "Bok Bus" tours got the best ratings. I'm doing a 5-day Garden route with them, seems cool.

Spending another 4 days out there past that. Why not?

Here's the link: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1446168-south-africa-via-jfk-yul-ams-cpt-jnb-ams-jfk.html

Did you try to get mileage credited for the leg on Comair ?