Apr 15, 2019, 2:02 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
]United Airlines Preparing New Nonstop Seasonal Service Between New York/Newark and Cape Town, South Africa
United's new nonstop service will save customers nearly eight hours of travel time roundtrip between New York and Cape Town
CHICAGO, April 15, 2019
United Airlines today applied with the U.S. Department of Transportation for authority to begin new service between New York/Newark Liberty International Airport and Cape Town International Airport. United plans to operate nonstop three-times weekly flights to Cape Town starting in December 2019.
"We are always looking at ways to expand our industry-leading international route network to offer our customers more convenient options. We're thrilled to announce the addition of Africa to our global route offering," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network. "
This new flight will provide customers with the only nonstop service between the United States and Cape Town." United's nonstop service between New York/Newark and Cape Town will decrease the current travel time from New York to Cape Town by more than four hours and provide customers from more than 80 U.S. cities with easy one-stop access to Cape Town. If approved, United's service between New York/Newark and Cape Town will be operated with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring 48 seats in United Polaris business class, 88 seats in United Economy Plus and 116 seats in United Economy.
United's new nonstop service will save customers nearly eight hours of travel time roundtrip between New York and Cape Town
CHICAGO, April 15, 2019
United Airlines today applied with the U.S. Department of Transportation for authority to begin new service between New York/Newark Liberty International Airport and Cape Town International Airport. United plans to operate nonstop three-times weekly flights to Cape Town starting in December 2019.
"We are always looking at ways to expand our industry-leading international route network to offer our customers more convenient options. We're thrilled to announce the addition of Africa to our global route offering," said Patrick Quayle, United's vice president of International Network. "
This new flight will provide customers with the only nonstop service between the United States and Cape Town." United's nonstop service between New York/Newark and Cape Town will decrease the current travel time from New York to Cape Town by more than four hours and provide customers from more than 80 U.S. cities with easy one-stop access to Cape Town. If approved, United's service between New York/Newark and Cape Town will be operated with Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft featuring 48 seats in United Polaris business class, 88 seats in United Economy Plus and 116 seats in United Economy.
Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and the country's center of trade and commerce. Located at the shore of Table Bay, the city is home to some of the most popular attractions in South Africa including Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Travelers to South Africa often begin their African journey in Cape Town before touring the Cape Winelands, viewing the African penguins at Boulder Beach or traveling beyond Cape Town to explore South Africa's natural beauty including its many national parks, game reserves and beautiful coastlines and beaches of the KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape provinces.
26 April 2019
Update: APPROVED ^
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...flight-457638/
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/ar...flight-457638/
Best Routing for UA flyer (Paid/Miles) to South Africa (JNB, CPT, ...)[Consolidated]
UA to launch Seasonal EWR-CPT - 3x Weekly year-round starting 5 June 2022
Dec 1, 2019, 8:21 am
#196
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 10
Just got back into flyer talk to see if anyone had a clue if the Newark capetown flights would be old Polaris or new. Either way, flying non stop in a straight line happens to be worth an awful lot to me, as I travelled to cpt through Paris a couple years ago and it’s a really long long day.
Interesting reading here on fares, as I am also on that Feb cruise, so figured J class would book early, so I paid more than I wanted to, but got into a silly airline discussion as Montreal Newark was booked in economy.
While this took two weeks to straighten out, it ended up I paid a change fee and got $1000 refund for a price drop at the time.
Capetown is a great, beautiful city, and anyone who has a chance to go to Africa should do so.
United was also very easy to book the Singapore return flight through San Fran.
Happy travels to all
Interesting reading here on fares, as I am also on that Feb cruise, so figured J class would book early, so I paid more than I wanted to, but got into a silly airline discussion as Montreal Newark was booked in economy.
While this took two weeks to straighten out, it ended up I paid a change fee and got $1000 refund for a price drop at the time.
Capetown is a great, beautiful city, and anyone who has a chance to go to Africa should do so.
United was also very easy to book the Singapore return flight through San Fran.
Happy travels to all
Dec 1, 2019, 8:28 am
#197
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
Programs: UA 1K / *G, Marriott Bonvoy Gold; Avis PC
Posts: 9,005
Dec 1, 2019, 11:46 am
#198
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
UA has stated they will be starting to retrofit 787-9 soon and 1 787-8 has been completed. UA is about 1/2 way thru the fleet retrofits and the 787-8 & 787-9s are going to be at the end of the process.
It will probably be some time (a year?) before the CPT route has a chance of having the all direct aisle access seats.
Dec 3, 2019, 10:42 pm
#199
formerly 1984SW
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Merida, Yucatan, Mexico
Programs: UA
Posts: 1,058
Dec 3, 2019, 11:09 pm
#200
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,859
Feb 5, 2020, 10:58 am
#201
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Programs: UA Million Miler, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Gold, SW A-List
Posts: 77
EWR to CPT being extended past March??
Has UAL made any announcement yet if they are planning to extend their service between EWR and JNB past March? I'm flying there in May and it would make my flight home much easier.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Last edited by Del Mar 1K; Feb 5, 2020 at 11:14 am Reason: Had wrong airport code in title originally.
Feb 5, 2020, 11:30 am
#204
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,360
Can't see anything bookable past March.
Last flight seems to be March 27 EWR-CPT, and then March 28 CPT-EWR.
Not ideal, but maybe JNB-JFK with SA might work? (United has some good saver availability sometimes in J!
)
Last flight seems to be March 27 EWR-CPT, and then March 28 CPT-EWR.
Not ideal, but maybe JNB-JFK with SA might work? (United has some good saver availability sometimes in J!
)
Feb 5, 2020, 12:22 pm
#205
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: CLE
Programs: UA GS+LT UC, AA EXP+LT PLT, Fairmont LT PLT, Marriott PLT, Hilton DIA, Hyatt Glob, Avis CHM
Posts: 4,671
Feb 5, 2020, 1:26 pm
#207
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,162
Let me tell you there’s a TON of frustrating phantom inventory JFK-JNB so brace yourself! Then of course taxi LGA/EWR-JFK if ur positioning flight is UA. Which routes is SA cutting once many of their A340 get sold off? Having just gone to ZA for the first time (leisure) I must say that I have a strong preference for visiting CPT over JNB, and next to none of SA’s few JNB-CPT flights are bookable through MP. We flew Safair and Airlink, which are fine airlines, for extra $.
Feb 5, 2020, 1:42 pm
#208
Join Date: May 2010
Location: AVP & PEK
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM
Posts: 6,360
Let me tell you there’s a TON of frustrating phantom inventory JFK-JNB so brace yourself! Then of course taxi LGA/EWR-JFK if ur positioning flight is UA. Which routes is SA cutting once many of their A340 get sold off? Having just gone to ZA for the first time (leisure) I must say that I have a strong preference for visiting CPT over JNB, and next to none of SA’s few JNB-CPT flights are bookable through MP. We flew Safair and Airlink, which are fine airlines, for extra $.
Ended up refunding and flying CX to HKG after all, which was a shame: I'd have liked to fly that route, despite the [somewhat] crappy seats.
Re: taxi LGA/EWR-JFK: I terminate flights in NYC, and it's a rental car from there either way, so no skin-off-my-back!
Feb 6, 2020, 6:41 pm
#209
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London
Programs: UA GS
Posts: 2,438
I just tried to checkin for my flight from EWR-CPT tomorrow and to my surprise I got the document verification required message instead of a boarding pass. Anyone know why? It’s visa free for US citizens; I’ve only ever gotten that for countries which require a visa.
btw, pretty cute text message from United at checkin time:
“Ready to hang with penguins? It's almost time - check in for your flight to Cape Town.”
btw, pretty cute text message from United at checkin time:
“Ready to hang with penguins? It's almost time - check in for your flight to Cape Town.”
Feb 6, 2020, 7:31 pm
#210
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AS 75K, DL Silver, UA Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Platinum + LT Gold
Posts: 10,515
PASSPORT VALIDITY:30 days
BLANK PASSPORT PAGES:2 consecutive empty visa pages per entry
TOURIST VISA REQUIRED:No, if visiting 90 days or less
VACCINATIONS:Yellow fever at least 10 days before arrival is required for travelers originating from or transiting through WHO-designated yellow fever countries
CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS FOR ENTRY:ZAR 25,000; Foreign currency unlimited if declared; No Kruger coins.
CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS FOR EXIT:ZAR 25,000; Foreign currency unlimited if amount was declared on entry; Up to 15 Kruger coins if proof purchased with foreign currency
BLANK PASSPORT PAGES:2 consecutive empty visa pages per entry
TOURIST VISA REQUIRED:No, if visiting 90 days or less
VACCINATIONS:Yellow fever at least 10 days before arrival is required for travelers originating from or transiting through WHO-designated yellow fever countries
CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS FOR ENTRY:ZAR 25,000; Foreign currency unlimited if declared; No Kruger coins.
CURRENCY RESTRICTIONS FOR EXIT:ZAR 25,000; Foreign currency unlimited if amount was declared on entry; Up to 15 Kruger coins if proof purchased with foreign currency