JASA or FASA Mel - JNB in Sept/Oct. Detours to maximise SC's ?

[vetrade]

The wife and I will be travelling from MEL to Jo'burg for about 3 weeks in Sept/Oct to visit our son, go to Kruger Nat. Park, Cape Town etc. Looking to fly JASA or (less likely) FASA. Have 800K FF pts to play with.

Interested in tapping the knowledge of AFF's familiar with travel to that area for suggestions on incorporating a detour or two into the trip if some juicy SC's could be had. Don't have a specific SC number in mind and would not want to extend the in-air time past about 30 hours each way.

 

[serfty]

Tough gig finding Premium award availability just to your destination at such short (yes, short) notice during School Holidays, let alone a side trip - the Olympics may make it even more difficult.

Be flexible with your dates and good luck.

 

[whatmeworry]

You probably have to go in the first week of October and and probably only then in J from Mel. Looks like you will to spend 168k points for each person for J, Mel Via Syd-JNB.

You could get F from Syd to JNB in the first week of October. One return for about 342k per person in F saver, a slightly more restrictive class.

 

[infinity]

The wife and I will be travelling from MEL to Jo'burg for about 3 weeks in Sept/Oct to visit our son, go to Kruger Nat. Park, Cape Town etc. Looking to fly JASA or (less likely) FASA. Have 800K FF pts to play with.

Interested in tapping the knowledge of AFF's familiar with travel to that area for suggestions on incorporating a detour or two into the trip if some juicy SC's could be had. Don't have a specific SC number in mind and would not want to extend the in-air time past about 30 hours each way.

QF 63 over and QF64 back from Sydney will be a better connection

I have done this a number of times on FASA

Your times are tough with school holidays and JASA's are very rare on this leg as most seats are code share allocated to SAA so they only come up about 340-350 days out in J

Why not book a Y seat which is generally always available

I often find in the 2 weeks before the flight the FASA becomes available

Keep your points handy

Good SC 480 in F

Good luck

 

[vetrade]

Ok, thankyou all for your input.

 

[Canny man]

Cant comment on the detours, but thoroughly endorse last gen 1st on qf63/64. They can be as good as it gets.
Don't know your status, but that route has a better than average upgrade probability than any other I fly and my WP1 workmates experience the same.