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Paid Fares and Award Rates for United's New Cape Town Nonstop

April 30, 2019
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3 min read
united 787-9 inaugural dreamliner
Paid Fares and Award Rates for United's New Cape Town Nonstop
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Subject to government approval, United will begin flying to Cape Town, South Africa (CPT), later this year. As of Tuesday, the airline's latest planned route is now officially on sale, with the first flight scheduled to depart Newark (EWR) at 8:30pm on Dec. 15, 2019, on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

As of now, United is showing the old 2-2-2 business-class configuration, but with retrofitted aircraft expected to enter service later this year, there's a small chance that the new CPT nonstop will launch with Polaris seats, instead.

While business class isn't available on the inaugural itself, there are plenty of economy seats for sale. One-way fares are astronomically high, however, so you'll want to book a round-trip or multi-city itinerary, instead.

If the lowest fares are what you're after, you'll want to wait until later in the season — rates drop considerably after January.

Economy tickets start at $956 round-trip — not a deal-worthy fare, of course, but competitive for a nonstop. "W" fares, which are required for elite members to apply upgrade certificates, can be had for $1,398 round-trip. United doesn't appear to be selling basic economy on this route, and hopefully that'll still be the case at launch.

Business-class seats can be booked starting at $3,814 round-trip, though the fares are double that amount on many dates.

Award rates are steep, unfortunately, since United hasn't opened lower-level economy or business-class space and the inaugural begins after the airline's new dynamic pricing kicks in. As a result, you're looking at some pretty unbelievable one-way economy redemptions:

And business class is hardly a bargain as well — the lowest redemptions I'm seeing there start at 207,000 miles each way, worth $2,890 based on our valuations.

We can hold out hope that rates will drop as we get closer to launch, though I'm not terribly optimistic. United's new EWR-CPT flight only operates three days a week, and for a period of just over three months, from Dec. 15, 2019 through March 27, 2020. I think demand will be especially high, given the short run-time, and how far in advance the airline announced service. And while these nonstop United flights may eventually be bookable at far lower rates through partners, that doesn't appear to be the case right now.

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  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

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  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.