South African travellers saw an increase of almost 20% in the cost of flight tickets for travel this past winter (June to August), compared with the same period in 2019, according to travel search engine Cheapflights.co.za. However, data shows a 26% decrease in prices for flights departing in spring (September to November), compared with the winter travel period.
Among many reasons for the recent significant rise in flight prices may have been the folding of local carrier Comair, rising fuel costs, and airport chaos following an increase in demand post-pandemic.
The international round-trip price for spring appears to be as little as R12 700 on average, while it was over R17 000 during the winter period. Average flight prices for travelling in South Africa over the next three months see a drop of about 12%, compared with prices recorded for travel in June to August.
South African travellers can book a domestic flight for about R2 300 this spring.
“Passengers who plan their travels strategically and fly out of peak season this year can stack up the savings while still getting to do a trip across the country, or take that long-desired journey abroad. There are always seasonal flight price changes that travellers can benefit from,” says Laure Bornet, GM of KAYAK EMEA, which manages Cheapflights.
“This spring, flight prices are currently seeing an even bigger decrease compared to what we observed before the pandemic,” Bornet adds.
Looking at airfares from June to August versus September to November, over the past three years, the seasonal price drop in flight prices in 2022 is significant:
