TPG Readers’ Best Tips for Visiting Africa on Points and Miles
We recently asked our TPG Lounge readers to share their best tips and go-to ways for traveling to Africa with points and miles. Here’s a look at some of our favorite answers. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity).
Taking Advantage of Airline Alliances
Many of our TPG Lounge members are savvy enough to know how to make the various airline alliances — whether it's Oneworld, SkyTeam or Star Alliance — and corresponding frequent flyer programs work best for them.
"Is there a more epic routing than New York-JFK to Hong Kong (HKG) to Johannesburg (JNB)/Cape Town (CPT) on Cathay Pacific? — Amrish B.
"Qatar Airways using Advantage Miles. Miami (MIA) to Doha (DOH) to wherever!" — Ryan M.D.
"Earlier this year, I used 111,811 Chase Ultimate Rewards points for two round-trip economy flights on British Airways for our honeymoon. [We flew from] Houston (IAH) to London-Heathrow (LHR) to Cape Town, with return flights from Johannesburg to LHR to IAH." — Daniel G.
"Qatar from New York-JFK to Boston (BOS) to Doha to Nairobi (NBO) using 75,000 AAdvantage miles per person for business class. Flying home on Etihad from the Seychelles (SEZ) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) to New York-JFK, with AUH-JFK in business class for 70,000 AA miles per person." — Ted D.
"Recently had good luck with Delta SkyMiles and flew from Salt Lake City (SLC) to Amsterdam (AMS) followed by KLM from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro (JRO) for a safari in Tanzania. Paid for an economy seat on the Delta leg — since the flight leaves at 2:45pm, there's no chance to sleep and as a Platinum Medallion, I get upgraded automatically to Comfort+ — then 110,000 miles per person for business class round-trip on KLM. I booked through the Delta website since the redemption was cheaper than transferring to Flying Blue and doing it through KLM. Once you have the ticket number, it’s easy to manage on KLM’s website as well." — Justin D.A.
"We are going from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris (CDG) to Nairobi in business class on Air France for 85,000 miles per person, then Dar es Salaam (DAR) to Dubai (DXB) — with a 'free' overnight — and Dubai to Los Angeles (LAX) in business class on Emirates for 98,000 miles per person." — Paul L.
"For vacation, the United Exursionist Perk is nearly unbeatable. Planning a DIA-ACC-ADD-DAR-DIA trip in the near future. [It would be] 80,000 United miles for the first two flights in Ethiopian Airlines business class and 40,000 miles for economy on the way home. I'd purchase an individual fare between Addis Ababa (ADD) and Dar es Salaam (DAR) with cash." — Eric C.
"One-way from Los Angeles to Paris to Nairobi in business class on Air France for 85,000 Flying Blue miles with a seven-hour layover in Paris." — Paul L.
"I have not done it, but you could fly Singapore Airlines from San Francisco (SFO) to Singapore (SIN) to Johannesburg with a four to 13-hour layover in Singapore." — Hannah G.
"I [flew from] New York-JFK to Zurich (ZRH) to Johannesburg to Cape Town round-trip in Swiss business class for 160,000 United miles." — Noah P.
"I just booked JED-IST-MAN-IAH-MAN-ADD (stops in Brussels but same flight number so one segment)-JED in business class for 138,000 Krisflyer miles with stopovers in Istanbul, Manchester and Addis Ababa. Flying back from Spain the same day as the MAN-ADD flight on an Avios ticket to avoid the absurd APD in long-haul business out of MAN. JED-IST-MAN is on Turkish Airlines, MAN-IAH-MAN is on Singapore and MAN-ADD-JED is on Ethiopian Airlines. So basically I'm getting visits to three continents for 69,000 miles each way with reasonable taxes and $200 in stopover fees. I'm excited for the three fifth freedom flights as well." — Burge K.
Getting Creative With Itineraries
Other TPG Lounge readers wrote in with great examples of impressive itineraries they were able to create in order to fly to and from Africa for less.
"In July, we flew Emirates from Seattle (SEA) to Dubai (spent two nights there) to Nairobi and flew Condor from Zanzibar (ZNZ) to Frankfurt (FRA) (spent three nights there) to Anchorage (ANC) using Alaska miles. Very reasonable mileage tickets! We've used them a few times because it's the quickest way from Anchorage to Europe, with direct flights about 9.5 hours. Don't have any complaints. It's not Q Suite luxury or anything but it gets us there relatively comfortably." — Staci S.W.
"My Delta miles were actually good for once! Flew from Nashville (BNA) to New York-JFK) to Jeddah to Nairobi in business class on Saudia for 95,000 miles one-way. To travel around in Africa, I used Delta SkyMiles or other SkyTeam partners to fly Kenya Airways (it's usually 15,000 - 25,000 miles a shot one-way), or Ethiopian Airlines via United or other Star Alliance Partners works great [too]. I found some decent availability through Singapore Airlines to Ethiopia to leave the continent as well (30k for first class back to the Middle East). Also, Africa isn't just Johannesburg, Cape Town and Cairo." — Jonathan F.
"I flew in AA/Qatar J for 75,000 AAdvantage miles from Washington-Reagan (DCA) to Miami to Doha to Nairobi and transferred 75,000 Amex Membership Rewards to Aeroplan for Turkish [business class] from Kilimanjaro to Istanbul to Washington-Dulles (IAD) and paid no surcharges. This was for an award booked in August so not sure if the rules have changed since then." — Diane P.S.
"Flying from New York-JFK to Dubai to Nairobi in Emirates F using Alaska miles and Zanzibar to Doha to New York-JFK in Qatar J (Q Suite) using AA miles." — Jason L.
"Recently flew from Seattle to Frankfurt to Cape Town on Lufthansa, then Cape Town to Amsterdam to Seattle on KLM." — Matt B.
"Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Dubai to Accra or Dallas to Dubai to Johannesburg to Maputo (in Mozambique) mostly on Emirates metal, which is far more comfy as a Silver frequent flyer." — Chevalier G.
"I needed a mileage run so I paid outright: Delta economy comfort from Detroit (DTW) to Atlanta (ATL) to Johannesburg for $1,533. Not terrible but I got [to stay at the] Hyatt Regency with club access for 12,000 points for an overnight before going to Andbeyond's Kirkman Kamp reserve." — Judi L. D.
"I like the Swiss flight from Zurich. [Fly from the] US to Zurich, then down to Kenya or Tanzania. Great service and seats in business class!" — Lara H.S.
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- 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.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | 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. |
| 4X | 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. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- 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.