Flights - would this be crazy?
Oct 5th, 2005, 06:25 PM
#23
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It's Kenya Airways (not Air Kenya which is a mostly domestic carrier) which is pretty well regarded.
www.kenya-airways.com
If you can't purchase on their site, you should be able purchase through Travelocity, etc.
www.kenya-airways.com
If you can't purchase on their site, you should be able purchase through Travelocity, etc.
Oct 5th, 2005, 06:49 PM
#25
Kenya Airways - sorry, my bad. I should know better. Air Kenya was a former joint ticketing partner with BA and I had a wee cramp o' the brain...
I got the fares and schedules off ITA - www.itasoftware.com. You can't book through ITA but you can get the fare details and phone the airlines, or put the specific flights into a "multi-stop" menu on a booking engine (Expedia etc.) and normally pull up the same itinerary.
The key to this is to split the two separate round trips up - one to Europe, the other to Africa. Because no one airline will have a published LNK-LUN fare (not an everyday ticket sale in Nebraska
) you need to subdivide the trip into chunks the airlines <i>do</i> see often.
I tried the Kenya Air (sorry) itin on Expedia and it came back something like $3000; however when I went on www.expedia.co.uk it came back at £617, pretty close to the ITA number. If you get the "fare codes" from the ITA screen and read them over the phone to a competent travel agent they ought to be able to get the exact same fare. ITA, BTW, is the "engine" that powers several booking sites - Orbitz I think, and a couple of others, don't remember. Worth getting to know.
On such a two-ticket itinerary (called "nested" and perfectly legal) you'd need to be sure the first airline tagged your bags all the way to the ultimate destination, although a re-check on a multi-stop Africa itinerary might not be such a bad idea, just to make sure you see them in London or Amsterdam, whatever.
I got the fares and schedules off ITA - www.itasoftware.com. You can't book through ITA but you can get the fare details and phone the airlines, or put the specific flights into a "multi-stop" menu on a booking engine (Expedia etc.) and normally pull up the same itinerary.
The key to this is to split the two separate round trips up - one to Europe, the other to Africa. Because no one airline will have a published LNK-LUN fare (not an everyday ticket sale in Nebraska
) you need to subdivide the trip into chunks the airlines <i>do</i> see often. I tried the Kenya Air (sorry) itin on Expedia and it came back something like $3000; however when I went on www.expedia.co.uk it came back at £617, pretty close to the ITA number. If you get the "fare codes" from the ITA screen and read them over the phone to a competent travel agent they ought to be able to get the exact same fare. ITA, BTW, is the "engine" that powers several booking sites - Orbitz I think, and a couple of others, don't remember. Worth getting to know.
On such a two-ticket itinerary (called "nested" and perfectly legal) you'd need to be sure the first airline tagged your bags all the way to the ultimate destination, although a re-check on a multi-stop Africa itinerary might not be such a bad idea, just to make sure you see them in London or Amsterdam, whatever.
,
Oct 5th, 2005, 07:25 PM
#28
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I just got a LNK to London on Expedia for $839; and Lond-Lusaka for $901. I'm nervous about the bag check thing though - I've never done that. I also tried LNK to AMS then AMS to Lusaka. ODD! from Amsterdam to Lusaka it's more expensive than London-Lusaka even tho you go thru Amsterdam! Sorry for all the abbreviations. My bed time.
And Dennis, it was Julian's budget that went POP! I'm still trying to keep mine together, although it's not easy.....
And Dennis, it was Julian's budget that went POP! I'm still trying to keep mine together, although it's not easy.....
Oct 5th, 2005, 11:57 PM
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Hey Sharon,
I see you are having some problems with your airfare. I suggest that you try Premier Tours. They seem to have a very good air consolidator department:
http://www.premiertours.com/lowest-airfares.html#africa
They are based out of Philadelphia and you should be able to get better pricing than through Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz or any of the better known sites.
Also, unless you need to go to South Africa for any reason, I would suggest that you consider the London - Lusaka flight. This may require an overnight in Lusaka at the end of your trip but it would save you from going to Joburg.
The fact that the Lusaka Inter-Continental Hotel is only $131 USD per night, compared to the Inter-Continental Airport Sun in Joburg being $300+ per night would make it worth staying in Lusaka.
Plus, you will save yourself a minimum of four hours in each direction (two hours flying time between Joburg and Lusaka, plus at least two hour layover.
Best of all, it would save you a $400 flight between Joburg and Lusaka.
Although I have never personally flown London - Lusaka, now that I have had my fill of Cape Town for awhile, I do think I will try this routing next time around.
I see you are having some problems with your airfare. I suggest that you try Premier Tours. They seem to have a very good air consolidator department:
http://www.premiertours.com/lowest-airfares.html#africa
They are based out of Philadelphia and you should be able to get better pricing than through Travelocity, Expedia, Orbitz or any of the better known sites.
Also, unless you need to go to South Africa for any reason, I would suggest that you consider the London - Lusaka flight. This may require an overnight in Lusaka at the end of your trip but it would save you from going to Joburg.
The fact that the Lusaka Inter-Continental Hotel is only $131 USD per night, compared to the Inter-Continental Airport Sun in Joburg being $300+ per night would make it worth staying in Lusaka.
Plus, you will save yourself a minimum of four hours in each direction (two hours flying time between Joburg and Lusaka, plus at least two hour layover.
Best of all, it would save you a $400 flight between Joburg and Lusaka.
Although I have never personally flown London - Lusaka, now that I have had my fill of Cape Town for awhile, I do think I will try this routing next time around.
Oct 6th, 2005, 02:44 AM
#33
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Hi Rocco,
One thing you might want to consider is that the London-Lusaka route is over 3x as expensive as the London-Joburg route -- at last check it was around £1200-£1500 (note pounds, NOT dollars!). Since BA is the only carrier which flies that route, you're in a monopoly situation. For that much money, you could enjoy a very nice night at the Grace, the Westcliff, or one of your other favourite Joburg five-stars and still come out ahead.
Cheers,
Julian
One thing you might want to consider is that the London-Lusaka route is over 3x as expensive as the London-Joburg route -- at last check it was around £1200-£1500 (note pounds, NOT dollars!). Since BA is the only carrier which flies that route, you're in a monopoly situation. For that much money, you could enjoy a very nice night at the Grace, the Westcliff, or one of your other favourite Joburg five-stars and still come out ahead.
Cheers,
Julian
Oct 6th, 2005, 03:39 AM
#35
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Hi Sharon,
Based on what I’ve seen here, it looks like you will most likely need to have a long layover somewhere – either London, Amsterdam, Nairobi, or Joburg.
A few general points to keep in mind: Being on one ticket is not necessarily a guarantee that you can check your baggage all the way through, so you will want to double-check this. I was on a single ticket for London-SFO on BA/American, and they made me collect my baggage in New York. Note that sometimes they will refuse to check it through if your layover is more than 8-12 hours (the exact number depends on the airline). I fell foul of this in New York as I was just outside the time window, so I couldn’t check it through. Needless to say I was not happy as this effectively meant I was stuck at the airport when I had planned to go into Manhattan to meet a friend for dinner.
Find out whether option 3 will require an overnight in Lusaka.
You need to look at when you will be able to actually reach your first camp (Chiawa) as this will determine whether you are able to do a game drive that day. If you miss the afternoon game drive, you’ve effectively paid for a safari night without any safari activities…not good.
OPTION 1: Minimizes layover time, which could be a plus. Has the benefit of being ticketed through one airline, so you can almost certainly check your bags all the way through. I would note that the connection window in Minneapolis is quite narrow – personally, I always leave at least 1.5 and ideally 2 hours between flights. If you do this one, make sure that NW has a little golf cart at the gate to take you to your connection if it’s not nearby. Accommodation in Joburg can be very inexpensive if all you want is a clean, pleasant place to lay your head. No layover on the way back.
The next two are quite similar, aside from where you do the layover. Would you rather see London or Amsterdam? Of course you’d rather see London, since I’m there
You need to find out whether option 3 includes all taxes – if it does, this is certainly the least expensive option. It also means you may be able to avoid an overnight in Lusaka on the 12th since it departs later – this may be a plus.
OPTION 2: May be able to check your bags all the way through – check this. Gets you there in one shot with a long layover in Amsterdam. Long layover in Nairobi on the way back.
OPTION 3: Long layover in London instead of Amsterdam. Does this fare include all taxes? If it doesn’t, it’s likely to cost about the same as the other two. If it does – it’s a great deal. However, I would want to take a closer look at the connections – do you end up with a long layover somewhere? Is there enough time between connections?
If they were all priced the same, I would choose option 1 – better to spend that first night, when you’re likely to be tired, jet-lagged, and out of it, in Joburg rather than ‘wasting’ a night on safari. I’d try to get an earlier Joburg-Lusaka flight, though.
However, if Option 3 really is that much less expensive, I would go with Option 3.
Note that I sleep easily (and well) on planes and do not suffer overmuch from jet-lag – if this is not true for you, you may find Options 2 and 3 too exhausting.
Cheers,
Julian
Based on what I’ve seen here, it looks like you will most likely need to have a long layover somewhere – either London, Amsterdam, Nairobi, or Joburg.
A few general points to keep in mind: Being on one ticket is not necessarily a guarantee that you can check your baggage all the way through, so you will want to double-check this. I was on a single ticket for London-SFO on BA/American, and they made me collect my baggage in New York. Note that sometimes they will refuse to check it through if your layover is more than 8-12 hours (the exact number depends on the airline). I fell foul of this in New York as I was just outside the time window, so I couldn’t check it through. Needless to say I was not happy as this effectively meant I was stuck at the airport when I had planned to go into Manhattan to meet a friend for dinner.
Find out whether option 3 will require an overnight in Lusaka.
You need to look at when you will be able to actually reach your first camp (Chiawa) as this will determine whether you are able to do a game drive that day. If you miss the afternoon game drive, you’ve effectively paid for a safari night without any safari activities…not good.
OPTION 1: Minimizes layover time, which could be a plus. Has the benefit of being ticketed through one airline, so you can almost certainly check your bags all the way through. I would note that the connection window in Minneapolis is quite narrow – personally, I always leave at least 1.5 and ideally 2 hours between flights. If you do this one, make sure that NW has a little golf cart at the gate to take you to your connection if it’s not nearby. Accommodation in Joburg can be very inexpensive if all you want is a clean, pleasant place to lay your head. No layover on the way back.
The next two are quite similar, aside from where you do the layover. Would you rather see London or Amsterdam? Of course you’d rather see London, since I’m there
You need to find out whether option 3 includes all taxes – if it does, this is certainly the least expensive option. It also means you may be able to avoid an overnight in Lusaka on the 12th since it departs later – this may be a plus.OPTION 2: May be able to check your bags all the way through – check this. Gets you there in one shot with a long layover in Amsterdam. Long layover in Nairobi on the way back.
OPTION 3: Long layover in London instead of Amsterdam. Does this fare include all taxes? If it doesn’t, it’s likely to cost about the same as the other two. If it does – it’s a great deal. However, I would want to take a closer look at the connections – do you end up with a long layover somewhere? Is there enough time between connections?
If they were all priced the same, I would choose option 1 – better to spend that first night, when you’re likely to be tired, jet-lagged, and out of it, in Joburg rather than ‘wasting’ a night on safari. I’d try to get an earlier Joburg-Lusaka flight, though.
However, if Option 3 really is that much less expensive, I would go with Option 3.
Note that I sleep easily (and well) on planes and do not suffer overmuch from jet-lag – if this is not true for you, you may find Options 2 and 3 too exhausting.
Cheers,
Julian
Oct 6th, 2005, 04:00 AM
#36
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Gardyloo, it seems as if the ITA Software site doesn't include all carriers?
I hadn't come across it before, so I tried it for a trip from Jo'burg to Singapore next year. As far as I know, there is only one direct flight, on Singapore Airlines. I travelled that leg a few years ago, I think I used it to get to Penang via Singapore and KL.
I got plenty of one-stop (or more) options listed, but none of them that direct flight. And I couldn't see anywhere obvious that said what airlines they include in their analysis.
I hadn't come across it before, so I tried it for a trip from Jo'burg to Singapore next year. As far as I know, there is only one direct flight, on Singapore Airlines. I travelled that leg a few years ago, I think I used it to get to Penang via Singapore and KL.
I got plenty of one-stop (or more) options listed, but none of them that direct flight. And I couldn't see anywhere obvious that said what airlines they include in their analysis.
Oct 6th, 2005, 05:43 AM
#37
Re SQ between JNB and SIN - you're right - none of the SQ flights are turning up. They always have before, so maybe it's glitch in ITA (which IIRC interfaces with the airlines' Sabre or Amadeus systems several times a day.) Puzzling.
I sent an email to ITA enquiring.
I sent an email to ITA enquiring.
Oct 6th, 2005, 05:53 AM
#38
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Thanks everyone! Rocco - I'll give them a call today! I'm not having trouble with my flights, just getting input on the options. Personally I like option 3 if I can make it work, or option 1. I think #2 is a bit ambitious even for me.
Oct 6th, 2005, 06:15 AM
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Here is what I found on my first attempt at Travelocity:
1
1 adult Total: USD 930.40
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 101 on a Boeing 777 Jet
Depart: London Heathrow, UK (LHR) - Sat, May 27 at 7:00pm
Arrive: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Sun, May 28 at 6:30am
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 424 on a Boeing 767 Jet
Depart: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Sun, May 28 at 8:20am
Arrive: Lusaka, Zambia (LUN) - Sun, May 28 at 10:00am
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 424 on a Boeing 767 Jet
Depart: Lusaka, Zambia (LUN) - Wed, Jun 14 at 12:50pm
Arrive: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Wed, Jun 14 at 4:30pm
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 102 on a Boeing 777 Jet
Depart: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Wed, Jun 14 at 11:59pm
Arrive: London Heathrow, UK (LHR) - Thu, Jun 15 at 6:25am
---What that 12:50PM departure from Lusaka to London means is that Sharon would not even be required to overnight in Lusaka on her final night.
1
1 adult Total: USD 930.40
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 101 on a Boeing 777 Jet
Depart: London Heathrow, UK (LHR) - Sat, May 27 at 7:00pm
Arrive: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Sun, May 28 at 6:30am
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 424 on a Boeing 767 Jet
Depart: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Sun, May 28 at 8:20am
Arrive: Lusaka, Zambia (LUN) - Sun, May 28 at 10:00am
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 424 on a Boeing 767 Jet
Depart: Lusaka, Zambia (LUN) - Wed, Jun 14 at 12:50pm
Arrive: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Wed, Jun 14 at 4:30pm
Flight: Kenya Airways flight 102 on a Boeing 777 Jet
Depart: Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) - Wed, Jun 14 at 11:59pm
Arrive: London Heathrow, UK (LHR) - Thu, Jun 15 at 6:25am
---What that 12:50PM departure from Lusaka to London means is that Sharon would not even be required to overnight in Lusaka on her final night.
