Wherever you fly, long-haul flights to Africa are generally expensive. If you have frequent flyer miles or rewards points, using them to get there for free seems like a great idea. In reality, using air miles to get to Africa is almost never free. You will still have to pay airport taxes and fees (which can run into the hundreds of dollars on overseas flights, especially if you have multiple layovers to do). If you are flying from the United States, the fact that only a few airlines offer direct routes to Africa can make the process even more complicated.
Know the rules of your loyalty scheme
If you are busy accumulating frequent flyer miles through an airline or accumulating reward points on your credit card with the long-term goal of using them on a trip to Africa, be sure to keep reviewing the rules of your loyalty scheme. Many schemes change their terms on a regular basis, and miles that have been on your account for too long may be devalued or expire. By following the rules, you will have time to redeem your miles before this happens.
Get familiar with alliance agreements
If possible, flying directly to Africa is preferable as it requires fewer miles, reduces airport taxes, and saves you the hassle of a layover (usually in Europe or the Middle East). There are only six airlines that offer direct flights from the United States to Africa, all of which depart from the eastern states. These are Delta, South African Airways, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Air Maroc and TACV (the national airline of Cape Verde). If you don’t have miles with these carriers, check to see if any of them have a partnership agreement with your frequent flyer airline.
For example, South African Airways, EgyptAir, and Ethiopian Airlines are members of the Star Alliance. If you have airline miles with other Star Alliance members (such as United or Air Canada), you can use them on flights with your Star Alliance partners. Alliance agreements can also be helpful in reducing the cost of indirect flights. For example, if you have miles with Air Alaska, you can use them to fly to Europe, and from there, use them on a connecting flight to Africa with Air Alaska partners such as British Airways and Emirates (via Dubai).
Partner rewards schemes like oneworld also allow you to use your rewards on several different airlines.
Book as far in advance as possible
Most major airlines post their flight schedules 11 months to a year in advance. If you plan to use airline miles, try to book your flight as soon as possible. Reward seats are grouped into categories, some of which cost more miles than others. Seats that cost fewer miles are inevitably filled first, so the longer you wait, the more miles you’ll have to use.
If all else fails …
The truth is that using air miles to fly to Africa is often more effort than it is worth, while airport taxes mean there is no free ride. If you find that you are not succeeding, consider trying to find the cheapest cash offer. By booking in advance, flying indirectly through Europe or the Middle East, and using a flight comparison website to avoid paying travel agent commission fees, it is usually possible to find cheap African flights for a price similar to what you would have. paid with airline miles.
If there is a special career, you may even end up paying less by choosing to use cash.
By booking at least part of your trip with your reward scheme airline or partners, your long-haul trip to Africa will also accumulate many miles that you can use to save money on domestic flights or direct flights to conventional destinations in Europe or the Caribbean. at a later date. If you still want to use your miles on your trip to Africa but find the savings on an economy seat minimal, it is sometimes worth using them to upgrade to business class. While you may not save money overall, there’s no better way to make the long trip to Africa bearable than by flying in style.
