Flight Tickets to South Africa. How to Find the best fares to travel to the World Cup. Airlines flying to South Africa and ways to get to South Africa hassle free. There will be extra flights during World Cup to South Africa, so we will covering airlines opportunities and how to get the best way.
South Africa’s tourism slogan is “It’s Possible.” For those wishing to travel to the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, the first to be held on the African continent, the initial thought might be that travel to South Africa to attend the tournament will be anything but possible. However, according to South African Airways, planning a trip to their homeland is an excellent possibility, with plenty of seats still available for soccer revelers to see the U.S. and their other favorite teams compete on the world stage.
The airline has formed a corporate division dedicated solely to ensuring there are a maximum number of seats available for fans to travel from points throughout the world to Johannesburg, and to the cities in which the matches are taking place. “Like many South Africans, we’ve been counting down to the tournament from the moment FIFA announced the selection of South Africa for the 2010 World Cup,” said Marc Cavaliere, the airline’s Executive Vice President for North America. For Cavaliere, the airline’s connection to the tournament is undeniable. As South Africa’s national flag carrier, South African Airways just celebrated its 75th anniversary of service in 2009. It offers the most flights throughout South Africa and Southern Africa, and also has the distinction of being the official carrier of South Africa’s national team, Bafana Bafana, which will open the tournament versus Mexico. SAA understands that it will play a prominent role in flying passengers into the country and back and forth between the matches, and intends to be fully engaged in this unique opportunity to showcase its home country.
Cavaliere pointed out that the airline is working in tandem with MATCH, the official hospitality provider for FIFA, to lease additional planes, therein supplementing the fleet. This arrangement will permit SAA to offer round-the-clock domestic flights during the month of the tournament, which officially takes place June 11–July 11. “Fans will be able to shuttle from one game to another, even if games take place in the evening. Many soccer fans will be able to leave their hotel in the morning, attend matches during the day or evening, and fly back to their base city in preparation for the next day’s matches, or for their vacation components.” This flight strategy will enable visitors to choose one city, such as Johannesburg or Cape Town, as their base of operations for the trip, enabling them to conduct “day trips” to other match cities.
For those not inclined to take quick trips back and forth, South Africa’s geography and the match sites mean that flyers won’t have to venture more than two hours by air between match cities. Two of the stadiums, Soccer City and Ellis Park, are located in Johannesburg, while a third stadium, Loftus Versfeld, is located in Pretoria, just a 40-minute drive from “Jo’burg,” as the locals call it. The other stadiums are located in Cape Town, Nelspruit (near Kruger National Park), Rustenburg, Durban, Bloemfontein, Polokwane and Port Elizabeth – each a quick flight from Johannesburg. A cursory study of these cities reveals that fans will be able to visit the beach while in Durban, go on safari while in Nelspruit, and enjoy whale watching or wine tasting while in Cape Town or Port Elizabeth. Each match city showcases a unique, visually stunning vantage point of the country.
In order to fully accommodate the large number of U.S. travelers visiting South Africa, South African Airways has forged agreements with the four MATCH-approved tour operators with exclusive rights to package tours with game admission tickets. SportsMark, Great Atlantic Travel, Destination Southern Africa and Cartan Tours have each partnered with SAA to offer preferred rates for those wishing to have their trip fully packaged from A to Z. But for those travel professionals with clients who like to plan trips that are a bit less structured, Cavaliere promises that there are plenty of seats still available for sale directly with the airline. “By no means should travel agents or tour operators be discouraged from contacting us to purchase seats for their clients,” he insisted. “Now that we have the exact game schedules, we will very quickly be making available additional seats at reasonable fares.”
South African Airways operates two daily flights from the U.S. – the most of any carrier. Its New York Kennedy departure, which travels to Johannesburg nonstop, departs JFK mid-morning and arrives in South Africa the following morning, allowing travelers to make some matches the same day. The early arrival also allows passengers to quickly connect to a host of cities throughout South Africa and Southern Africa. SAA also operates a direct flight from Washington, D.C.’s Dulles Airport, which departs in the early evening, makes a short stop in Dakar, Senegal, and arrives into Johannesburg the following evening. Nighttime connections to Cape Town and Durban are available for those wishing to reach their match cities the same day.
It’s estimated that by the time the tournament begins, the government of South Africa will have invested almost 14 billion rand, or $1.8 billion, on renovations and building new World Cup stadiums, along with investments in the country’s infrastructure. This outlay has extended to Johannesburg Interna-tional Airport, which features a countdown sign announcing how many days remain until the start of the tournament. For South African Airways, this investment has meant a move into a brand new, state-of-the-art terminal at their hub in Johannesburg, which opened in 2009. With its entire operation now at the new Terminal B, this has resulted in quicker and more seamless connections for passengers, since all SAA flights now depart from one central terminal. Travelers on other airlines are required to switch terminals when connecting between international and domestic flights. In addition to enhancements in Johannesburg, the airport in Cape Town has been fully remodeled in preparation for the games, and a brand new airport has been built in the busy port city of Durban.
A new, luxurious lounge will also greet South African Airways passengers as they travel through Johannesburg. Scheduled to open in the spring, the lounge will boast rainfall showers, personal “snooze” rooms and entertainment systems, along with the requisite wi-fi connections for the traveler who insists on staying connected. “We understand and appreciate what it takes for travelers to visit South Africa, and we’re especially mindful that the world will be watching. In keeping with our spirit of hospitality in South Africa, we fully intend to host visitors in comfort and convenience as they visit our country, whether on board or in the airport terminal,” said Cavaliere.
On the in-flight side, the airline will continue to offer its passengers a personal entertainment system, along with complimentary meals and fine South African wines for every passenger on board, whether they’re traveling in Economy Class or the airline’s award-winning Premium Business Class. “It’s what we’ve come to be known for, and I imagine many Americans will travel with SAA for the first time during World Cup. We can’t wait to impress them with our service,” added Cavaliere.
So where should travel professionals start when planning their client’s trip to the World Cup? Cavaliere says they should start by calling South African Airways and securing their seats. “See which team you would like to follow, and give us a call so we can start the process for you.” The airline’s tournament-period schedule is available on major GDSs, or agents can call 1-800-722-9675. “Of course, agents can also call one of the MATCH-approved tour operators who have the ability to put all of the components together into one easy package,” he added. “Either way, they should act quickly, since World Cup fever is rising, and available seats on our flights won’t last for long.”
So, you finally decided you didn’t want to watch the World Cup from your small ‘20 TV, but rather go to South Africa and enjoy the world party that only happens about 20 times in a lifetime (Let´s hope you live 80 years!), well, it’s not too late. Maybe a little, but there is always hope.
We created World Cup Watcher as a gathering place for people who wants to watch the World Cup, be it at home, in the stadium or in the streets. People who waited 4 years since the final whistle in Germany 2006, to finally watch your team again playing in the most incredible tournament in the world.
This year, the 2010 World Cup will take place in South Africa. Not an easy place to travel around as Germany. That´s why we created this space. A space where people going to South Africa could use to help each other to find the flight tickets, acommodation, transport, ideas and whatever might be useful to people who will be in South Africa in June/July 2010.
Of course, 99% of World Cup Watchers will stay at home with the crowd. So, we want also to open this space to talk and discuss about the world cup.
For now, we are opening this blog and also the World Cup Watcher Forum. A place for people to talk, discuss and find informationa about the world cup.
OK, the world is watching. Let’s get ready.