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Travel from Houston (IAH) to Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB) for $651 roundtrip on Delta this Fall or Winter.

Contents:

  1. When are the $651 fares?
  2. Where to Search and Where to Book Them
  3. Getting Around South Africa
  4. Best Credit Card to Buy the Ticket

$651 Roundtrip from Houston to Johannesburg

Sample Dates: October 26 – November 5 on Delta

Screen Shot 2015-07-01 at 6.52.20 PM

According to Secretly Flying, these other dates are also $651 roundtrip:

27th Oct – 8th Nov
28th Oct – 9th Nov
3rd-15th Nov
5th-15th Nov
10th-22nd Nov
12th-22nd Nov
16th-26th Nov
24th Nov – 6th Dec
26th Nov – 7th Dec

There are many other dates available for $651 also.

 

How to Search and How to Book These $651 Fares

 

Search the fares on delta.com. Say that your dates are flexible to see a grid like this. Find a departure-return pair for $709.80.

Screen Shot 2015-07-01 at 6.51.33 PM

Then do NOT book it on delta.com. Go to budgetair.it to find the same fare for 587 euros ($651.) Use Google Chrome to translate budgetair.it.

Getting Around South Africa

Jo’burg has some fascinating museums about the struggle against apartheid, and Freedom Park in Pretoria is a little known gem, that is just a short train ride away.

Screen Shot 2015-07-01 at 7.07.20 PM
View of Cape Town from top of Table Mountain

To get to Cape Town and your safari, you’ll want to fly. There are several airlines in South Africa:

Check the cash price on the low cost carriers like Kulula, and then check whether award space is available on Comair (marketed as British Airways) on ba.com with your Avios.

Best Way to Buy the Ticket

You should definitely purchase your this ticket with a credit card that imposes no foreign transaction fees. Your top choice should be the Citi Prestige® Card, since it comes with a $250 Air Travel Credit every calendar year that will cover the purchase of this ticket. If you haven’t used the credit yet, buy this fare with your Prestige, and you will receive an offsetting credit on your next statement: bringing the price down to $401 roundtrip!

Even if you’ve already used your $250 credit for this year, the card offers 3x on all airfare purchases.

See my review of the Citi Prestige Card which explains its many benefits like it annual $250 Air Travel Credit, 40,000 point sign up bonus, access to Priority Pass lounges, 3x points per dollar on air travel and hotels, and a $450 annual fee.

60,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases in your first 3 months from account opening. Plus, get up to $300 in statement credits on Chase Travel℠ purchases within your first year.

Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.

With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel℠ and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!


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