Airlink and Lift prices crush FlySafair

Apart from those looking to travel to George or Cape Town this Easter, Airlink and Lift are the best bet for affordable flights.

We looked for the most affordable fares from each carrier for flights departing Friday, 18 April 2025, and returning Monday, 21 April 2025. All flights from Johannesburg depart from OR Tambo International Airport.

To keep the comparison fair, we included the price of checked-in baggage for airlines that don’t automatically include a checked-in bag.

For example, SAA’s cheapest fares include a checked-in bag, while airlines like FlySafair and Lift’s fares do not.

As the time between the outbound and inbound flights is only three days, airfares excluding checked-in luggage were included in the table for a more complete picture.

It’s also important to note that FlySafair is the only airline in the comparison that doesn’t offer complementary in-flight catering.

At the time of publication, Airlink offered the most affordable roundtrip from OR Tambo International Airport to King Shaka International, which costs R1,943.88 for both flights.

This was significantly less than SAA, which costs just under R600 more, and FlySafair, whose fares are currently over R3,000 for the pair of tickets.

Lift charged R3,960 and CemAir R5,335.30 for the same trip.

For those travelling to Cape Town, Lift’s pricing, which excludes checked-in luggage, was the most affordable: R3,910 for the round trip, with the inbound ticket making up the bulk of the cost.

However, this was not much cheaper than Airlink, which cost just over R50 more and included checked-in luggage.

Prices for the same route from FlySafair, Lift, and CemAir cost R4,286.81, R4,356.38, and R6,298.30, respectively.

Only FlySafair, CemAir, and Airlink cover the other two routes included in the comparison: Johannesburg to Bloemfontein and Johannesburg to George.

Airlink was the most affordable option for the Johannesburg to Bloemfontein roundtrip at R2,890.88. The Inbound and outbound tickets cost roughly the same.

CemAir and FlySafair followed with prices of R3,078.30 and R4,136.82, respectively.

The Johannesburg-to-George route is by far the most expensive route included in the comparison, with the most affordable airline charging R5,036.80, offered by FlySafair.

Airlink is not far behind, costing R5,240.38, followed by CemAir at R5,815.38.

The table below compares Easter weekend flight prices between Johannesburg and Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town, Johannesburg and Bloemfontein, and Johannesburg and George from various local airlines.

Start planning for December

According to feedback from travel agencies The Boyz and Travelstart, the best time to book cheap flights for December is between April and June.

Gerald Klitzke from The Boyz told MyBroadband that people who expect to find affordable tickets at the last minute will be disappointed as most airlines are fully booked by that point.

Last year, Klitzke said flight prices almost doubled compared to previous years due to limited seat availability.

He said it is best to book flights for the December period as early as possible.

“Rather book well in advance and do a date change if needed than wait for the last minute,” said Klitzke.

“Our clients are already booking for July next year, and Easter Flights are already getting full.”

Travelstart agrees. It told MyBroadband that carriers always exclude deals for December peak dates, so it’s best to book as early as possible.

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