Miles Away: Visiting St. Helena, One of the Most Remote Islands in the World
This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. We may receive compensation when you click on links to those products. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. For an explanation of our Advertising Policy, visit this page.
For years, residents of St. Helena and adventure-seeking tourists had very limited options for getting to and from one of the most remote islands in the world.
For many, a ship called the RMS St Helena was the only link to other communities, taking up to five days to reach another port of call. That changed in 2017, when a tiny new airport opened and the first flight launched, connecting South Africa to St Helena in “just” seven hours, through weekly service to Johannesburg.
That enabled globe trotters like Lee Abbamonte to visit the island, the focus of our Miles Away episode today. Lee has traveled to every country in the world, he’s a good friend of mine and one of the smartest travelers I know. If you don’t already follow him on Instagram, definitely give that a go, then come right back here to listen to Episode 3 of Miles Away.
You can play this episode of Miles Away above, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, including:
Acast
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
Overcast
TuneIn
Lee visited so soon after the flight’s launch that travelers were still arriving by ship:
“I flew on the third flight out there and it coincided with the last RMS St. Helena ship, so I got to watch people literally crying that ship was being decommissioned because they had taken it their whole lives and spent so much time on it and I’m thinking to myself ‘wow.’ I did everything I could to possibly avoid it.”
For more on St. Helena, see:
- St Helena’s Airport Is Finally Getting Airline Service
- Flight Review: The First Commercial Flight to Remote Saint Helena
- ‘The World’s Most Useless Airport’ Gets More Flights
If you have any questions, thoughts or topics you’d like us to cover, please email me at milesaway@thepointsguy.com, tweet at me @zachhonig or find me on Instagram — I’m @zachhonig there as well. And please don’t forget to subscribe!
Featured image by Richard Kerr.
Sign-up Successful!
Welcome to The Points Guy!
Earn 90,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new card in the first three months of card membership. Offer ends 11/10/2021.
With Status Boost™, earn 10,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, up to two times per year getting you closer to Medallion Status. Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels, 2X Miles at restaurants and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. Terms Apply.
- Limited Time Offer: Earn 90,000 Bonus Miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after you spend $3,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months. Offer expires 11/10/2021.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. *Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $75 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®.
- Enjoy an exclusive rate of $39 per person per visit to enter the Delta Sky Club® for you and up to two guests when traveling on a Delta flight.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees
Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser’s responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.