Cheap Way of Getting to JNB (Sth Africa)?

[zan5hin]

Hi, I'm planning on doing a DONE RTW OWE leaving in Sept-Nov 08. With the prices from Melbourne I was planning on starting in Jakarta or Manila, however then I found out the prices are even better starting in Joberg, a DONE4 is cheaper there then a DONE3 from Asia, and it would give me two more Asian stopovers.

My problem is trying to find a cheap way of getting to South Africa, short of kayakking across the Indian ocean. All the flights seem really expensive. All I really need is a one-way ticket however those prices are even more outrageous then the return ones.

Anyone have any ideas what I can do? I don't mind going economy, via Asia, sailing etc but I do draw the line at stowing away on a North Korean freighter.

Any airlines let me get a return ticket and then some sort of refund for the return leg? Let me change the name on the ticket so I can sell it? Have a good return deal with a 12 month stay?

Also if I can find someone with Qantas FF points, what are my chances of getting on any flights in 2008 to South Africa from Perth or Sydney?

Thanks

 

[benhadi]

There was a thread here few weeks/months ago, stating that DONE4 from Sri Lanka's the cheapest way to go. I imagine if you're going to take the trouble to go all the way to SA, perhaps going to colombo isnt that different while saving you more?

Just a thought.

 

[moa999]

Sri Lanka (Colombo) prices have jumped significantly in the last revision so it is no longer the cheapest.

Cheapest in Asia-Pac for DONE4 is Indonesia, however no AA office - hence more expensive +++s

Next cheapest is Phillipines and Vietnam, within $100 of each other. Based on QF009's research Phillipines appears easy to deal with.

Manilla isn't too bad to get to from Australia.
Cheapest one-way routing I have found with decent connections
JQ SYD-SGN 1400 1945 298+170
5J SGN-MNL 0100 0400 30+70 (Cebu Pacific)
Under $600 for the one-way to get there
plus a likely ability to upgrade the JQ to *C for $300.

Note. Cebu Pacific is an Asian LCC but operates a young (13mth average age) fleet - Cebu Pacific - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[serfty]

There was a thread here few weeks/months ago, stating that DONE4 from Sri Lanka's the cheapest way to go. ...

ex Sri Lankan prices have risen; thay are now at a base level slightly more than ex Japan.

 

[Platy]

There is also the option of going ex Mauritius - very cheap indeed (first class 5 continent around $7,500 plus extras)!!! It has been posted elsewhere however that the local British Airways agent charges a significant fee ($300?) and you would be up for BA surcharges.

You can get to MRU on Air Mauritius (SYD-MEL-PER-MRU) - deals are posted by Australian Travel Agent : Best Flights - discount travel - Travel Agent Australia etc

From MRU you would fly either to JNB (BA subsidiary Comair) or LHR (BA).

 

[zan5hin]

The cheapest way I've found to get to Manila is to go Tiger MEL - Alice Springs // Darwin - SIN - MNL. This is actually what I was planning to do before I found the Sth African prices.

I can get there on that route for about $380, and it let's me have a look at Ayers Rock (never been), do a backpackers tour up to Darwin and a stopover in Singapore.

I looked at going to Mauritius instead, however the DONE4 prices are more expensive than Sth Africa, and Air Mauritius costs over AU$400 to get to Sth Africa if I tried to go that way.

Still a puzzle for me. I really want those two extra Asian sectors so I can go JNB - xHKG - NRT - DEL - BKK - BEI // HKG - SFO

 

[Platy]

I am assuming you do not hve the 45,000 (or whatever) frequent flyer points to fly SYD-JNB to start yourself off?

 

[Evan]

I am assuming you do not hve the 45,000 (or whatever) frequent flyer points to fly SYD-JNB to start yourself off?

Maybe no available FF seats ?
Most people who would DONE4 or similar would i thought have had plenty of points sitting around.... i use mine whenever i can it its worth it, ie free flights, upgrades etc.

E

 

[wrldtrvllr]

Sri Lanka (Colombo) prices have jumped significantly in the last revision so it is no longer the cheapest.

Cheapest in Asia-Pac for DONE4 is Indonesia, however no AA office - hence more expensive +++s

Next cheapest is Phillipines and Vietnam, within $100 of each other. Based on QF009's research Phillipines appears easy to deal with.

There's also the option of S Korea, which is actually ~ AUD100 cheaper than Indonesia for DONE4 - don't know the logistics of organising one from there however...

Incidently, has anyone had experience in skipping the last leg of a xONEx or xCIRx - I'm presuming you just forfeit the ticket and there's no penalty applicable since you are not rerouting or continuing any other segments...

 

[Ric]

The cheapest way I've found to get to Manila is to go Tiger MEL - Alice Springs // Darwin - SIN - MNL. This is actually what I was planning to do before I found the Sth African prices.

And do SIN - CRK (Clark) by Tiger Air.

Or Air Asia X from OOL to KUL and Air Asia KUL - CRK(Clark) which is about 2 hrs from Manila Airport.

Most expensive route will be MEL - OOL - KUL unless you can get one of those $1 fareon the 2nd sector! But I think you can get to Manila with some planning for under $450.

And if you want to get to Sth Korea, I think there's another LCC from CRK to somewhere in Sth Korea.

 

[aybee]

A shame this wasn't asked a couple of weeks ago. That $740+ all in Business Class MH fare from coughet to Jo'Berg via Kuala Lumpur would have done nicely. Throw in the $0 OOL-KUL Air Asia fare and another $20-40 for the KL to coughet fare and you would have been well sorted.
It's all very well to aim for the cheaper markets to get the RTW's et al sorted, but the logistics and costs of getting to these places make it a pretty worthless exercise most times.

 

[Keith009]

Incidently, has anyone had experience in skipping the last leg of a xONEx or xCIRx - I'm presuming you just forfeit the ticket and there's no penalty applicable since you are not rerouting or continuing any other segments...

They could theoretically argue a breach of contract and charge you for every single flight as full fare one way segments. That said, lots of people have managed to skip the last segment/s without penalty.