Africa, the last frontier, is home to some of the most beautiful sights and sounds in the world. The people are friendly and beautiful while the sense of adventure is at its highest in Africa. However, the best way to truly enjoy Africa is to make sure you have enough money left in your budget after booking a flight. As the plane ticket would take a huge chunk out of your budget, it”s best for you to book the cheapest flight possible. Here are some tips that may help you get the best deal to Africa:
Book ahead of time
The best time to book is at least two months before your scheduled date of departure if you want to travel in December. Flights to Africa are limited. Because of that, they fill up very quickly especially in places that don”t get a lot of tourism. In your case, you should consider book at least two months ahead to not only secure cheap seats but to also make sure you get to fly to Africa.
Fly from Europe
European places like Amsterdam, Rome, and Paris tend to have the cheapest flights to Africa. If you are from the US, fly to Europe to get the best deals possible. But also make sure you fly to Europe during the off-season. It might take a chunk of your time to fly to Europe and then to Africa. But if it means saving a ton of money, then don”t mind the extra travel time. Use an online booking engine to book your flights in case you want to fly from the UK to Africa. As parts of Africa used to be British colonies, there will be more flight options for you to choose from if you fly from London.
Use regional hubs
There are budget carriers in Africa that fly directly to regional hubs located in Botswana, Zambia, and Madagascar among others. South African Airways gives you an option to fly from Chicago into one of their regional hubs in Africa. Using regional hubs will be cheaper. For East African countries such as Kenya, there are available deals from regional connections in European countries like England. The main regional hub for West Africa is in Dakar, which has direct flights from Delta Airways. And for North Africa, there are flights from the US to countries like Morocco and Egypt. They won”t be too expensive and would cost as much as only a thousand dollars.
Fly from Dubai
One of the carries with the most extensive networks in Africa is Emirates, which can be found in Dubai. You can get good deals from Emirates to places like Uganda, Nairobi, and Johannesburg. You can also fly via Qatar Airways because of its equally extensive network in Africa. However, you may have to experience layovers in some Middle-Eastern destinations.
Avoid direct flights from the US
Since US carriers don”t have networks as extensive as European and Middle-Eastern airlines, they tend to be more expensive. Avoid direct flights from the US to Africa. Instead, try flying via Europe or Dubai, for example. However, if you are short on time, do fly direct from the US and do your research first.
Make use of your miles
Frequent flier miles from different carriers can be used in flights to Africa because some airlines have agreements with other carriers that fly directly to Africa in case your preferred airline doesn”t do so. Or if that isn”t possible, use your miles to go to Europe and book one of the cheap flights from there. You”ll be surprised at how much you”ll be able to save by doing so.