FlySafair launches Mauritius route — how it compares to British Airways and Emirates
FlySafair’s fares on its newly-announced route between Johannesburg and Mauritius are among the cheapest currently on the market, a MyBroadband comparison shows.
Considering that it is a direct flight, rather than requiring a detour and lengthy lay-over, FlySafair’s new route to Mauritius will be quite attractive to South African holidaymakers.
FlySafair announced its first international route with a twice-weekly service between OR Tambo International Airport and Mauritius today.
It will begin operating the new route on 11 December 2021 using its existing Boeing 737–800 aircraft.
“In just about 7 years we’ve managed to gain a fairly strong footprint in the South African domestic market,” said FlySafair CEO Elmar Conradie.
“Finally breaking beyond local borders is an exciting milestone for us.”
Mauritius granted FlySafair the rights to operate flights to the country in December of 2020, but the second and third wave of the Covid–19 pandemic halted launch plans.
Flight FA800 will depart OR Tambo International Airport at 09h00 and arrive in Mauritius at 15h15 (local time) on Saturdays and Tuesdays.
On return, Flight FA801 will depart Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport at 16h15 and land at 18h30 (SA time) on the same days.
Total flight times will be approximately 4 hours, and flights will be direct with no stops.
Airfares on the new route will start from R4,950 and go on sale today (28 September 2021).
Standard fares include a 20kg checked luggage allowance, and customers will have the option to add extras like pre-selected seats, priority boarding, and extra luggage.
FlySafair will also offer Business Class seats on these flights where middle seats between aisle and window passengers are blocked.
| OR Tambo (JNB) to Mauritius (MRU) flight price comparison | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airline | One-way | Return | Total | Notes / extras |
| Kenya Airways (via Nairobi) | R3,955 | R3,845 | R7,800 | 1× 23kg bag |
| FlySafair | R6,700 | R5,950 | R12,650 | 1× 20kg bag |
| British Airways | R7,267 | R6,736 | R14,003 | 2× 23kg bags |
| Air Mauritius | R6,753 | R7,263 | R14,016 | 2× 20kg bags |
| FlySafair Business Class | R7,700 | R6,950 | R14,650 | 2× 23kg bags, empty middle seat, priority boarding, 32kg special equipment |
| Emirates (via Dubai) | R8,569 | R10,659 | R19,228 | 2× 23kg bags |
| Air Austral (via Réunion) | R9,224 | R7,676 | R16,900 | 1× 25kg bag |
| On FlySafair, you can save R1,750 on the departing flight if you leave on 14 December. You can also save R1,000 by returning on 11 January. | ||||
| On Air Austral, you can save €114 by departing on 19 December. You can also save €86 by returning on 1 January. | ||||
The launch of FlySafair’s new route comes after the Mauritian government announced on 10 September that it will re-open the island to South African travellers.
No visas are required for South Africans visiting Mauritius for up to 90 days, as long as their passport is valid for the duration of their stay.
From 1 October 2021, fully vaccinated South Africans will not need to quarantine in Mauritius upon arrival, while unvaccinated travellers from South Africa will be required to complete a 14-day quarantine period.
The table below shows how the fares of FlySafair’s new Mauritian route compares to its current competition.
For this comparison, we selected dates during the busy holiday season, departing between 16 and 19 December, and returning between 2 and 4 January. Where multiple flights were available on the same day, we selected the cheapest one.
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