August 2026 I plan to fly business class on the outbound and maybe premium economy on the return flight back to SFO. I have done the research including cost and layover times but remain undecided as to the better choice regarding what direction to fly - east or west. Miles and airline loyalty are not an issue.

What do you recommend? Fly east via Newark, Atlanta, etc or even Paris which takes less time mostly due to shorter layovers OR fly west on one of the better airlines for business class or premium economy?

Thanks.

SFO based traveler. Have flown from SFO to JNB via LHR, and FRA. Flying east always makes the flight time shorter. Flew home each time from CPT once via LHR and once via AMS. Airlines were United, South African, British and KLM. I guess I'd say United's seats were the best, but British has new seats now (fewer step over biz seats). Flew business on all the legs, once in first. I would never fly via another airport in the USA. Although it is a similar distance, I find the possibility of a missed connection or lost luggage is higher, but that's my personal prejudice. Also, the flights across the USA are seldom very good seats, so I'd prefer to fly on two legs of 10-11 hrs vs one of 5 that is uncomforable and one of 15 hours. Now, it is true that each time we have done this we had 4 to 6 hours of connection time. But that was ok with a nice lounge (time for a shower, etc.). Now, it is also a function of what you are doing when you arrive. Most flights from Europe land in the morning. Each time we've connected to another flight so that was ok (no issue of getting an early check in to hotel). If you are ending your journey in JNB, then arriving later might be better. So I'd look at that. Now, flying home on PE, I think it is a question of how long you think you can be in those seats. The flight westbound will take longer, at least an hour longer depending on the route. So I'd think of it in segments, what sounds most appealing. Again, each time we flew home it was a late flight that arrived in Europe the next morning, and the connections to get home tended to be on the shorter side.

I have a friend who flew to South Africa from SFO on Cathay via HKG even though it is farther because Cathay is a superior airline to most.

I've never flown through the middle east, but Emirates is an option, maybe one of the other gulf carriers. I personally would rather not fly through that region but again, that's a personal preference. I know people who have flown Qatar and found it good.

But in summary, it is so far and you'll have two long or very long legs, so I think the amount of time in the airport (if under say 5-6 hours) is the least concern. The seat and the arrival time would matter more to me.

Best of luck.

Question: is this trip in addition to your Vietnam trip or instead of it? I know it might seem off-topic, but could you confirm when the Vietnam trip would take place? Also, do you have any other travels planned for the next 12-18 months? Yes, I'm thinking about the RTW option again 😉.

Thanks for your comments. Lots to consider.

Gardyloo --- thanks, but can't do the RTW option.