When Cathay Pacific makes its return to South Africa in August, these are the prices to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Bali in comparison.
Cathay Pacific recently announced that it would resume direct flights between Johannesburg and Hong Kong, which it had suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The flights will not resume until August of this year, but the airline is already encouraging passengers to take advantage of early-bird fares until April 16th.
Cathay Pacific is offering up to 30% off tickets purchased during the savings period and flying between August and November. Additionally, South African passengers who book on “Travel Thursdays” can earn an additional 2000 bonus miles by using a special promo code.
According to an accompanying press release, booking ahead of time allows you to select the best flights, hotels, and activities rather than settling for the most expensive or inconvenient options.
“For destinations like Hong Kong, where the best hotels and travel experiences tend to sell out quickly,” says the press release, “booking in advance gives you access to more options, allows you to take your time, and allows you to make the right booking decision.”
Flights arrive and depart from Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. They leave Johannesburg late in the morning and arrive in Hong Kong at 6 a.m. the next day. Return flights leave Hong Kong shortly before midnight and arrive in Johannesburg at 07:35.
Cathay Pacific will sell these discounted tickets between Johannesburg and Hong Kong on its website and through agents, with specials also available for onward destinations such as Thailand and Bali.
Although the convenience of flying direct overnight is obvious, News24 also wanted to assess the pricing’s competitiveness.
If you want to fly directly to Hong Kong and back, News24 found flights for between R13 500 and R15 000 on Economy Light, depending on the exact date.
You can upgrade this for between R2000 and R3000 more if you want more flexibility, the option to include more bags, and a little more legroom.
Surprisingly, we discovered cheaper flights if your next stop is Thailand or Bali. On the same dates, Cathay Pacific is selling flights between Johannesburg and Bangkok for between R10,000 and R11,000.
On similar dates in September, we found flights from Johannesburg to Bali via Hong Kong for around R11 000.
How do the prices compare?
During our research, we discovered cheaper flights between Johannesburg and Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines for comparable dates, with some fares as low as R12 734. These, however, necessitate one to three-hour layovers in Singapore.
Flights to Bangkok on competing airlines are also competing for those dates. During our research, we discovered that Cathay Pacific was approximately R1600 cheaper, despite having lengthy layovers in Hong Kong.
If your final destination is Bali, Cathay Pacific appears to be the most affordable and convenient option, with fares on competing airlines ranging from R1000 to R3000 higher.
These early-bird specials are only available until April 16, 2023, and more information is available on a separate South Africa page on the Cathay Pacific website. To verify the veracity of the claims or compare schedules and layover times, it’s also worth comparing all specials on a flight aggregator like Google Flights.
Main Image: Freight News
