Flight prices have soared, but here’s how South Africans can get the best prices on local and international flights
The travel industry is reeling from disruptive forces, including fuel price hikes, airline closures and pent‑up demand for travel. Collectively, this has pushed the price of flight tickets higher for consumers.
Currently, there are fewer local flight tickets available in South Africa than there were before the pandemic, resulting in consumers experiencing hefty local ticket price increases of over 60% in recent months. Similarly, international ticket pricing has, on average, more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.
But here’s a travel hack: booking flights on Vitality Travel can give travellers the lowest prices.
How people in the know save on flights
Dinesh Govender, CEO of Discovery Vitality says: “Vitality Travel rewards Vitality members and Discovery Bank clients for managing their health well and spending responsibly, with incomparable travel discounts.”
Vitality Travel gives members discounts from 10% to 75% on six domestic flights and two international flight bookings per year. All domestic airlines are included in the rewards programme – Airlink, CemAir, FlySafair, Lift and SAA. International partners include British Airways, Emirates and Qantas.
The more people that engage in Vitality’s behaviour‑change programme, the higher their Vitality status level (starting at Blue and increasing to Diamond), giving them personalised discounts on the Vitality Travel platform.
“As a member with Vitality Health, our clients get 10% to 35% off flights. They can then boost that discount to up to 75% with Discovery Bank and Vitality Money. If they are a Discovery Bank client only (without Vitality Health), they can save 10% to 40%,” says Govender.
Consider return flights along South Africa’s most popular flight routes: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. On average, travellers can expect to pay around R3,400 per person for a domestic return flight between these sectors. However, with Vitality Health members will save R300 to R1,200 off the base ticket fare.
With Vitality Money from Discovery Bank, discounts are boosted even further. So a Discovery Bank and Vitality Health member on Diamond status could save over R2,000.
“We love to reward our members and clients at all Vitality status levels with amazing opportunities to travel. It is an incentive for them to improve their health or spending habits.”
“This is why our Vitality Travel platform gives members massive discounts on flights – even in a volatile global travel environment – which counteracts the price increases we’ve seen, both locally and internationally,” Govender says.
Discounts on local and international flights
A direct, return economy flight from Johannesburg to London Heathrow on British Airways for example, priced at R19,200 in October 2022, would cost a typical, engaged Discovery Bank and Vitality Health member on Diamond status just R13,400.
Similarly, a direct return economy flight from Johannesburg to Sydney, Australia on Qantas in November 2022 currently costs R21,500. A Vitality member on Gold status would pay R17,000 for this flight and a member on Diamond status would pay just R15,000.
Local flights can cost less than driving to some cities in South Africa. For example, return flights to Durban from Johannesburg, at undiscounted rates could cost about R2,000. However, Vitality members on Silver status would pay around R1,100 for this flight. Diamond status would pay around R900 per person for this flight.
“The options are amazing. We are seeing clients book return flights to Durban from Johannesburg at pre‑pandemic prices. And travel‑savvy members have already booked thousands of flights to our busiest transit hubs – London and Dubai – for onward travel to Asia, Europe and the Indian Ocean islands for the December holidays,” says Govender.
Airport taxes are calculated by individual airlines, and these too have increased in recent months, explains Govender. Airport taxes are the costs the airline pays for departure and arrival at the airport. Govender adds that the nett flight prices of flights booked on the Vitality Travel platform are typically still far below regular ticket prices.
A travel booking platform – and discounts – for the future
“Following the unfortunate liquidation of Comair in June, one of our longest‑standing partner airlines, we enhanced the Vitality Travel platform to be accessible to all Discovery and Vitality members, not just Discovery Bank clients.”
“This allowed us to offer our members a significantly enhanced travel experience and expand our selection of local flight partners. Discovery members can now get a discount on any local flight in South Africa,” says Govender.
“We also quickly enhanced our Vitality Travel platform to enable people to book flights on all domestic airlines in South Africa. Over 40 domestic and regional routes are now available, compared to six destinations that were previously offered on kulula.com,” says Govender.
The booking platform features enhanced booking functionality, for example the ability to book for those who are not Discovery clients and to make multi‑city bookings. It also offers modern payment architecture, improved security and a much simpler end‑to‑end travel booking and payment process.
All of which enable significant flight savings and the option to pay or part‑pay using Discovery’s rewards currency, Discovery Miles.
Govender also adds that access to the platform is made possible to all Vitality members with the Discovery Account from Discovery Bank, which has no monthly fees. There are also no bank fees for using the Discovery Account virtual debit card to transact.
In addition to Priority Fast Track access at OR Tambo International Airport and Cape Town International Airport, qualifying clients now have access to SAA’s airport lounges.
Click here to read more about how you can book – and save – with Vitality Travel today.
Ticket fares are based on actual price quotations, at average discount levels and applied to base fares on 29/08/2022
Loading ...