momofmany

My first trip to Africa is booked for next October. My husband and I were lucky enough to use our freq flyer miles and get 2 tickets from LAX to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Cape Town. Unfortunately the only class of service available was coach. I always fly coach but worry about this being such a long trip. How bad could it be? Any chance of upgrading at the last minute using miles?

momofmany

Patty

How are you getting from Atlanta to Cape Town? What airline/routing? South African Airways is discontinuing service from Atlanta at the end of June and Delta's own service doesn't start until December.

There's always the possibility of award seats in business class opening up later. Are you using Delta Skymiles? Did you check award availability on KLM or Air France through Europe? Traveling via Europe breaks the flights up more evenly and you could include one stopover to further break up the flights. If you want to try for something last minute, KLM often releases additional business award seats (if there are unsold seats) close to flight departure.

lovetodiscover

For work and pleasure I've done a bit of international travel and more than half spent in economy. I'm also traveling economy, since parting with more than $1500 per ticket seemed outrageous.

Unless you have disposable income to cover the upgrade or loads of frequent flyer miles (and getting lucky for a seat to clear), you can make do in Economy. Try for an aisle seat if you need to get up and walk around to stretch your legs or if you plan to sleep, picking a window seat can give you a place to lean your head. Those travel pillows can work decent, but I've found them to be overly filled or deflate easily (blow up kind).

Might take an extra pair of socks to slip on when on your on the plane, since your feet may swell up a bit. The swelling goes down when you walk around and get the circulation going. Also means you'll want shoes that can be unlaced or allow room to expand.

To freshen up, you could take a facial "wash" cloth like Oil of Olay and take a small travel toothbrush / paste to use in the morning.

And to rest in coach and get your mind off the smaller seat, one tablet of Tylenol PM (check with your doctor if this is okay for you) worked wonders for me. I take it at the start of an overnight flight that lasts approx 7-8 hours at a minimum.

Business class is much better, but you can survive and save money and miles in coach.

momofmany

Patty, where did you hear/read that SAA was d/c the Atlanta-Cape Town route cause that is what we are booked on!!!! We are on Delta from LAX to Atlanta, then S.African Airways from Atlanta to Cape Town(then Cape Town to J'burg also on SAA). We have paper tickets for Wed Oct 4! I'll call the airline first thing tomorrow am.

Thanks for the tips lovetodiscover, I'll def use some of them "IF" I make it to S.A.

momofmany

lovetodiscover

Hello momofmany. There was a discussion on the board about Delta/SAA flights. Here's the link: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34796108

momofmany

Thanks for the link lovetodiscover, this is really not good for us. We cannot 'afford' another day off and are taking a red eye from LAX to Atlanta as it is. I know that the 'free' seats give you the less flexibility when rebooking so I'm worried we will be able to keep the same schedule, aghhhhh!

momofmany

matnikstym

let us know what happens momofmany and what they offer you.

Roccco

momofmany,

I would suggest that you consider buying your own ticket to Europe and then flying Europe to Cape Town. This will only add an hour to the flying time and to fly from Europe to Cape Town should only be 80,000 miles for Business Class.

I am also from Los Angeles and this is how I did my last two visits to Southern Africa as I had no luck in finding ff mile seats in Business Class from LAX - Atlanta or New York - South Africa.

Plus, in my opinion, it is much better to have a couple successive 11 hour flights, than to have a 5 hour flight followed by a 15 hour flight. It is the last few hours that really kill you.

I would try London & Paris first, but if those don't work there are other European options for SAA.

If successful, you will have to pay a ticket reissue fee of $50 per person, but it would be worth it in order to at least have half of your journey in business class. Just keep calling the Delta Airlines partner desk and bug them to see what is available. If you call them at odd hours, they are much more likely to give you attention and not be in such a rush to get to the next caller.

Good luck.

Lillipets

MOMOFMANY,

From your screen name I can assume you have "many" children. As a single parent of "high maintenance" twins I thought my long flight in coach was like a mini vacation! I was able to read and nap uninterrupted while flight attendants brought me drinks and food. I didn't even watch the movie! Attitude is everything! Just keep thinking about what awaits you at the end of your flight. And on the way home you can keep yourself busy planning your next trip!

Lily

fuzzylogic

Hey - you get on one end and you get off the other. You are going somewhere you have never been before - sooo exciting!!! You'll survive. Even economy is tons more comfy now than it would have been flying in a turbo prop in the '50s - don't you think?

You get food, in-flight entertainment, time passes. You arrive. Isn't that enough?

Sure flying is boring and 14 hours can seem like an eternity. But I always think how lucky I am to be making the trip at all.

cybor

Sorry to hear about your ticket dilemma momof,
I do agree with the other posters in that flying thru Europe may be the way to go for shorter legs. I've done a few of those 15hr. trips and they're killers unless you're in first class.
We recently flew coach from Tanz.- Amsterdam - Boston and it wasn't 1/2 bad. My DH and I try to get adjacent aisle seats - 8 hrs. of reading, watching movies and eating etc. is doable for us, I start to spaz a bit after that. Drugs, of course, do take the edge off.
KLM was ok for us in coach but we really dislike NW - they normally use very small sardine can planes and seem to hire those who lack even small amounts of caring.
Good Luck - you'll get there and be delighted upon arrival!
Sherry

simbakubwa

If you don't like coach... you can fly on British Airways in the WORLD TRAVELER section for the same price.

That sounds MUCH nicer than COACH !!

Dr_Andrea

Unfortunately, we travel coach when the prices for business class are insane. We always try are hardest to get the emergency exit or bulkhead. If we do, we can manage the flight. If not, it is torture. However, I have been bring Ambien and it knocks me out for a lot of the flight.

sundowner

I fly coach because I don't want to pay for business and I always plan a trip when my ff balance gets to 80,000 miles. I just resign myself to the fact that I'll be on that plane for 17 or 18 hours. It's not like you really have a choice. I will say my resolve lasts only until the plane lands. It's gone when I hit the ground. By then I really need a smoke and I'm climbing the walls waiting to get through customs etc.

I don't think you can upgrade on SAA with Delta points. I believe you have to have their points.

Good luck working out your airfare mess. We have to get a new flight coming back on July 8th.

Patty

Call the Delta partner award desk and have them reaccomodate you. SAA is flying from IAD, but this is a bit problematic because Delta doesn't offer nonstop service to IAD (only connections via ATL, CVG, or SLC) forcing you to possibly have to overnight in Dulles before your SAA flight.

I would try to see if they can reaccomodate you on KLM into CPT or as a second choice Air France into JNB.

Or as Rocco mentioned check into SAA business class availability from
Europe if you don't mind either paying for the flight from LAX or using additional miles for a second award from LAX (if there's availability).

Any redeposit fees should be waived since SAA cancelled the flight.

Good luck and let us know what happens.

atravelynn

How bad is coach?

As a frequent flyer of coach I can say it is no worse and far better than how much of the world spends any given 7-18 hours.

There is adequate water, food and snacks delivered every few hours. Maybe not gourmet, but I've had only a few awful airline meals. You can even state your preference of vegetarian, Kosher, etc.

There is nonstop entertainment in the form of music and movies.

You have time to read, nap, or reflect. Sometimes with a view out the window.

While it is not how I would choose to spend the better part of the day, it is ok. Especially considering where that coach seat is taking your.

Of course, I am short, so that helps with leg room.

RBCal

Since SAA is no longer a partner with Delta but now part of Star Alliance, is it even possible to upgrade using Delta miles anymore?
I recently booked a flight using United miles on SAA going through LHR. Unfortunately it also is in coach.

Patty

It was never possible to upgrade a paid economy ticket on SAA using Delta Skymiles, but it's still possible to redeem a business class award on SAA using Delta Skymiles through August.

momofmany has an award ticket to begin with so she would need to redeposit and reissue her ticket using additional miles if changing classes of service from economy to business. Technically, this isn't "upgrading" but rather redeeming an entirely new award.

africnow

I'm 63 and I survive it

I always ask for an aisle seat and spend about 1/2 the trip walking up and down. Does upset the staff a bit, but what the heck, it is my health.

napamatt

You'd be amazed how many FF seats actually do open up close to flight time. I recently got 2 in First Class from JNB-LHR for this June, only about 10 weeks out. So it pays to keep checking.