Rapid Travel Chai

Air service is finally coming to St Helena!

Local and diaspora Saints, country collectors, and aviation geeks have followed the saga of air service to St Helena for years. What the Saints Did Next answers your questions about St Helena and is an excellent resource for those planning a visit.

Here’s video of the proving flight:

Booking St Helena

Tickets go on sale September 22, 2017. Weekly flights from Johannesburg via Windhoek commence October 14, 2017. Tickets will be available through SA Airlink and normal IATA global distribution systems.

Those interested in booking should read the thorough Q&A on the service.

Many airline and OTA websites probably won’t have St Helena as an airport in their search engines, which will limit online booking options. This commonly happens with small airports.

The flights will be operated by Airlink, part of South African Airways. Airlink is not part of Star Alliance. Using Star Alliance partner miles for Airlink flights is a hit or miss proposition. Airlink is part of South African Airways’ Voyager program. The big question for miles and points traveler is will these flight be available for award tickets?

When you are the only flight option and the government will not subsidize the route, you get pricey tickets. Roundtrip cash prices in economy range £804-£1,244 from Johannesburg, slightly more from Cape Town, and roughly double in business class.  The plane stops in Windhoek though the application to sell tickets to/from Windhoek is still pending.

Ascension, too

In November, a monthly tag on service to Ascension will commence, allowing an overnight (or a month-long stay). Royal Air Force flights are diverted away from Ascension until at least 2019 for runway repairs.  Ascension flights will be operated on a charter basis and only can be booked through the Ascension Island Travel Agency so miles redemptions are not likely. The roundtrip is £845.