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4. Cheap flights to Cape Town

Your chances of finding cheap flights to Cape Town International Airport are excellent. The reason for that is the competition between 14 international airlines flying directly to and from Cape Town from all over the world.

In addition there are another 50 airlines offering flights to the mother city via O.R. Tambo International Airport at Johannesburg.

Air routes to South Africa and especially Cape Town are among the most competitive ones in the world.

So it is not surprising that there are a multitude of websites on the internet offering you the lowest possible airfare to Cape Town on the basis of price comparisons that they make between the airline companies on the South Africa route.

Question is, do they as in betweens really have the best prices available. A worthwhile alternative are the websites with online booking facilities of the Airline companies themselves, where you willoften find the true "lowest airfare" deals.

View of the Cape Peninsula on the flight in to Cape Town
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa
Over Tygerberg Hospital just after takeoff from Cape Town International Airport
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa
courtesy Danie van de Merwe

Finding cheap flights to Cape Town

Looking at the disparities in airfare pricing between airline companies, it makes sense to do some good research checking airfares, conditions and flight details. A quick and easy step one would be to use the airfare comparison sites. You have to make a choice here, because there are simply too many of them.

Inside of a KLM Boeing 767-300 airplane
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa

A good thing would be to opt for a manageable number of the major and more creditable comparison sites. Bear in mind however, that they do not necessarily include all airline companies. They all have their own pool of airlines that they compare, although most of them do include the major airline companies such as those that fly to South Africa on a daily basis.

The men at the steering wheel
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa
courtesy Axel Bührmann

When you have finished researching the comparison sites, go to the websites of the airline companies themselves and compare your findings against what they have to offer. The reason for this is that comparison sites operate on a middleman basis between you and the airline companies. You will be surprised how often you will come across a special or last minute offer that the "middleman" has not told you about.

Cape Town International airport's new central terminal building and transit plaza
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa

Another very important determining factor as far as the price of an air ticket is concerned, is the time of the year you want to fly to South Africa. Is it during a peak period when demand is high or during a low demand period when air travel business is slack. And so step two of your research should be to find out which time of the year is the cheapest. Keep in mind that this may differ between airline companies.

A Singapore Airlines airplane on the platform of Cape Town International Airport
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa

That brings us to the not always easy decision of when one should buy. Should that be at what they call the "last Minute", or should that be earlier in advance. If the going is good for the airlines and the flights are filling up early, like during peak periods, they will progressively up their prices towards the flight's departure date. In such cases it might be advantageous to buy your ticket two or three months early.

The new check-in and departures hall at Cape Town International Airport
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa

When the going is not so good for the airline companies, like during slack periods, it's the other way around. To avoid being left with unfilled seats they will progressively lower their prices towards a flight's departure date. In such situations they rather fill up their seats at lower prices than leaving them empty. It is then when your chances are good to pick up what they call a "Last Minute" deal, which mostly go at rock bottom prices.

An Emirates Airlines airplane on the platform of Cape Town International Airport
Cheap Flights to Cape Town International Airport South Africa

The list below gives you the international airline companies that are presently flying direct and non-stop to and from Cape Town International Airport and O.R. Tambo International Airport at Johannesburg. All you need to do to access their websites and see what they are offering is to just click on their name. If you are prepared to fly via O.R. Tambo International Airport at Johannesburg, your choice of airline companies is much larger.

International airlines flying direct to and from Cape Town

International airlines flying direct to and from Johannesburg

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4. Cheap flights to Cape Town