$495 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to the United States

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KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to the United States

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to the United States to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to the United States?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to the United States from South Africa found in the last 72 hours was to Newark Airport, at $786 round-trip. The most popular route is Cape Town (CPT) to Newark Airport (EWR) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $786.

What is the cheapest month to fly from South Africa to the United States?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from South Africa to the United States, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from South Africa to the United States is February, when tickets cost $984 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are January and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,642 and $1,341 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from South Africa to the United States?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to the United States, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from South Africa to the United States, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 13% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 16 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in the United States?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in the United States is Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport (ATL), with an average flight price of $1,002.

Good to know

Low seasonFebruary
Cheapest flight$495
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 11% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly with an average 7% increase in price.
Flight from Johannesburg to New York John F Kennedy Airport

FAQs for booking flights from South Africa to the United States

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from South Africa to the United States?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from South Africa to the United States.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from South Africa to the United States?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from South Africa to the United States is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from South Africa to the United States?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from South Africa to the United States with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from South Africa to the United States?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from South Africa to the United States up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to the United States?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to the United States is Tuesday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $1,096. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,290 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to the United States?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to the United States is generally in the morning, when round-trip flights cost $816 on average. Morning departures are around 1% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to the United States is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,230.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from South Africa to the United States

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from South Africa to the United States? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
7.9
DeltaOverall score based on 7979 reviews
8.2Boarding
8.5Crew
7.9Entertainment
7.3Food
7.9Comfort
Airline reviews

This route with Delta always has delays or is cancelled. Aircrafts seem smaller and older. I fly Delta quite a bit - haven’t had issues with the international flights. But this route has always been the troublesome one

4.0 Okaypuravi, Aug 2025LGA - STL
Read more Delta reviews

This route with Delta always has delays or is cancelled. Aircrafts seem smaller and older. I fly Delta quite a bit - haven’t had issues with the international flights. But this route has always been the troublesome one

The flight crew was friendly. I tried to adjust my seat online ahead of time but no option existed without additional fees. My friend asked at the gate about a seat change and was able to make it happen. That was great! The flight crew moved a very tall gentleman and his companion which allowed us to have more space which was nice. Overall, good experience. Appreciated the blanket and pillow.

Three seats in first class were broken and while they were able to still acommodate us it was looking very touch and go and they had others they could not acommodate

Mechanic delay in addition to a 2 hour change in takeoff time was frustrating.

Delayed due to thunderstorms and no in-flight service due to rough weather — both of which are out of Delta’s control. Flight was good overall.

The flight attendants in SLC were rude. I arrived 40 minutes early to gate. Ticket said I needed check in for seat assignments and tried check in and attendants said they weren’t doing it. And proceeded to never call me to give me a ticket so when time to board I received the very last seat. Please relay to employees to do their job better..,

On this flight I felt the food offering was not as complete as on previous flights. The tomato salad was a bit off and there was nothing additional such a bread or butter. The breakfast was only one option, so you either ate what they had or ate nothing. The crew was efficient, but most seemed frustrated throughout the flight. The flight arrived early and was obstacle-free, so I’m overall quite happy, but the shine in the rest of the experience just wasn’t there.

Our seats were comfortable with adequate room to stretch out and recline. The food was tasty and served it just the right intervals. Our flight attendant was extra attentive and friendly. Flight arrived early. And the most turbulence. Overall that’s good and experience for an 11 hour flight as can be hoped for

The seats got pretty uncomfortable pretty fast. The armrests are bigger than on other planes, so I had less room in the actual seat. My butt hurt by the end of the flight. :/ comfort was the primary issue. The crew were fantastic!

I believe that a four-hour trip should have a meal. Delta had none.

Armrest controller on my seat 35D and nextbooennseat 35E did not work right. Hard to press buttons to recognize and 35D had constantnpressure either upmost down somit was nearly impossible to make selections. .

I flew with my dog and had already purchased my dog’s ticket. Even that morning I had called costumer service to insure that my husband and I had seats together since the website was giving me an error when choosing our seats and the representative mentioned our dog. I showed up early to the airport and when I got to the gate and we started boarding I was help back and told that I was supposed to have a yellow tag and that I should have checked in at the counter for them to give me that tag. I was not aware of this, the representative on the phone did not say anything. Nor did I see it anywhere in the checking process online, so if you travel with a pet and are not checking in luggage, just know that you still have to go to the check in counter when arriving at the airport unless you want to be the last one to board and not have room for your carry on in the overhead bins. Other than that, I had a great experience.

Once we got in the air the pilot made up some of the time of the delay. So that was really nice.

My flight was delayed about 1 1/2 hours in Chicago, but other then that it was a good flight.

This is the best united airlines flight that I took. The crew was very friendly and the food was tasty!

I understand stuff happens, but plane failures are likely due to lack of maintenance. Additionally, air conditioning wasn't working, no snack/drink service, no WiFi. Fortunately, the crew was communicative and light-hearted. United grabbed another plane and we were able to get to our destination.

There was no food available for this red eye... one little waffle cookie for a 6+ hour flight... thank God I was able to sleep some

It is clear that someone knew, and competent, is in charge of food at United Airlines at least for the international flights. I was flying in coach, but the choices of the dinner were excellent. Tasty, and appropriate size. I had the beef, which was a little bit like a shepherds pie, and it was good. Nothing comparable has been served on a United flight in years. It will not be confused with three star food, but it is very good for airline food. Even better was the breakfast choice between a cinnamon roll and a breakfast sandwich. I chose the breakfast sandwich which was absolutely delicious and which I would happily order again at my local Starbucks or Panera. It is clear that someone knew indifferent is in charge of the food and it’s about time.

The flight was comfortable with the exit row and great service

Had to cancel first flight because Airporter Bus took over 3 hrs to get to airport which resulted in an extra $378 dollar fare . Is there anyway I can be reimbursed for initial fare since it was not my fault? Sent from my iPhone EJ Ledet

We couldn’t fly to Chicago on our booked flight. The flight was overbooked.

Small seat space for 13 hours flight, they charged for baggage , very bad quality of food,

I was sitting almost in the back, the seats are very tight and there’s no legroom, it’s uncomfortable for a long distance

Absolute worst airline. Charged us $720 to check 4 bags (2 of which were carry-on). Entertainment systems didnt work. And on a 12 hour flight they served 2 meals and never once came around outside of those 2 meals with a beverage or cup of water. Will never fly them again.

Took forever to board. They made announcements without the loudspeaker and since the waiting room was full of screaming kids, no one could hear what they were saying. The business class sleeper seats were designed for tall skinny people. When partially reclined there was nowhere to rest my feet because they did not reach the footrest. and when fully reclined there wasn't room at my sides for my arms. Definitely one of the worst sleeper seats I have ever had.

About an hour delay but we made it to Chicago. I feel that the smaller connecting flights are the ones that cause the delays on the bigger planes that fly international.

Amazing trip! No delays, no broken or lost luggage, and amazing food.

The food we received during the flight was excellent. The service was very friendly. Definitely the best value for the money when flying across the Atlantic.

I use a wheelchair for mobility. Both in my flight from Houston and back to Houston from Istanbul, the Turkish airline staff asked that I claim my wheelchair at the luggage area. On arrival to Istanbul, parts of the wheelchair were in disarray at that time I raised no objection however upon claiming my wheelchair in Houston parts where outright missing. In both occasions, upon arriving in Houston and arriving in Istanbul, I asked multiple times why am made to pick up my wheelchair in the baggage claim rather than at the jet bridge. Getting the wheelchair at the jet bridge minimizes the probability of loosing parts because they can be hopefully reclaimed on the spot. I was told in Houston that a manager turned down my request to claim the wheelchair at the jet bridge in Houston. This is extremely frustrating because a wheelchair is not a set of clean underwear or a toothbrush- this is the way I move. A Turkish Arline staff took my complaint at the luggage claim area in Houston but as of the writing of this review the only contact I have received from the airline is because I initiated a claim rather than her as she told me she would.

The security at the airport was excellent. The one criticism is the boarding process just before entering the plane. There were only 2 boarding lines and there were no barriers thus leading to a mass rush to enter the plane. I suggest that they board by rows, eight or ten rows at a time to prevent the mass rush to enter the plane. Otherwise, I would highly recommend Turkish Airlines

The nice treatment and lovely pilots who accepted my son inside for a photo.So lovely of them

Got delayed for over 24 hours. Fight was cancelled. Was put up at a nice hotel whose kitchen was unfortunately not prepared for the sudden influx of guests The headphone jacks on the seat were loose and sound kept getting dropped over the headphones. Food was good though. Certain items (Amarula) were not available for purchase over the on-plane duty free. Had been told i would pick my luggage at my final destination*wrong* had to pick it up in JFK and recheck it and then got charged for it**** too tired to argue with the Delta staff on the issue.... after a 15 hr flight.

This one is not bad even it is late, but they apologize and every time they announced the update.

I’m very disappointed for this trip and I will never travel again in this airline. In addition, I don’t recommend to any human being to travel to Kenya Airways. They keep me at Nairobi for 4 days without care. I was at Nairobi from 6 a.m Morning up to 10 a:m Thursday. For that reason, I have trouble for my work and may be I will lose my job. During for those 4 days I didn’t have my medicine, I didn’t have clothes to change because all my clothes were in my checked bags. On Thursday, when I got flight, they don’t even apologize for all consequences I had. During for those 4 days, I learned many things for this airline. It is their system to treat passengers like this because they had hundreds or thousands passengers around Nairobi waiting for their flights after their original flights cancelled. If I lose my job, I planned to file claim to the airline. This is not airline to travel with.

They weight duty free goods at check in and count the weight as carry on luggage. Results : for 4 bottles I had to opay $150. rip off. Be careful to avoid any duty free shopping at Dubai airport

The boarding was fast, the food was great; however, the seats & leg space were tight.

I enjoyed my flight I arrived safe with all my luggage

No complaints just improve on the food service. Provide enough dinner. People are complaining about that.

Was very good, was happy with the way staff were smiling and how they were approachable

A child was loud throughout which made the trip less than optimal. Crew was great and professional. They need to change the automatic seat belt announcement which is too loud and had other unneeded words like "this is XYZ announcement number one'

We missed the connection because we had to wait for a shuttle from the plane to the Terminal. Also, we needed assistance and none was available.

When we arrived at the airport - 1st step - printing out your boarding pass - no issue. Not long lines as these machines. 2nd step - processing your bag drop off. There was only one associate there to help 10 kiosks. We had a family in front of us for 20 minutes trying to work on the machine and figure out every step for 4 pieces of luggage. My husband alerted the associate who was able to assist the family. Highly suggest that there are more associates to assist in this process. Besides this issue, security check went very quickly. Our flight was direct to Philadelphia. We had to carry our bags down two flights of steps, then out to the tarmac to a bus, then carry our bags up two flights of stairs to the plane. No one on the flight was expecting that long trek. I could see some people were struggling a bit. All in all - great flight crew, plane was clean and food was great!

There were no gluten-free vegan options available, so food was very limited on this flight, and some of the crew weren’t especially helpful about it. To make matters worse, a passenger was sick on board, and although the area was cleaned, the smell lingered for the rest of the journey. On top of that, we ended up circling for an extra hour, which only made the unpleasant situation drag on even longer.

Checking in prior on line and wait time at Gatwick was terrible. I would rate a big fat ZERO.

There was a slight delay. Otherwise, everything else was satisfactory.

The company that I bought my tickets through, Cheapflightsfares, failed to provide my confirmation information in a timely manner, so I was unable to check on at the country and therefore unable to make my flight. As a matter of fact, I STILL have not received the confirmation. After having read more and more reviews about the company, Cheapflightsfares appears to have scammed hundreds of hopeful travelers out of thousands of dollars. Please look into this company and, for the sake of anyone planning their next trip, stop allowing them to do business through you.

I checked in to bags, one arrived one was delayed. I did not receive the bag for 4 days - arrived on Tuesday, received bag on Saturday!

It was ok. Our flight was delayed 2 hours, and then again on arrival. The explanation given felt feeble.

The plane was known to be late in advance of takeoff. My guess is that it was known to be late at 11am or 5 hours before scheduled takeoff time. We were late to leave and with a wheelchair and the a cart, we only made it to gate. We raced! Inside plane, all was great

The booking agent, cheapflightsfares, messed up, and the information for the seats we paid extra for was not sent to American Airlines. We were separated on the return flight and sent to the lowest economy section. The flight attendant helped arrange seating at the back of the plane to allow my wife and me to sit together.

Everything you need to know for your flight to the United States

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