British Airways South Africa

Leisure travel affected by recession

This is a time of year when escape to the northern hemisphere seems particularly attractive. The latest International Air Transport (IATA) passenger survey shows that, although business travel is still strong, the lingering effects of recession have affected leisure travel, increasing the chance of special offers to encourage us to fill otherwise empty seats.

British Airways (BA) is currently offering special prices to New York and 16 European destinations that include one free stopover, and the stillstrong rand makes the prospect of an overseas trip even more tempting. Economy class prices start at R9 909 to New York inclusive of taxes and surcharges and R7 336 to Europe from both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Premium economy fares start at R21 213 to New York and R12 764 to Europe. The European destinations are Paris, Nice, Athens, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Zurich, Geneva, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Rome, Brussels and Helsinki. They don’t include London but it’s easy – and economical – to nip across there from Amsterdam, or by train from France, avoiding the shockingly high arrivals tax passengers from South Africa have to pay for flying straight from here to the UK.

The tax rises according to the distance you have travelled to get to the UK, which means that long-haul airline passengers pay far more than those who fly in from Western Europe. The Dutch government sensibly repealed its arrivals tax when it realised how badly it affected incoming tourism. The UK government unfortunately hasn’t yet, but hopefully it will if the proposed European carbon trading system which charges long-haul airlines for emissions from start to end of a flight, including the portion outside European air space, goes ahead.

Tickets for BA’s special offers are on sale until June 27 with travel to New York between October 1 and November 30, which means you miss the hot summer months and arrive in the autumn and start of winter. But the European travel dates are from now until next Tuesday, June 21, or from July 11 until November 30.

Marthinus van Schalkwyk, our Minister of Tourism, is hoping for more airlines to fly into this country and cheaper flights, in spite of the fact that airlines’ costs are going up. He said in Cape Town this week that the current airline strategy, which has allowed more incoming flights than the former one that protected SAA’s market share, will expire this year and be replaced by a more liberal one.

Fly British Airways to Southern Africa for Less | Affordable ...

British Airways is offering affordable flights to fantastic holiday destinations in Southern Africa and parts of RSA. As a full service airline, you’re really getting value for money when you book your domestic and regional flights with BA in South Africa .

While low cost carriers are often seen as the cheapest way to fly, full service carriers like British Airways (operated in South Africa by Comair Limited) shouldn’t be overlooked as an affordable way to fly.

Flights to Dar es Salaam from South Africa depart daily on British Airways Comair. The flight takes about 3 ½ hours from Johannesburg direct to Tanzania. From Dar you can easily hop over to idyllic Zanzibar or stay on the mainland to see attractions like the National Museum and the Kariakoo Market.

Find flights to Dar from as little as R4203 .

See Vic Falls and Harare

Don’t let Zimbabwe slip off your radar as a fantastic Sub Saharan holiday destination. With these low airfares from British Airways Comair you have even more reason to visit this vibrant African country. Take trips from the Zimbabwean capital of Harare to the Great Zimbabwe Ruins and Kariba.

Stand in awe of the beautiful Victoria Falls. A flight to Vic Falls from Johannesburg takes about 1 hour 40 minutes and is yours for the low price of R2783 .

Tip: Carry small denominations of US Dollars when you travel to Zimbabwe as change is an issue. While Pounds, Pula and Rands are also acceptable, you’ll have the least hassle with US Dollars.

Fly to Windhoek for less

The beauties of Namibia lie in its seclusion and wide open spaces. Book your cheap flights to Windhoek with British Airways. Windhoek is the perfect starting point for an adventurous holiday and an ideal base from which to explore the rest of the country. The Namibian capital offers delightful

accommodation, pleasant restaurants and a variety of shopping options as well as museums, national

archives, the National Botanical Garden and National Art Gallery.

Flights from Johannesburg to Windhoek on BA take approximately 2 hours and are going for the extremely low price of R2857 .

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