Here are some ways to find the best prices on flights to Africa:
For cheap tickets to Africa, look for alternatives to direct flights
This is a great way to save on flights to Africa, especially if you’re flying from the US or Canada. Direct flights from the US to Africa are often more expensive than those flying to Africa via Europe. This is because there are only a few airlines that fly from the US to Africa. And less competition means higher prices. Fewer flights also mean these flights fill up faster. Some examples of US airlines that have direct flights to Africa: Delta Airlines and South African Airways (United flies to South Africa via a codeshare flight with South African Airways)
Delta flies to Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa from Atlanta and SAA flies to Cape Town and Johannesburg from New York and Washington, DC.
For discount airfares to Africa, look at flying through countries with historical ties to Africa
If you’re flying to or via Europe, remember that most European countries that once had colonies in Africa still have fairly close ties to those former colonies. So, for historical and economic reasons, they often still have good air links from their leading capitals or business cities to these former colonies.
Here are some examples:
UK: London – Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya
France: Paris – Senegal, Ivory Coast
In short, if you’re looking for a flight to a French-speaking West African country, don’t forget to look at Paris as your hub or as a city to fly to. This brings me to the next tip.
Search online for airline consolidators that have contracts with airlines flying to Africa
Finding cheap flights to Africa is much easier if you can search for your flights online and also use a search engine that incorporates airfares from the airline consolidator as well as the airfares published by the airlines. What this tool will also do is let you see all the alternative routes to get from your home country to Africa. This is an effective way to find bargains passing through cities you may not have thought to travel through to reach your final destination in Africa.
Follow these tips and you should be able to find cheap flights to anywhere in Africa you choose, from Egypt to Cape Town to Ghana to Kenya.