noah

My recommendation on this is for a few reasons:
1) Two overnight flights (US to Europe, Europe to South Africa) where sleep is more important
2) Two legs = greater opportunity to use lounges, priority services (check-in, baggage etc)
3) Business award seats are harder to come by on the SAA non/one-stop flights between the US and South Africa

CFFrost

I guess I got a little bit confused when I was trying to do this before, as a test, online because every time I tried I got error messages. I would find each segment available as a one-way, but when I tried to move forward to book it as a multi-segment I would have issues. I figured it must not be possible or I must be doing something wrong. Now I realize their booking engine is far from perfect, so the more complex routings must be done on the phone.

I thought I read somewhere that awards are available one day earlier over the phone. Is that true? Because when you search ~330 days out it looks like there is a lot of availability at about ~328 days but not at exactly 330. Is that because of delay in posting partner availability, which may be attained more readily by phone?

LongingForORD

Just my 2 more cents on if you have to fly Y, IMHO, SAA then UA in E+ are the best. most room, ok serivce. SAA in Y is really the best choice, same room as E+ and seatback TV with LOTS of choices, better food. I would (personally) stay away from Lufthansa in Y, yuck on many levels.

That said, SAA on has business/first combined on most long hauls and it is terrific. (I think better than C on UA, LU, SW, ect...)

Somehow it is easier for us to take as few flights as possible, going over with a stop over so only 1 overnight flight, then a couple of night in a hotel, then onward for the last overnight flight to Africa. I have found that the JNB-JFK or JNB-IAH flights back are the easiest (at least for us). We have also arranged a 23.5 hours layover (any thing under 24 hours is not a stop) on the east coast, got an early nights sleep in an airport hotel and then taken the morning flight back to the west coast. You can also do the JNB-East Coast-West coast trip straight thru, it is long but at least you are home.

Good luck!

CFFrost

All of this makes sense. Especially since there are two overnights. I guess my solution to that problem has always been some Benadryl, Xanax, and a drink .

I guess I just figured a non-stop or nearly-non-stop flight from JNB/CPT would be excruciating in Y, but broken into two segments a week apart could be tolerable.

If I can find any LH F availability, I may try to route the direct (no stop over flight) through FRA to take advantage of their notorious FRA first lounge. Grab a shower, a meal, relax, and then continue on - but I doubt I would be able to find the availability, especially for two. (I really don't think I could get away with that for just me, while the SO sits in the terminal and endures cattle class on our honeymoon. I know I would hate that).

Thanks for your input.

I think in any event, the carrier will be either determined by where we want our stopover (if that is the side of the routing that is in Y), or availability (if the direct flight is the side in Y). But, given choices I will try to remember to avoid LH and prioritize SAA.

escapefromphl

This only opens up 15 days ahead of scheduled flights. While SA C is definitely better than LH C, the 380 to JNB may have switched over to the new seats by August 2014 which are fine IMO.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles-more-lufthansa-austrian-swiss-other-partners/1333570-new-business-class-retrofit-routes-etc.html

CFFrost

Yea I know LH F only opens up just prior to departure. I'm not sure I'd be keen to make last minute changes if other options fall into place before then. Especially if it would mean $150 on close-in booking fees. $150 could go toward any number of things in CPT! I really would not have guessed that so many people prefer SA over LH. I've only flown LH once and it was years ago, but a generally good experience. And with as much as people acclaim the LH F product, I would assume their C product is equally up to par. I've never flown SA - but it sounds like most people here have a favorable perspective of them. Is their product better on this route because they operate a combined business / first product?

UA-NYC

I was lucky to get a pair of SA JFK-JNB C awards (on the way to CPT) last year. Plenty of pics & trip reports out there...it's fine, it's not the most current seat, but it's a flat bed (albeit a bit lumpy). Food's good, liquor selection wasn't the best (but good wines!)

Came back via IST on TK (did a day stopover) which I recommend.

EWRTravelers

We found availability for November '13 in late December '12.

Our routing is JFK>JNB>CPT on SAA in Business

CPT>JNB (Taking a seperate flight to Safari)

JNB > IST > JFK on TK in Business

CFFrost

(emphasis mine)


I have a question regarding the change fees. You say you can make these changes free, but I have no status so I am confused about what my fees would be. According to their fee schedule for award tickets here:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...ticketing.aspx
It looks like piecing together an itinerary one step at a time as the routes become available could be pretty expensive.

For example:
Each time I change an origin or destination I would incur a $75 fee per passenger.

So, SAN-JNB, then add JNB-LHR-SAN, then JNB-CPT and CPT-JNB opens up. this would be 3 (and possibly 4) changes (x2 for two passengers) = $450 in change fees.

And again, there is another $75 fee for charging cabin, award type, etc - so if F becomes available that's another $150.

Then another $75 ($150 total) for close-in booking if I make that change when LH F becomes available, for example.

So, all told, that could end up being $750 in fees, in addition to whatever taxes might be tacked on - bringing the total to maybe $950. Plus $25 for each time these changes are made via representative, so lets call it $1050.

Is this correct, or am I missing something? In practice, does United actually charge the fees like this?

aisleorwindow

The problem with the GRU connection is that the layover is VERY long. It's around 23 hours JNB-ORD for example. So unless you want to actually visit Sao Paulo for a day or something, it isn't the best option.

Surface Interval

Making big changes would add up to big $$. I was only talking about changing a connection to speed things up, with no other changes. Take a look at the fee schedule section: "Adding, changing or deleting a connection, 21 days or more prior to departure" it is free for that part - everything else would be $.

Surface Interval

I get into GRU on 2 July at 11:30PM and leave at 3 July at 3:30 AM.

CFFrost

Right.

It sounds like, at a minimum you would have one change if you are trying to book ~330 days out, as you would have a destination change when you add the return segment. I suppose in the alternative you could try to book it like a mileage run in the first day or two - then just do date changes as the schedule opens up, which are free.

So, for example you book SAN-JNB/CPT then 14 days later book JNB/CPT-LHR-SAN (for example). Obviously that wouldn't be the exact routing but those would be the places you intend to stop at. That would incur a $75 per ticket fee ($150 total) since you are changing the destination.


Then, a few days later you want to split up the JNB-LHR-SAN segment to accommodate your stopover - would this be classified as "Changing the departure to a date/time 21 days away or more" which is free?

So essentially there would be $150 in fees by trying to book at ~330 days out (since it would involve one change of destination.) Then you can monitor routing/dates to try to make changes for free.

And, if F opens up you can decide if it's worth the change fee to get into the F cabin.

encierro98

So I am looking at trip to SA again (IAH-JNB) and up until the other day I thought I was set. Looking to try to fly business with the family (4 of us) and splitting up doesn’t really work due to S.O. is a nervous flyer and with 2 kids it is a bit too much for her. It makes it tricky but I have been able to find availability on IAH to GRU and GRU to JNB on several different dates. Still waiting a couple more weeks till my 330 day countdown begins, but I called United up to see if this routing was allowed as I couldn’t get it to book on the website, and after about a half hour on the phone they said it was not allowed.

I know the mileage is less than going through Europe, so can’t figure out it is not allowed, but I have seen others with a similar issue. I have also seen several people be able to score this routing. Thoughts or Advice? Do I just call back and get another representative.

Also there was some talk about converting two one ways to a round trip which would allow you to book 330 days in advance for the first leg and then take advantage of the stopover at the end of the trip. I haven’t ever been able to get this to work. Didn’t seem like on this thread there was an easy way about it either, but in case any of you have been successful in doing this, please let me know.

sbm12

I've successfully booked it online JNB-GRU-IAH-(EWR).