How far in advance should I book a flight to South Africa?

Seasonality for Africa Flights: For most of the year, you'll want to book flights to African countries as early as you can. Spring is one exception, where you can find the best deals quite a bit closer to your travel dates. You can book about 3 months in advance and still get a good price, on average.



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Best Time To Book International Flights According to a study conducted by Expedia, data shows that you want to book at least six months in advance for international travel. The study found you'll save an average of 10% by booking six months in advance instead of two months or less.

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The best times to get great travel deals in South Africa
  • Here's what you need to know about finding great travel deals:
  • Always book domestic flights on Tuesdays.
  • Avoid booking domestic flights on Fridays, Sundays, public and school holidays.
  • Consider travelling locally during February and August.


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Domestic airline prices are on the decline in 2023, finally retreating after spiking just a year ago. International fares are still high. After soaring in 2022, prices for domestic airline tickets are on the descent.

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Time your booking right “For international flights — [it's] four to 10 months.” If you're traveling during an off-peak season, you're going to want to look at airfares one to three months in advance for domestic flights, and two to eight months ahead of the flight for international trips.

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Here are some of our favorite airlines that fly to South Africa.
  • South African Airways: Direct flights from New York or Washington, D.C.; easy connections to other destinations in South Africa.
  • Emirates: Indirect flights with stopovers in Dubai and other Middle East locations; exceptional inflight service.


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Discovery Bank and Visa have identified two major reasons that drove steep increases in flight prices in 2022 – high aviation fuel prices and reduced flight capacity.

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Johannesburg is South Africa's gateway and an entry point for direct flights from the U.S. All direct flights from the U.S. land in Johannesburg from Atlanta (ATL), New York (JFK), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).

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Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to fly domestically. The cheapest days to depart if you're flying within the U.S. are midweek — generally Tuesday or Wednesday. For economy tickets, Tuesdays are about 24% lower than peak prices on Sundays, which translates to savings of about $85 per ticket.

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If you're interested in getting the best deal on flights, it helps to understand what causes changes in pricing. Timing plays an important part. Specifically, plane tickets usually don't get cheaper closer to the departure date.

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South African Airways (SAA) was the most expensive airline with a business class offering on this route for our chosen dates. Its prices started at R8,723. The tables below compare the prices of return tickets in business class between Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban.

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The best time to book a flight is one to three months before your departure for domestic airline tickets and two to eight months prior for international flights. “We call these the 'Goldilocks windows,'” Scott Keyes, founder of Going.com, tells AFAR. “Not too early, not too late—just right in the middle.”

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Factors such as fuel costs, staffing shortages, aging IT infrastructure and hidden fees all contribute to expensive flights in 2023.

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