Amazing Deal Alert: New York and Washington, DC to South Africa from $390 Round-Trip

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.

Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend that you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency, such as Orbitz, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz's courtesy cancellation if you're unable to travel. Additionally, keep in mind that discounted partner fares may not earn miles with US-based carriers.

There are some amazing fares to South Africa right now — as low as $390 round-trip from Washington, DC (IAD) to Johannesburg (JNB) and $518 from New York (JFK) to the same destination on South African Airways. You can also fly to other cities in South Africa with this deal for slightly more, such as Cape Town (CPT) and Durbin (DUR). Availability seems to be scattered throughout August and September, extending all the way until December.

However, this does appear to be an OTA-specific fare on Expedia, specifically the New Zealand version of the site. Therefore, there is the possibility that this fare will be canceled shortly after booking, but it's still worth a shot to book, as people have reported that the fare is ticketing. Because there's a chance it could be canceled, we recommend waiting a few days before making any nonrefundable plans or booking onward flights.

To search, use the New Zealand version of Momondo, which will find the best fares and direct you to the New Zealand version of Expedia to book. Fares will be priced in New Zealand Dollars (NZD), so make sure you book with a card that has no foreign transaction fees, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Airline: South African Airways
Routes: IAD and JFK to South Africa
Cost: $390+ round-trip in economy
Dates: August, September until December, 2016
Booking Link: Expedia
Pay With: American Express Premier Rewards Gold, Citi Prestige or Chase Sapphire Preferred

Here are a few examples of what you can book:

Washington, DC (IAD) to Johannesburg (JNB) from $390 (NZ $544) round-trip in September:

New York (JFK) to Johannesburg (JNB) from $519 (NZ $722) round-trip in August:

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Maximize Your Purchase

Don't forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as the American Express Premier Rewards Gold or Citi Prestige (3x on airfare) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on all travel purchases). Check out this post for more on maximizing airfare purchases.

If you're able to score one of these tickets, please share the good news in the comments below!