SWISS and Lufthansa are currently selling roundtrips from Amsterdam to Johannesburg at only €325. You can fly to South Africa from mid October 2020 until June 2021, even during the holidays. One 23 kg piece of luggage is included.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
You can choose between flying with SWISS or Lufthansa. SWISS uses an Airbus A340 from Zurich. Lufthansa’s flights cost roughly €20 more and use a Boeing 747-8 from Frankfurt.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Search & Book
The tickets are apparently bookable until October 18, 2020. The fare is valid for flights until June 30th, 2020. The availability is great, even during the holidays.
You can either search for flights through Google Flights, but you could also simply use our own availability calendar above. It will redirect you to SWISS’ booking site. You could also book the flights at lufthansa.com.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Hotels
Don’t forget to use one of these coupons when booking a hotel.
Information & Tips for Johannesburg
Johannesburg is known for its role in South Africa’s history, with key sights like the Apartheid Museum, Constitution Hill, and Soweto’s Vilakazi Street. The local currency is the South African rand (ZAR), and most places accept cards, though cash can be useful in smaller shops and markets. Prices are generally affordable compared to global standards. The city has a mild, high-altitude climate—summers (October to March) are warm with afternoon thunderstorms, while winters are dry and sunny with cool nights.
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and BNESIM. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for South Africa 🇿🇦 Compared
→ All Dealz for Johannesburg