Hi, I REALLY want to see Botswana. However, the airfare I have been able to find is prohibitive. How do you all find less expensive flights from the US to southern African countries? I want to take my two grandsons, and since one of them is now 12, he will have to fly on an adult ticket. I thought going to Vic Falls, and hiring a car for the drive to Chobe in Botswana would be an option. Or perhaps flying into WIndhoek?
Thanks for any help you can give.

For Sep 2008 I got tickets from/to LAX-JNB on SAA from www.premiertours.com About $1,300 if I remember correctly, about $600 less than I could find on orbitz or calling airlines. This Sept. I'm using FF miles.

regards - tom

JNB-Maun is a monopoly market for Air Botswana. So, that's the best way to get on the safari circuit- Okavango etc etc.,

Alternatively, try to see if you can fly into Livingstone, Zambia. From there you'll have to go to Kasane in Botswana to get immediate access into Chobe.

Right now South African Airways has some really good deals to Jo'burg, Cape Town, etc. Look at premiertours.com for the details. These will get you to southern Africa, but not to Botswana; I don't know about fares from SA to Maun.

Celia

Does anyone know whether an economy ticket purchased through premiertours.com is upgradeable? Their prices are great . . . but I'm a sucker for upgrades!

Another vote here: contact Premier Tours www.premiertours.com. Best to call the 800# shown on their site and speak to one of the reps in their Air Department.

They have some fares as low as in the $700s and others $1300 depending on when traveling. Once in South Africa they can arrange flights to Botswana, Namibia and/or Victoria Falls, so ask.

Premiertours- be sure and ask about ticket restrictions, changes, refunds, stuff like that. You probably also won't get FF mileage credits. Like probably with all consolidators?

regards - tom

I, as have friends, booked with Premier often and all tickets accrued FF miles, as have tickets booked thru consolidators.

Of course, ask to be sure, but I haven't found restrictions over the years using discounters.

Thank you all SOOoo much, I will try Premier Tours. You guys (and gals) are THE BEST!!!

My company is a consolidator for SAA so I can chime in in the FF rules. If you are a UA or USAir mileage program member, then you earn 50% mileage on the transatlantic for MOST seat classes and 100% for some (Y for sure). As a consolidator, we always sell the cheapest seat classes first. The cheapest (and first to sell out) is G class. It is best to download the table on the UA or USAir web site to see what you can get. USAir's table is very confusing:

http://www.usairways.com/pv_obj_cach...crualchart.pdf

Premier is a great company owned and run my Maureen Abrams and Julian Harrison. I would recommend them.

Craig Beal

Another note: Last month, South African Airways announced a Jo'burg - Maun flight, beginning July 1. It will be timed to allow a same-day connection for those passengers on SAA's JFK - JNB flight.