Deal Alert: US to Africa From $529 Round-Trip
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
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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.
Airfare is rarely discounted during peak travel times. If you've ever looked at the Google Flights price calendar, you've probably realized that airfare is always more expensive during the summer months. Airlines know you're willing to pay more for preferred dates during peak travel times and of course, they take advantage of that. However, there are amazing deals on round-trip airfare to multiple African destinations during Africa's peak summer season!
This particular deal includes popular destinations like Johannesburg (JNB), Cape Town (CPT), Nairobi (NBO), Kigali (KGL) and Dar Es Salaam (DAR). Johannesburg is ideal for someone seeking out an urban landscape, as is Nairobi while Cape Town and Dar Es Salaam both boast great beaches. Nairobi, Johannesburg and Kigali are great destinations for the outdoorsy type as the cities serve as gateways to some of the best safari tours on the planet.
You can fly from Newark (EWR), Washington DC (IAD/DCA) and Los Angeles (LAX) with fares starting at just $529 round-trip prices seeming to top out around $595. Unfortunately, smaller secondary cities and even some larger cities are excluded from this deal. Additionally, most itineraries are one-stop itineraries with a few two-stop itineraries. The airlines included in the offer are entirely Star Alliance partners with flights operated by United, Lufthansa, and SWISS. Fares are available from January through March, 2019.
We recommend that you take extra safety precautions when traveling to some of these destinations — tourists are not immune to violence and crime. Even in safer African cities like Cape Town and Nairobi, theft and pick-pocketing are widespread. Nonetheless, Africa is an amazing continent and offers a variety of activities for any type of traveler. Lastly -- to make sure you don’t miss out on what the country has to offer, check out Get Your Guide’s list of best activities in Cape Town, Nairobi, and Dar Es Salaam.
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: United, Lufthansa, Brussels, SWISS
Routes: LAX/EWR/DCA/IAD to JNB/CPT/DAR/KGL/NBO
Cost: $529+ Round-Trip
Travel Dates: January 2019 – March 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 Card (3x on airfare plus excellent trip delay insurance) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel)
Here are a few examples of what you can book:
Newark (EWR) to Johannesburg (JNB) for $529 round-trip on SWISS/Lufthansa via United.com:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Cape Town (CPT) for $529 round-trip on SWISS/Lufthansa via United.com:
Los Angeles (LAX) to Nairobi (NBO) for $547 round-trip on SWISS:
Washington DC (IAD) to Dar es Salam (DAR) for $551 round-trip on United/SWISS via United.com:
Washington DC (IAD) to Kigali (KGL) for $559 round-trip on Brussels Airlines:
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® Card, Citi Prestige Card (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 Byrdyak/Getty Images)
