Business class saver award space nonstop between the US and South Africa can be a real unicorn, but United added year-round flights to Cape Town earlier today and forgot to kill the award space beforehand!
United charges 70K miles each way for business saver flights between North America and South Africa, plus you can book a free stopover on a round-trip. You can transfer points instantly from Chase to United.
ANA charges a mere 104K miles round-trip, but it can take a day or 2 to transfer miles from AMEX to ANA. You may be able to hold award space by calling ANA.
I’ve done the research for you and here’s how many nonstop business class saver award are available on every date through the end of scheduling as of now, but these are sure to go fast!
Newark to Cape Town:
June 8: 2 seats
June 15: 5 seats
June 22: 3 seats
June 29: 3 seats
July 6: 1 seats
July 13: 5 seats
July 20: 5 seats
July 27: 5 seats
August 10: 5 seats
August 17: 4 seats
August 24: 1 seats
August 31: 1 seats
September 7: 1 seats
September 21: 3 seats
October 5: 1 seats
October 19: 4 seats
October 26: 5 seats
Cape Town to Newark:
June 7: 5 seats
June 9: 5 seats
June 13: 5 seats
June 16: 4 seats
June 20: 4 seats
June 23: 5 seats
June 27: 5 seats
June 30: 5 seats
July 4: 5 seats
July 7: 3 seats
July 11: 5 seats
July 14: 5 seats
July 18: 5 seats
July 21: 5 seats
July 25: 5 seats
July 28: 5 seats
August 1: 5 seats
August 4: 5 seats
August 8: 5 seats
August 15: 5 seats
August 22: 3 seats
August 25: 5 seats
August 29: 5 seats
September 1: 5 seats
September 5: 1 seats
September 8: 5 seats
September 12: 5 seats
September 15: 2 seats
September 19: 5 seats
September 22: 1 seats
September 26: 5 seats
September 29: 2 seats
October 3: 5 seats
October 6: 3 seats
October 10: 1 seats
October 13: 4 seats
October 17: 2 seats
October 20: 5 seats
October 27: 2 seats
Cape Town may very well be the most stunning city in the world. Best of all, your dollar goes very far in South Africa and there are some delicious kosher restaurants to choose from.
From Cape Town you can catch a flight to places like Johannesburg, Kruger National Park, Victoria Falls, Namibia, Mauritius, etc. for an extended vacation in Southern Africa. We had a great time doing just that last October.
The DDF Thread on Southern Africa and the experts that chime in there were instrumental in helping me plan an epic week and a half whirlwind trip of 6 countries.
If you, a member in your household, or an authorized user has one of the following Chase cards, you can instantly transfer points into United miles:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred has a 60K signup bonus, earns 2.1 points per dollar on travel, 3.1 points per dollar on dining, streaming, and online groceries, has a $50 hotel credit, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.3 cents each for paid travel or pay yourself back categories ($95 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Sapphire Reserve has a 50K signup bonus, earns 3 points per dollar on dining/travel, has a $300 travel credit, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.5 cents each for paid travel or pay yourself back categories ($550 annual fee with $300 travel credit). Read more here.
- Chase Ink Preferred has a 100K signup bonus and earns 3 points per dollar on shipping, advertising, and travel, can transfer all Chase points into miles, and points are worth at least 1.25 cents each for paid travel or pay yourself back categories ($95 annual fee). Read more here.
Chase no-annual fee cards that are fantastic for earning points, but require one of the cards above for points transfers include:
- Chase Ink Cash has a record high 75K signup bonus and earns 5 points per dollar on cable, TV, telecom, cellular, office supply stores, and gift cards from office supply stores, plus 2 points per dollar on dining and gas ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Ink Unlimited has a record high 75K signup bonus and earns 1.5 points per dollar everywhere ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Freedom Flex has a 20K signup bonus, plus 5 points on rotating categories, 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstores ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
- Chase Freedom Unlimited has a signup bonus offering 3 points per dollar on up to $20K of spending in your first 12 month, afterwards earn at least 1.5 points per dollar everywhere, 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, and 3 points per dollar on dining and drugstores ($0 annual fee). Read more here.
Will you travel to South Africa on miles?
FYI weather in CPT in winter can be miserable.
I was about to book tickets can you please advise when Business class saver will open again from Newark to Cape Town
It looks like all the NY-SA tickets are gone, but there are still SA-NY tickets available. (Even though it doesn’t look like that many people booked. The 6/22 NY-SA flight, for example, only shows 2 business seats taken.
Is it safe?
How is UA with opening up availability close in? We lost 2 seats by the time the UR transfer posted and had to split the family between economy and biz.
https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/united-plan-b-is-pretty-much-the-most-awesome-underutilized-and-underappreciated-thing-ever/
Can you plz elaborate in detail on the free stopover you mentioned in the post?
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/earn-150000-miles-bonus-offers-6-chase-united-cards-favorite-airline-card-benefit-plus-updated-comparison-chart/#Excursionist_Perk
https://www.dansdeals.com/airfare-deals/mileage-deals/today-book-united-awards-just-3900-miles-tickets-38-60-way-plus-taking-advantage-incredible-excursionist-perks/
Dan, please get them to change the availability to their JNB flights in April. I know they will if you ask them to. #LNDF
#SeemsLegit.png
If I want to book for more people, can I book 1 ticket each on different days and then change the dates without a fee?
No, there’s no fee, but you still owe the difference in fare.
Very helpful, as always. Thanks Dan!
Mostly Dead.
How do you do the free stopover? Where do you fly first and where do you fly back from.
https://www.dansdeals.com/credit-cards/earn-150000-miles-bonus-offers-6-chase-united-cards-favorite-airline-card-benefit-plus-updated-comparison-chart/#Excursionist_Perk
https://www.dansdeals.com/airfare-deals/mileage-deals/today-book-united-awards-just-3900-miles-tickets-38-60-way-plus-taking-advantage-incredible-excursionist-perks/
Already did 🙂 thanks largely to your post of cheap tickets. And the pro’s on DDF were super helpful. I went at the last second before covid. February 2020. It was an INCREDIBLE trip. Joburg Cape Town and Kruger. Unreal. Can’ wait to go back. And hopefully next time I’ll get to some of those other Southern Africa countries :):)
Awesome!
I need to TLV
Did they really forget to kill the availability? The max your showing is 5 seats available. Isn’t it more likely that they just opened up capacity to 5 seats a day?
It’s certainly a possibility either way. But this often happens on new routes and then it gets pulled.
Any idea if winter dates will be released soon?
I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.
How many points is Tk
Tk charges 85k
But it can be tough to book since it does not show up online
Air Canada is also 85k and bookable online
67.5K each way.
when do we see your 6 country TR?
Trip reports are tough, they just take an inordinate amount of time to write and edit.
But I hope to get around to that one as it was an incredible trip.
so keep it loose and skip editing and pictures.
Not my style. If I do it, I’m going to do it right 🙂
But you can find my general trip planning outline in the SA DDF thread linked in this post from last August-October.
I’m still waiting for the end of the Antarctica TR!!