Cheap Flights to Johannesburg

Where should I visit in Johannesburg? get to know about this and much more through our travel guide to Johannesburg.

Avail Flights to Johannesburg with Most Travelled Airlines
At the moment, many airlines are offering flights from UK to Johannesburg. You can choose from South African Airways, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Air France, Arik Air, Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM and Qatar Airways. Like airlines, you can also choose the most suitable UK airport for your departure.

Summer season starts in Johannesburg in November and it is the best time to visit the city. Peak season starts from August and ends in March. Majority of international and UK visitors book flights for these months. A flight in economy class can cost £850 to £1300. Fall and winter season lie in months of April to July. This is the quietest time of the year. So if you want to avoid crowds, these months are recommended. In this time of year, you can get a flight in economy class from £450 to £800.

Looking for Direct or Connecting Flight Options for Johannesburg?
If you are searching for direct flights to Johannesburg, then you should go for South African Airways, British Airways or Virgin Atlantic. These are only available at Heathrow Airport. You can avail South African Airways connecting flights from London Heathrow and Manchester Airports. British Airways connecting flights are available at Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Jersey, Castletown, Belfast, Aberdeen and Manchester. Heathrow Airport is the only airport on which Virgin Atlantic flights are available.

Direct flights can cost you more as compare to flights with stopovers. If you are tight on budget, we would recommend you to choose a connecting flight. However, these flights can spend 1 to 20 hours on connecting airports. Johannesburg flights can make a stopover at European, Middle Eastern or African hub.

Most Preferred Routes to Johannesburg from UK
Following are the routes which most travellers opt for Johannesburg:

• London to Johannesburg direct flight with South African Airways
• London to Johannesburg direct flight with British Airways
• London to Johannesburg direct flight with Virgin Atlantic
• London to Johannesburg via Dubai with Emirates Airlines
• London to Johannesburg via Nairobi with Kenya Airlines

How much average time do Jo'burg flights take from major UK airports?
On average, direct flights to Johannesburg usually take 11 hours. Flights with stopovers take more time and the longest flight is around 50 hours. Here are few airlines with their flight duration for Johannesburg city from UK airports:

• South African Airways offers direct flights from Heathrow Airport. Its connecting flights are available at Manchester via Munich. Minimum flight duration is 11h and maximum is 19h 50m.
• Direct flights with British Airways are available at Heathrow Airport whereas it operates connecting flights at all main UK airports via Madrid and Cape Town. The minimum flight duration is 11h and maximum can be around 42h 40m.
• Virgin Atlantic only operates from Heathrow Airport and these are direct flights. Its average flight duration is 10h 50m.
• Air France offers connecting flights from all major UK airports via Paris. Its flights take 12h 45m at minimum and 26h 45m at maximum
• Arik Air connecting flights are only available at Heathrow Airport via Lagos. Its flights usually take 22h 10m.
• When you choose Emirates Airlines, you can fly from Gatwick, Heathrow, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham via Dubai. Minimum flight duration is around 16h 55m and maximum is 26h 25m
• You can avail flights of Ethiopian Airlines only from Heathrow Airport via Addis Ababa. On average, its flights can take 15h.
• With Etihad Airways, you can depart from Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester and Heathrow Airports. Its minimum flight duration is 18h 45m and maximum is 26h 15m.
• Kenya Airways flights can be availed from all main UK airports via Nairobi. Minimum flights duration is 15h 25m and minimum is 27h 45m.
• Qatar Airways operates from Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Heathrow Airports via Doha. Its flights duration varies from 16h 10 m to 35h 50m.

Johannesburg weekly flight schedule with major airlines
Following is the weekly schedule of airlines with flights to Johannesburg from UK airports:

• There are two daily direct flights of British Airways from Heathrow Airport. Its connecting flights are also available on daily basis from main UK airports.
• Virgin Atlantic offers 1 daily direct flight from Heathrow Airport.
• South African Airways also offers two direct flights from Heathrow Airport every day. Daily connected flights are available at Manchester Airport.
• Emirates Airlines offer daily connecting flights from main UK airports. Three flights depart from Gatwick and Heathrow every day.
• 2 connecting flights are available at Heathrow on daily basis.
• Qatar Airways has three daily flights from Heathrow Airport. Connecting flights are also available at other main UK airports.

What is baggage allowance of airlines for Johannesburg?
Most travellers want to take everything on their journey. So they can spend their time just exploring. For those travellers, large baggage allowance is essential. Here is a list of airlines with their respective baggage allowance:

• South African Airways allows its economy class passengers to take 1 piece of 23kg whereas business class passengers can take 2 pieces of 32kg each.
• With Ethiopian Airlines, you are allowed to take 1 piece of 23kg in economy class and 1 piece of 32kg in business class.
• When you fly with British Airways, you can take one piece of 23kg in economy class, two pieces of 32kg each in business class and three pieces of 32kg each in first class.
• Virgin Atlantic has baggage allowance of 1 piece of 23kg for economy class, 2 pieces of 23kg each for premium economy and 3 pieces of 32kg each for upper class.
• Kenya Airways allows you to take 2 bags of 23kg each in economy class and 2 bags of 32kg each in premier world.
• With Etihad Airways, you can take one bag of 23kg in economy class, 2 bags of up to 32kg each in business and first class.
• KLM has baggage allowance of 12kg in economy class and 18kg in business class.
• Emirates Airlines allows you to take 35kg in economy class (depending on fare type), 40kg in business class and 50kg in first class.

Best time to book flights to Johannesburg
The best time to book flights for the city depends on what kind of activities you want to do. Johannesburg's seasons run opposite to ours so Christmas is in summers. If you are interested to be a part of wildlife safaris then summer season is the best time to visit. The vegetation is thick and green due to summer rain. Also as UK holidays are during these months, it is peak season for visiting Johannesburg.

If you want to avoid crowds, then months from August to October are recommended. For whale watching, you have to book flights between June to December as for surfing months from April to September are best. You can cut your travelling cost by booking in advance.

Where can I stay in Johannesburg?
Johannesburg is the most thriving and the largest city of South Africa. It offers accommodation options to suit every traveller's needs and budget as well. Most local hotels are present in center of the city. Staying in one of these hotels will enable you to experience the city in its full pace. Also you can view its wonderful architecture.
Johannesburg has really good transportation system so you can choose any part of the city for your stay. If you want to live in boutique styled guesthouses and hotels then Sandton and Rosebank are the best areas. They have best restaurants and shopping malls. If you want to go for a cheaper option then staying with locals can be considered.

Popular Sites to Visit
Johannesburg has many natural and man-made tourists’ attractions. Few of them are must to visit for every visitor:

• Lion Park - Wildlife Safari
• Cradle of Humankind - UNESCO listed archaeological site
• Apartheid Museum - Concrete apartheid exhibit space

Popular Restaurants in Johannesburg 
No exploration is complete without trying out the cuisine of the place. Here are few good restaurants with delicious food:

• The Bannister Hotel Bar and Restaurant - African cuisine
• Mr. Big Stuff - Fast Food
• Flames Artisan Braai and Craft Beer - African cuisine

Annual Events and Celebrations
Johannesburg is a bustling city with lots of events, celebrations and festivals taking place annually. Following are few of them must to attend:

Dance Umbrella: The main events of the festival are related to contemporary dance and choreography. The festival takes place in February. Many local and international dancers perform at the event.

Standard Bank Joy of Jazz: This annual festival occurs in August and is perfect for families on vacations. There are different styles of the music played in the event but main emphasis on Jazz.

Arts Alive: Started in September 1992, this annual festival has music, dance, poetry and visual arts events. International superstars perform at its main concert. The festival lasts for four days with over 600 artists performing during this period.

By Z A Chahal

Why choose TravelHouseUK to book flights to Johannesburg

• We provide flights to 20000 regular nationals flying from UK to Johannesburg throughout the year. 
• We offer best deals on direct flights to Jo'burg flying with British Airways, SAA & Virgin Atlantic. 
• Find a number of in-direct flight options available for Jo'burg from UK.
• Even if you are looking a one-way flight to Johannesburg, we have the best deals available.
• Whichever UK airport you plan on flying from; we will offer you the best flight price.
• Planning to visit home for Christmas? Go for our bargain christmas deals.
• Book from a number of exclusive deals to Jo'burg saving money on flights.  
• Send us a flight quote for Johannesburg that you have already searched for on the internet and we will try our best to beat your quote.
• You can book your Jo'burg flights with a £25 deposit paying the rest later.
• Waiting till the last few days before departure to book last minute flights to Johannesburg are a gamble, as they tend to be expensive more than often. However, Travelhouseuk specializes in producing last minute flights by keeping track of last minute cancellations. 

Handy tips To Know before your departure flight to Johannesburg!

• It takes almost 12 hours for a flight from London Heathrow to reach Johannesburg.
• The distance between London and Johannesburg is 5632 miles.
• 12 Major Airlines fly from London to Joburg
• You can fly to the Johannesburg from all major airports in UK, using airlines including: Air France, Egypt Air, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates, SAA, British Airways and Ethiopian Airlines.
• Almost 70 airlines fly out of Johannesburg International Airport. 
• Almost 2280 international flights depart from O. R. Tambo International Airport each week. 
• British Airways fly's direct to Johannesburg in the evening everyday and its indirect flights to Joburg via Doha are offered in the morning time. 
• South African Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines operate their Johannesburg flights from London in the evening. Whereas KLM offers Joburg flights via Amsterdam in the morning.
• The lowest flight fare for Johannesburg is £409, however it can go to more than £2000 with Business Class.
• Lufthansa, KLM and Ethiopian Airlines offer the shortest stopovers for Johannesburg flights. 
• SAA, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Emirates Airlines offer daily flights to Johannesburg from UK.
• Average flight takes 11 hours 6 minutes from UK to Johannesburg.
• SAA, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic provide direct flights from UK to Johannesburg.
• Johannesburg enjoys dry and sunny climate round the year, which makes it a perfect destination to visit any time of the year.