fly Mango for juicy prices |
14 Nov 2008 flights |
Mango does well on the Johannesburg to Cape Town route - when it isn't sold out as a result of underpricing, it often offers the cheapest flights. This week was no exception, Mango flight JE181 charges R690 - it is scheduled to leave JNB at 2035 and arrive in CPT at 2250. Unfortuanately the price of one of our other taxpayer-owned carriers is the most expensive (SAA is charging R1536 for a JNB - CPT economy class seat). The very cheapest ride from Joburg to Cape Town is the Shosholoza Meyl train (economy class, R150).
Flights from Joburg to Cape Town |
Bus & train trips from Joburg to Cape Town |
||
BA economy class |
1514 |
Baz Bus (7 day pass) |
1200 |
Interlink economy class |
No flights |
380 |
|
Kulula from OR Tambo |
929 |
Greyhound coach |
450 |
Kulula from Lanseria |
729 |
Intercape coach |
500 |
Mango economy class |
690 |
SA Roadlink coach |
399 |
1time economy class |
876 |
Translux coach |
450 |
SAA economy class |
1536 |
Shosholoza Meyl economy class |
150 |
BA business class |
3224 |
Shosholoza Meyl tourist class |
280 |
British Airways & SAA - buttering their bread
At R1514, British Airways are charging their highest price on the Johannesburg - Cape Town route we've surveyed since over a year ago, on 25 Aug 2007 (when they charged R1532). However, SAA are most expensive at R1536.
Lanseria cheaper than O.R. Tambo
Kulula were running a sale from Lanseria Airport the other day, and it's interesting to see that they are still offering R200 cheaper flights from Johannesburg's Lanseria Airport (R729) than from O.R. Tambo International Airport (R929). If you live close to Lanseria Airport, the R40 you save from flying Mango could be eaten up by fuel charges and time in getting to O.R. Tambo...and unfortuanately Mango doesn't offer the humour and additional comfort which Kulula has cultivated.
SAA cheapest business class
SAA (South African Airways) is offering the cheapest business class flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town (R2745, a full R1209 more expensive than the equivalent economy class seat). I guess those prices mean that even in the current difficult economic situation, there are people who can afford that price.
Joburg to Cape Town for R150
Cheapest way of getting from Joburg to Cape Town (other than hitchhiking) is with the Shosholoza Meyl train - only R150 for a one-way economy class ticket.
Bus and train & plane prices come down
Whilst Shosholoza Meyl is by far the cheapest, most bus and train prices have come down from when we last surveyed this route (e.g. Translux reduced prices from R500 to R450, Mango reduced from R860 to R690 and Shosholoza Meyl tourist class reduced from R350 to R280).
the Right Stuff
Jeff is a 30-year-old docter who travelled from the USA to Maseru (Lesotho) to join a team of non-profit docters, who look after HIV+ people. These people are made of the right stuff, and come from countries as diverse as the USA, Cuba & Zimbabwe. It's heartening to read Jeff's story, and I hope it inspires others to follow his path. Also interesting was reading about Mission Aviation Fellowship, who fly the docters and patients around in their cessna aircraft. In Africa, the Mission Aviation Fellowship is active in the D.R.C., Lesotho, Mali and Mozambique.
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