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Airfare deals are typically only available on limited dates. We recommend you use Google Flights to find dates to fly, then book through an online travel agency such as Orbitz or Expedia, which allows you to cancel flights without penalty by 11pm Eastern Time within one day of booking. However, if you’re using The Platinum Card® from American Express, you’ll need to book directly with the airline or through the Amex Travel portal to get 5x MR points. Remember: Fares may disappear quickly, so book right away and take advantage of Orbitz or Expedia’s courtesy cancellation if you’re unable to get the time away from work or family.
Flights to Africa rarely go on sale, and deals for flights across the entire US to Africa are even more unusual. But today SkyTeam carriers Air France, Delta, KLM and Kenya Airways have a massive sale for flights to five different African destinations.
You can fly from New York (JFK/LGA), Newark (EWR), Washington DC (IAD/DCA), Baltimore (BWI), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Burbank (BUR), Ontario (ONT), Santa Ana (SAN), San Francisco (SFO) and San Jose (SJC) to Abuja, Nigeria (ABV), Cape Town, South Africa (CPT), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (DAR), Entebbe, Uganda (EBB) and Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) from just $577 round-trip.
Additionally, this could be a great opportunity for a Delta Mileage run, earning more than 15,000 MQMs on many routes.
If you’re looking to book a safari or other activity while in Africa, check out Get Your Guide’s list of best activities in Cape Town to maximize your time while on vacation.
To search, head to Google Flights and enter your origin and destination cities. Scroll through the calendar function to find dates and prices that work for you. Finally, click through to book directly with the airline or through an OTA like Priceline or Expedia.
Airlines: Air France, Delta, KLM, Air Kenya
Routes: JFK/EWR/LGA/IAD/DCA/BWI/BOS/IAH/ORD/BUR/ONT/SNA/SFO/SJC to ABV/NBO/CPT/DAR/EBB
Cost: $577+ round-trip in economy
Travel Dates: November 2018 – May 2019
Pay With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline), Citi Premier Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Prestige (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred (2x on travel)
Booking Link: Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia or directly with the airline
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Washington DC (IAD) to Nairobi (NBO) for $577 round-trip on Air France/KLM/Kenya Airways:
Houston (IAH) to Nairobi (NBO) for $600 round-trip on KLM:
New York (JFK) to Cape Town (CPT) for $612 round-trip on Air France/KLM:
Washington DC (IAD) to Dar es Salaam (DAR) for $612 round-trip on KLM via Delta.com:
Chicago (ORD) to Nairobi (NBO) for $630 round-trip on KLM:
Washington DC (IAD) to Entebbe (EBB) for $656 round-trip on KLM via Delta.com:
Boston (BOS) to Cape Town (CPT) for $661 round-trip on Air France/KLM:
New York (JFK) to Abuja (ABV) for $669 round-trip on Air France:
San Francisco (SFO) to Nairobi (NBO) for $670 round-trip on Air France/KLM/Kenya Airways:
Maximize Your Purchase
Don’t forget to use a credit card that earns additional points on airfare purchases, such as The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel), Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express® Gold Card, Citi Premier, 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.
Featured image by SL_Photography / Getty Images.
With some great bonus categories, the American Express Gold Card has a lot going for it. The card offers 4x points at US restaurants, at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x), and 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com. It is currently offering a welcome bonus of 35,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in the first three months.
- Earn 35,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $2,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 3 months.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. restaurants. Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com.
- Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with The Gold Card at Grubhub, Seamless, The Cheesecake Factory, Shake Shack, and Ruth's Chris Steak House. This is an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Airline Fee Credit: up to $100 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees at one selected qualifying airline.
- Choose to carry a balance with interest on eligible charges of $100 or more.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $250.
- Terms apply.
- See Rates & Fees
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