The cheapest flight to one of South Africa’s four most popular holiday destinations can cost as little as R11,181 for one person.
According to data from Google Flights, it is possible to travel from South Africa to Thailand, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States for less than R15,000, provided you book ahead and don’t mind long travel times.
Jet-setting on a budget
While travelling to another country will always be an expensive endeavour, it is possible to find relatively wallet-friendly options when hunting for flights online provided you aren’t in a rush to get to your destination.
Flight prices are determined by a variety of factors, including the distance travelled and how popular the route is, as less frequented options incur a higher operating cost to the airline.
There are also a number of elements that are in the consumer’s hands, such as choosing the right time of year to visit, as holiday venues like Thailand become much more expensive during peak beach season.
Pre-booking well in advance also goes a long way, as flights become more expensive the closer you get to the departure date.
Another way to save money is to book a flight with stop-overs at other airports along the way, though this will naturally increase the length of the journey by a considerable amount if you aren’t willing to pay to fly direct.
TopAuto looked at the cost of flights to four of South Africa’s most popular overseas destinations using Google Flights data to see what bargains are up for grabs for people leaving from O.R Tambo International in Johannesburg.
We filtered the results for the cheapest one-person economy return ticket to each country, flying approximately two months from now in late September – just before prices start going up towards the holiday season at the end of the year.
These were the results for each country:
| Country | Airport (Travel time) | Number of stops | Airline | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | London, Heathrow (15h, 20min) | 1 – Munich | Lufthansa | R11,181 |
| Thailand | Bangkok, Suvarnabhumi (16h, 55 min) | 1 – Abu Dhabi | Etihad Airways | R11,813 |
| Germany | Berlin, Brandenburg (18h, 50 min) | 2 – Amsterdam, Paris | KLM, Air France | R12,043 |
| United States | New York, JFK (29h, 10 min) | 1 – Abu Dhabi | Etihad Airways | R13,302 |
Unsurprisingly, the UK was the cheapest option since it is the most popular destination of the four being compared, with Lufthansa asking just over R11,000 to get you to London.
Berlin is the most affordable destination for anyone looking to go to Germany, though you will have to stop at two other airports in Europe before reaching your goal.
Thailand and the United States have the same airline offering the most affordable rate with Etihad Airways taking passengers through Abu Dhabi, though this comes with the trade-off of a lengthy travel period since individuals will be flying north to the United Arab Emirates before flying a considerable distance east or west to reach the end.
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