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Travelling to South Africa with points & miles: the plane

Travelling to South Africa with points & miles: the plane
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In this first article – very detailed – dedicated to South Africa, we will look at the different possibilities available to us with the points and miles concerning the air ticket.

Our articles on South Africa

First of all, feel free to consult our other articles such as:

Going to South Africa with points and miles: airfare

South Africa is an expensive destination. It is very rare to find tickets from Canada for less than $1200 in economy class.

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
Economy class fare – Montreal – Johannesburg

And let’s not even talk about business class, which is around $5,500 round trip.

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
Business Class Fare – Montreal – Johannesburg

And it is a destination that is difficult to reach from North America: few direct flights, a quasi obligatory connection in Europe, often long connection because most flights take off in the evening, while flights from Canada arrive in the morning.

Destination and connecting airports

South Africa has 2 international airports:

  • Johannesburg (JNB)
  • Cape Town (CPT)

Johannesburg is connected to North America by:

HubAirlineAllianceProgram
New York (JFK)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Atlanta (ATL)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
The lines connecting Johannesburg

Other hubs to look out for when searching for award tickets are:

HubAirlineAllianceProgram
London (LHR)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Frankfurt (FRA)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Munich (MUC)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Zurich (ZRH)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Istanbul (STI)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Cairo (CAI)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Addis Ababa (ADD)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Accra (ACC)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach

PS: We won’t mention the other hubs because it is almost impossible for Canadians to get miles in the relevant frequent flyer programs.

As for Cape Town, the choices are more limited:

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
The lines connecting Cape Town

We will retain here 4 hubs:

HubAirlineAllianceProgram
Munich (MUC)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Franfurt (FRA)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Istanbul (STI)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach
Addis Ababa (ADD)Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineTravel To South Africa With Points & Miles: AirlineSheraton Bay Point Resort, Panama City Beach

Searching for a ticket on Aeroplan

Once the first obvious search is done (back and forth on a specific date), it is often unsuccessful.

Either Aeroplan is offering flights that may not be suitable for you, or the search engine has not gone as far as you have in thinking up winning combinations!

That’s why we often advise you:

  • search by one-way, correspondence by correspondence
  • then « feed » the search engine by setting up a « multi-city » itinerary
  • or call the Aeroplan reservation service and indicate the flights found

In this case, we looked for a route:

  • between Montreal and Johannesburg
  • for a typical travel period of 10 to 15 days
  • avoiding companies with carrier surcharges

We do not hide you that it isnecessary to be flexible for this type of journey. Availability is sporadic, but it exists! If you plan ahead, you should be able to put together a great itinerary!

To get there from North America, it will cost you 100,000 Aeroplan miles in economy class and 150,000 Aeroplan miles in business class.

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
South Africa from North America via Aeroplan

We have tried several routes to show you what is possible.

One way via Zurich

Swiss offers a flight with a connection in Zurich. You pay few taxes… but as the connection is made in Europe, it is long, very long.

This is a good option if you plan to stop over in Europe for several days before going to South Africa!

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
South Africa via Zurich on Aeroplan

One way via Toronto and Addis Ababa

Another option on the same day, a flight via Toronto and Addis Ababa. The advantage: short connection times. Since the transatlantic portion is on Ethiopian Airlines (on a new aircraft, a 788 Dreamliner), taxes are low, even though Air Canada is involved in the Montreal-Toronto portion.

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
South Africa via Toronto and Addis Ababa on Aeroplan

The return via Washington

South African Airways offers a flight between Johannesburg and Washington. In fact, as you will see in the screenshot below, there is an unspecified stop that is made in Accra (that’s why we mentioned this city in the table of available connections above).

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
Return from South Africa via Washington on Aeroplan

The new Flightconnections interface shows us the choices with 1 – 2 matches, filtering by alliance. Here is a picture of this line:

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
The Montreal-Washington-Johannesburg route with a quick stop in Accra

Round trip to South Africa with Aeroplan

Once you’ve found these dates and flights, all you have to do is enter them into your multi-city search (or if you’re lucky, you can find them in the round trip option).

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
Complete itinerary to South Africa with Aeroplan

100,000 Aeroplan miles and $170 in taxes, a bargain compared to flights at the same time!

Aeroplan’s business class option to South Africa, the real deal!

However, in our opinion, the real bargain would be to find a business class seat for such a long trip! 50,000 miles more, the gap is not so extraordinary for the comfort obtained. Here is an example (with transatlantic flights in business).

Travel To South Africa With Points & Miles: Airline
Example of a business class itinerary to South Africa on Aeroplan

Bottom Line

As you have seen, once you have:

  • mastered connections via flightconnections.com
  • retained by companies that do not apply carrier surcharges
  • « given the game » on your travel dates (1 to 2 weeks of flexibility recommended for this destination)

it is now possible to find flights to South Africa with your Aeroplan Miles!

Our suggestions would be to focus on those routes that often offer the most availability:

  • Toronto-Addis Ababa-Johannesburg
  • Washington-Addis Ababa-Johannesburg
  • Montreal-Istanbul-Johannesburg
  • Montreal-Zurich-Johannesburg
  • New York-Johannesburg

To get those 100,000 / 150,000 Aeroplan miles, we recommend you to check out our article detailing all the major credit card offers to get at least 100,000 Aeroplan miles.

Annual fee
$250
Our valuation
$1,020
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,020Total$1,020Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 60,000 points
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on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

Earn up to 60,000 Membership Rewards points with this welcome offer for the American Express Gold Rewards Card. That’s a value of $600 toward travel or any purchase charged to the Card:

  • 5,000 Membership Rewards points per month when you charge $1,000 in net purchases to your Card, for 12 months (a total of 60,000 points in the first year).

You can also transfer your points to airline partners such as Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways, Qatar Airways, Finnair), Flying Blue, and hotel partners (Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors).

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to :

  • 60,000 Aeroplan points
  • 60,000 Avios
  • 60,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 72,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

With this Card, you get many benefits like:

  • $100 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass membership and 4 complimentary Plaza Premium visits per year
  • $50 NEXUS credit

You earn 2 points per dollar for travel purchases, and at:

  • gas stations
  • grocery stores
  • drugstores

And 1 point per dollar everywhere else.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$250
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 2xPharmacy
  • 2xGas & EV
  • 2xTravel
  • 2xGroceries
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,555
2nd Year Value$589

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Card benefits

Airport lounge access$160

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $1,500
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days
Annual fee
$199
Our valuation
$1,190
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,190Total$1,190Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 70,000 points
Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

Earn a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Membership Rewards® points with the American Express® Business Gold Rewards Card®

  • 50,000 Membership Rewards® points after spending $7,500 in purchases within the first three months of Cardmembership.
  • 20,000 additional points after spending $30,000 on your Card in your first 12 months of Cardmembership.

Plus, earn 10,000 bonus points in each calendar quarter when you spend $20,000 or more.

With this Card, you earn 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar on your purchases.

You can then use your points in many ways:

  • Statement credit for travel purchases
  • Statement credit for all purchases
  • Transfer to partner programs (Aeroplan, British Airways Executive Club, Delta Skymiles, Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, etc.).
  • Book your flight with American Express Travel at a special rate

For example, with this welcome offer, if you decide to transfer your Membership Rewards points to a partner loyalty program, you would have the choice of earning up to:

  • 70,000 points Aeroplan
  • 70,000 Avios
  • 70,000 Flying Blue Miles
  • 84,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

Alternatively, 70,000 Membership Rewards points can also represent a value of $700 for travel or for any purchase charged to the Card.

Also, as a cardmember, you get many advantages such as up to 55 interest-free days to maximize your cash flow.

Finally, you are covered with reliable insurance for your travels and purchases.

Like all American Express Canada Cards, there is no minimum income requirement.

Annual fee

Primary card$199
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$0
Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,450
2nd Year Value$209

Transfer partners

  • AeroplanAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • Etihad GuestAirline
  • Flying BlueAirline
  • Hilton HonorsHotel
  • Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $500
Travel AccidentUp to $100,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 1 years
Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Our featured card

Featured
Annual fee
$120
Our valuation
$1,050
Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$1,050Total$1,050Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer
Up to 70,000 points
Ends Nov 25, 2026
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on RBC's website

For a limited time, the RBC Avion Visa Infinite Card offers a welcome bonus of up to 70,000 Avion points, worth up to $1,500 in travel.

  • 35,000 points upon approval of your application
  • 20,000 points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your account within the first six months
  • 15,000 points on the first anniversary of your account

You can redeem your Avion points for flights with more than 500 airlines, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions, or transfer them to partner programs such as American Airlines AAdvantage, The British Airways Club, Cathay Pacific Asia Miles and WestJet Rewards.

The card earns you 1.25 points per dollar on eligible travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all your other eligible purchases. It also includes extensive insurance coverage: emergency medical, trip cancellation and interruption, collision coverage for rental vehicles, and mobile devices.

The annual fee is $120.

Annual fee

Primary card$120
Additional card$50

Annual income required

Individual$60,000
Household$100,000

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

  • 1.25xTravel
  • 1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,369
2nd Year Value$271

Transfer partners

  • American Airlines AAdvantageAirline
  • British Airways ClubAirline
  • Cathay Asia MilesAirline
  • WestJet RewardsAirline

Card benefits

Concierge service24/7

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Included
Travel medical (55-64)Included
Travel medical (65+)Included
Trip CancellationUp to $1,500
Trip InterruptionUp to $5,000
Delayed BaggageUp to $500
Lost BaggageUp to $500
Flight DelayUp to $500
Hotel BurglaryUp to $2,500
Travel AccidentUp to $500,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionIncluded
Extended Warranty+1 years
Mobile DeviceUp to $1,500 / 1 years
Auto Rental CollisionUp to $65,000 / 48 days

Our editorial integrity

Our reviews and rankings are based on an objective assessment. Advertisers do not influence our content. We may receive compensation through some links; our analysis and opinions remain independent.