Airfares for May 2015

[PHOENIX PHIL]

So being a big of a control freak, when I have a trip planned, I monitor airfares on Orbitz quite closely every so often. Well yesterday I had a moment while waiting for my son's football practice to be finished to look up airfares. I have for the last month been a bit lax keeping track of airfares for my trip next May to HartzView as I've been moving, so much to my delight I found some very good deals.

While I will need to make the trek over to L.A. again, and I do loathe that airport, it's difficult to argue with $1300 round trip LAX to JNB. While I found the deals on Orbitz, I called Lori at Travel Express to make the booking.

This will be my third trip to RSA and third different route. My younger boy and I will fly on British Airways from L.A. to London Heathrow. We will have a reasonable layover of 3 hours and be back on our way to JNB arriving at 7:10am which should be plenty of time to catch the earlier connection. Route back will be the same but a slightly shorter layover.

So if you've got a trip planned leaving before June next year, you may want to check airfares now.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I've started looking at airfares and that route (LHR) looks like it might just be another decent option.

 

[Warbird782]

$1300 is a great rate! I hope that I can find something in that range for my hunt in March.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

$1300 is a great rate! I hope that I can find something in that range for my hunt in March.

Look now! Not sure where you're located, but I've found you do best by leaving from the most major locations such as LAX, JFK etc. Phoenix is just not on that list. But our flight leaves on a Saturday at 9:45pm. So at this moment, I just plan to make the 6 hour drive over and you can find off airport parking for about $10 a day. On return, I get in at 12:45pm, likely not out of the airport till 3pm. So we may drive a couple of hours to get out of L.A., but likely spend a night in a hotel.

 

[CAustin]

Great price!

 

[tarbe]

Yes, it pays to watch closely as rates fluctuate and you gotta be in line when the deals come up!

I got $1,383 all the way to Port Elizabeth (Houston, ATL, JBerg, PE) for next May! If I wasn't watching, I could have gotten stuck for $1,900 plus! Given we are buying two tickets, the savings just bought me (more or less) an extra Wildebeest!

 

[BnC 04]

Phil, that is a very attractive price. I would be willing to pay double to get out of my current location

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Phil, that is a very attractive price. I would be willing to pay double to get out of my current location

I'll bet!

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Thanks for this Phil!

 

[sestoppelman]

Will you have to go thru all the UK gun BS Phil?

 

[spike.t]

Will you have to go thru all the UK gun BS Phil?

he will be in transit so there is no BS, just informs BA in advance he is travelling with firearms, and they usually want to know cal/type/make for their paperwork, and after he checks them in, phil all being well sees them next in joburg. at the moment its easier than going through other european airports as no docs/paperwork are rquired for transiting. phil just as well you wont have your missus with you as the shopping in T5 (BAs terminal at heathrow) could have been painful !!!

 

[gutterdoc]

My dad and I bought ours last month. One less thing to worry about. Buy it and save for the next expense. Also, if your travel originates before June 1, then you don't get stuck with the seasonal ticket price increase. Your trip can end after June 1 and there is no mark up for tickets. They increase the fares starting June 1, because it is considered prime season in RSA. This helped in our planning.

 

[daved]

BA just booked a hunting client to Port Elizabeth but put them on COMAIR from Jhb to PE . They don't carry guns !!

Big problem, long story short, he's going to hiring guns now.

 

[buchnerl]

THE ONLY CARRIER THAT CARRIES GUNS IN THE RSA AND THAT IS SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS. Thank you for the heads up Phil, will need to check www.orbitz.com out for tickets out of South Africa myself!

 

[spike.t]

BA just booked a hunting client to Port Elizabeth but put them on COMAIR from Jhb to PE . They don't carry guns !!

Big problem, long story short, he's going to hiring guns now.

dave i believe most airlines including the BA regional airline in SA, apart from SAA dont carry firearms ? the int side of BA i have had no problems with when travelling with guns and have done it a lot over the years with them. i have read a few articles in various mags about this problem in SA where people including SA hunters have booked their flights only to be told on check in that the regional/internal airline didnt carry firearms............

crossed woth loodt there but need to say that i think loodt meant to say as i thought only SAA carry internally, but other airlines from overseas carry firearms to and from SA.

 

[buchnerl]

crossed woth loodt there but need to say that i think loodt meant to say as i thought only SAA carry internally, but other airlines from overseas carry firearms to and from SA.

Mike, two heads thinking the same difference! lol. No stress, I just edited mine - it could have came through confusing though. I meant to say that SAA is the only domestic carrier that carries guns in RSA.

 

[KMG Hunting Safaris]

Will you have to go thru all the UK gun BS Phil?

Please specify where the comma has to go in this sentence.

"Will you have to go thru all the UK gun BS, Phil?" - Legitimate question
"Will you have to go thru all the UK gun, BS Phil?" - You just lost a friend.

 

[billc]

I just do it the easy way no stress at all.Call lori and let her know when and were I want to be.She has always save me money over all the other places that book flights.Always have time between flights and get the best direct route to SA.I am near jfk which makes it easy route wise.
I just dont trust the discount airfare places or a business were you can not talk with someone with out 30 minutes of talking with a computer.
She told me 4 years ago if I want to save money going to SA book in april,may or early june.Then again in sept or oct as the rates come back down from mid june ,july and aug.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

he will be in transit so there is no BS, just informs BA in advance he is travelling with firearms, and they usually want to know cal/type/make for their paperwork, and after he checks them in, phil all being well sees them next in joburg. at the moment its easier than going through other european airports as no docs/paperwork are rquired for transiting. phil just as well you wont have your missus with you as the shopping in T5 (BAs terminal at heathrow) could have been painful !!!

Will you have to go thru all the UK gun BS Phil?

What spike said ses. Issues arise in the UK when you are mixing airlines and worse if you change airports. London has both Gatwick and Heathrow. Somewhere along the line I read about someone who had to change airports, I don't think it was by choice, and it gets to be a nightmare there. Gatwick is a pretty good drive from Heathrow and thus the guns had to be transported by car with someone approved to do so. Don't even want to think about it.

As long as your flying BA into and out of Heathrow, my understanding is it's a piece of cake. In fact, I know Mark Young prefers this route as BA has employees specifically making sure such baggage is handled properly and not just by your average baggage goon.

 

[sestoppelman]

Please specify where the comma has to go in this sentence.

"Will you have to go thru all the UK gun BS, Phil?" - Legitimate question
"Will you have to go thru all the UK gun, BS Phil?" - You just lost a friend.