Are you looking for cheap flights in South Africa? Our handy search tool will help you find the cheapest flights in South Africa and be able to compare rates between the different airlines.
In addition to the search tool, we also have some tips that can help you in knowing what determines the prices of flights and to help you in knowing how to plan for your travels.
When To Book Cheap Flights In South Africa
Flights get more and more expensive as the get nearer to the flight time. But Airlines start selling tickets way in advance because people plan their travels in advance.
So if you are planning a vacation, it is logically best to book early and advance if you want to make the best savings. The ideal time to book in advance in South Africa is two months. That is when prices will generally be at their cheapest.
If you are traveling for business trips, booking will often be very close to date of departure. In that case, you will have to compare airlines in order to find the best price. That is where the search tool comes in handy.
Best Time To Fly
The best time to fly will depend on your needs and different times have their own advantages. Most people will usually want to fly during the waking hours of the day. These are the most popular flights because you can make it to your destination during a time when you would normally be awake without having to wake up by alarm.
The popular hours for flights are approximately 12:00 and 21:00 and cost more. Flights between 5:00 and just before 12:00 are cheaper because this is the time when people would possibly asleep or would battle with traffic to get to the airport. On the other hand, there are the early morning and late night flights. These flights which are not as popular as the flights during favourable hours, and receive considerably fewer bookings. With these flights you either have to wake up very early or arrive at your destination late. The benefit of these flights is that they are always cheaper because of the lower demand. And if you don’t like crowding, you can often find these flights with much fewer people onboard.
Peak and Off-Peak Season
Peak Season for flying approximately coincides with Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter, respectively. Flights are cheaper from April to September, when it gets colder and people travel less. After November to February is considered the peak season, and this coincides with warmer months, and the festive season when most people go on vacation. There are also spikes in demand within peak and off-peak seasons, which is during school holidays, and around long weekends.
Weekends are also a popular time to fly with prices increasing because it is more convenient for people to fly on weekends when they don’t have work obligations. The cheapest days to fly during the week are usually Monday and Tuesday
The Cheapest Airline In South Africa
The cheapest flights in South Africa depend on several factors and can change in a fort space of time so the use the search tool to find the cheapest flight. But as a rule of thumb for the cheapest airline, the cheapest flight you can get in South Africa is from FlySafair. The company has become very popular with airplane commuters because they allow you to eliminate some of the costs to a flight by making them optional. Flight changes and checked in luggage, which are standard on all other flights, are optional with FlySafair. So you can save a good deal of money by opting out of those, but that cost saving comes at the cost of convenience and flexibility.
How to Get To And From The Airport
When you fly, chances are that you don’t have your car with you. There are several ways to get to and from the airport if you aren’t being dropped off or picked up by someone you know.
The most common way these days, is by Uber or metered taxi. Some loyalty schemes like Sanlam Reality even have discounts on Uber rides that specifically transfer to and from the airport. Alternatively, you can hire a car at your destination. AVIS is the most popular car rental company in the world and you can book a car from their website online.
If you are in Johannesburg, you can take the Gautrain to and from OR Tambo International Airport. There is a station right inside the airport so this is a cost effective and efficient way to travel to the airport.