Cheap flights to USA

The best time to book your flights to USA varies depending on where you are going so doing a bit of homework in advance will only work in your favour. 

Peak season

Due to the size of the United States the peak season for each city vary. New York experiences its peak season from September to December, Miami from January to April, whereas somewhere like Las Vegas doesn’t ever really have a low season so is busy all year-round. Due to this you should always aim to look for cheap flights to USA as early as you can to avoid overpaying on flight tickets that you could potentially find deals on. 

Off Season 

The off season sees similar fluctuations depending on where exactly you are visiting. New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco typically have the cheapest flight tickets around January thanks to a rainy season and cold temperatures.

How to get cheap flights to USA?

The best way to find cheap flights from South Africa to USA is to book at least three months in advance and fly via Doha, Dubai, London, Madrid, Amsterdam or Istanbul. 

• Indirect flights can be much cheaper than the direct route from Johannesburg to New York with South African Airways. If you can be flexible with your dates and location then you’ll find cheap flights to USA are much easier to come by.
• Do not insist on flying directly to your desired destination but look for the cheapest flights to land on the US and then take a domestic flight to your destination which most of the times is going to be quite cheap.
   
• Make sure to allow plenty of time for your Visa applications for all the countries you will fly to even if you are only staying for a few hours (stopover – connecting flights). 
• If you want to visit Miami for example, a cheap way of getting there is from Cape Town or Joburg to Doha and from there to Miami or the nearby Fort Lauderdale airport. You can also check flights from Joburg to London via Doha, then to Orlando FL and from there take a domestic flight to Miami (Orlando to Miami is just an hour’s flight and usually goes for less than R1000 return).
• If you are planning to visit New York, first fly to London via Barcelona, Amsterdam, Doha or Dubai and then get a direct flight from London to New York with Norwegian. 
• When searching for flights to USA, always check for alternative stopovers and don’t forget to use our Smart Value feature to sort flights by balancing journey time and price.

How long is the flight to USA?

Direct Flights from Johannesburg to New York: 15 hours 45 minutes 

Indirect Flights from Johannesburg to New York: 22 hours

Which airlines operate flights to USA?

South African Airways, Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Jet Blue, United, British Airways, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Norwegian and Virgin are the most popular airlines that fly to New York. Which airline depends a lot on where your stop over is, for example you’ll more than likely fly with Emirates if you stop in Dubai along the way.

There’s a large number of airports across the country which means finding flights to the US is easy, no matter where you plan to land. Some of the largest are: 

New York: JFK; LaGuardia (LGA) and Newark (EWR)

Los Angeles (LAX)

San Francisco (SFO)

Orlando International Airport (MCO)

Las Vegas (LAS)

Miami (MIA)

What is good to know if travelling to United States?

USA insider information:

• First things first, you’ll need to decide where in the USA you are hoping to visit. Then just simply book your flights to the USA and take a look at this airport guide to prepare yourself for your getaway.
• Before you secure your flight tickets, take a look at this post about 25 unmissable experiences and see if there are any USA related ones you could tick off.
• Take a look at number three on this list if your flights to the USA take you to Miami. The Wynwood Walls is a must-see incredible art trail that shouldn’t be missed.
• So you’re going to Las Vegas…maybe you’re even going for a wedding. Well if that’s the case you’ll definitely want to take a look these 13 Las Vegas chapels to suit every couple.