Johannesburg Flights

In recent years, South Africa has welcomed a number of low cost air carriers into the local market - with a resultant (and much appreciated) drop in the cost of internal air flights.

The three major carriers are Kulula (www.kulula.com), 1Time (www.1Time.co.za) and Mango (www.flymango.com) - with Mango actually being a subsidiary of the national carrier, South African Airways. All three cover the major cities (Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban) and between them, they provide reasonable coverage of the 'second tier' destinations - see the list below for details. However, linkages between the 'second tier' destinations are few and far between, so be prepared for the fact that if you're intending to travel between these towns, you'll probably have to fly via one of the three major cities.

At the time of writing (September 2011), these operators covered the following towns and cities in South Africa:

Mango - Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Bloemfontein
1Time - Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, East London, George, Port Elizabeth
Kulula - Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, George, Nelspruit

It's worth noting that Mango and Kulula now fly from Lanseria airport (north of Johannesburg) as well as O R Tambo, although this is more likely to be of use to locals than international travellers whose point of entry will most likely be OR Tambo.

1Time and Kulula are also looking to spread their wings (if you'll excuse the pun) into neighbouring countries, which is a very welcome development for budget travellers. At the time of writing, these were as follows:

1Time - Zanzibar (Tanzania), Livingstone (Zambia), Maputo (Mozambique)
Kulula - Zanzibar (Tanzania), Livingstone (Zambia), Maputo and Vilanculos (both in Mozambique), Harare (Zimbabwe), Windhoek (Namibia), Lusaka and Ndola (both in Zambia) and Gaborone (Botswana)

As with all low cost carriers, the usual caveats apply. Their business model is all about putting 'bums on seats', so don't expect any frills or in flight service (although drinks and snacks can be purchased on board). However, they have not yet caught onto the Ryanair scam of imposing draconian baggage restrictions, so at the time of writing, all offered full baggage allowances of 20kg per person.

The best way to book with these carriers is to book online, using the website above.

Make sure that you have photo ID with you, and if you're travelling with children, you'll need some sort of identification for them too (I travel with a certified copy of their birth certificates, but passports are the best option for international visitors).

Just one final piece of advice. If you're planning to visit towns other than Johannesburg or Cape Town (the two main ports of entry to South Africa), before you rush out and book with a low cost carrier, first check to see whether you can purchase a ticket through to your final destination with your international carrier. Often carriers such as SAA and BA will provide a very competitive rate on the connecting internal flight, which may well be cheaper than a low cost carrier ticket, so check this option out first. Do be aware that if you take this option, you will still need to clear passport control and customs at your point of entry (which means that you have to collect your luggage in the international terminal and then recheck it in the domestic terminal).

I have known (and loathed) the international airport in Johannesburg since 1987. As a result, I have endured its dubious charms and quirks through two decades of endless building work (which seemingly never resulted in any great improvement) and the resultant chaos and confusion.

And, stone the crows, it's finally finished, and, what's even more extraordinary, it was worth the wait!!! Hell, there are even helpful ladies assigned to assist you (see photo) - is this really still the same place???

To the relief of travellers who are passing through Johannesburg for a short period on business or pleasure, but don't necessarily want to lug all their baggage with them, consider using the left luggage facility at OR Tambo airport.

This facility is open between 06:00 and 22:00 and is hidden away by the escalators which link the terminal buildings to the underground parking area. I have yet to see a sign indicating its presence (let alone location) so it's handy to know where to look!

The cost per item of luggage at the time of writing (June 2010) was R50 for the first day, and R40 for each day thereafter - a small price to pay for the freedom of not having to lug around unnecessary luggage!

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Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport is by far South Africa’s largest airport, sevred by many european and asian airlines. For private reasons (and for having the lowest fares), I chose to fly with Emirates which offers up to three daily flights from Dubai. The largest airline is – of course – national carrier South African Airways. Other notable airlines are British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, Etihad and Singapore Airlines. Domestic and regional flights are provided by airlines from neighbouring african countries as well as by a number of South African low cost carriers. The largest of them are Kulula.com and 1time.
O.R. Tambo International Airport is divided into a national and a domestic terminal. As of 2007, construction works are taking place which should be finished by 2010 when South Africa is going to host the wolrd football championship. The airport offers all amenities a big international airport has to offer. Although it is generally considered to be a safe place, please keep in mind that there are people who just want to trick you. These include baggage carriers, money changers and taxi drivers. Do only use such a service, if you are 100% sure it is from an officially registred company, entitled to offer such services at the airport. Baggage carriers may be identified by their orange uniform while your cab should be from a company which has plenty of cars in front of the airport. Do only change money at the banks and not with any unknown person.

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1time is one of the low-cost carriers which provide airtravel in South Africa. The airline is found on routes between South Africa’s most important cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. As every low-cost carrier in South Africa (with exception of South African’s low cost subsidiary Mango), also 1time uses used aircraft. That, however, should be no reason to worry. There haven’t been any larger complaints about technical issues in South Africa’s low cost aviation. And 1time uses aircraft from McDonnell Douglas, which may be a little older compared to their competitors’ aircraft, but are known to be the most reliable on the used aircraft market. Unlike other low-cost airlines, 1 time offers allocated seating on check-in. But service on board is typicalfor a low.cost airline. Snacks and drinks are available, but only for cash. With exception of a delay of one hour due to late arrival of the aircraft, I was very pleased with 1time and would recommend it to any South African visitor.
Compared to its competitors, 1time offers very low fares (around 330 Rand per person for a Johannesburg – Cape Town flight). If you pay with a Mastercard instead of any other credit card, you’ll get a small discount. And if you are staying in a CityLodge hotel, you’ll also get a discount there by entering your 1time reservation number when making the hotel reservation.

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Johannesburg airport is the largest airport in Africa, and is the hub for South African Airways. The airport is quite old and a bit shabby (october 2008).

South African Airways is the largest airline in Africa. It has also a good reputation for beeing safe and has good service.

We flew to Johannesburg with British Airways from London Heathrow. The flight took about 10.5 hours, and we flew overnight, both there and back. This proved to be a great decision as we did manage to get some sleep on the plane, plus saved on accommodation costs!

The airport in Johannesburg is called O.R. Tambo International, and it is located 25km north-east of the city centre. We were impressed with the short queues that we encountered upon arrival, and also when we departed. There was a good range of decent quality shops at the airport and a few different dining options.

Once you have collected your luggage, be aware that there are plenty of 'friendly' locals wanting to help you and offer directions - they are not just doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, they want to be paid a little too...

When we arrived in Jo'burg we picked up a hire car at the airport. If you are not driving, or being collected by your hotel shuttle, you can catch a taxi, or brave one of the public shuttle bus options. There are airport-approved operators - follow the taxi and shuttle icons to the terminus, which is opposite International Arrivals (Terminal A).

Quite a few airlines now fly from asia to Johannesburg in South Africa, and some also to Cape Town. Singapore Airlines has daily non stop flights from Singapore to Johannesburg and also some non stop flights from Singapore to Cape Town. Thai Airways has flights non stop from Bangkok to Johannesburg. Cathay Pacific has a non stop flight from Hong Kong to Johannesburg International Airport. Malaysia Airlines also fly from Kuala Lumpur to Johannesburg and also I think to Cape Town.