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Domestic travellers were in for a shocking discovery with no flights available from Johannesburg to Cape Town this weekend.
The situation is barely any better for travellers wishing to take the trip this week.
South African Airways has only one flight available for Tuesday and four flights for Wednesday – with the cheapest coming in at just over R5 000 for a one-way mid-week trip.
READ: Comair grounded indefinitely – job losses and rising flight prices
Popular domestic carriers Lift and FlySafair have zero seats available on this route until at least Saturday.
The only available flights for Tuesday are non-direct, with the cheapest costing just over R4 000 for a one-way ticket.
In June, Comair announced the suspension and grounding of its flights, which contributed 40% to the local aviation market. It exited the market due to a lack of funding, which led to its financial crisis.
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Comair has been flying in South Africa since 1946. It has had its fair share of troubles. In March, its operations were suspended by the Civil Aviation Authority due to safety and security risks.
Fuel prices are also at record highs, meaning that fares will also be structurally higher.
Kirby Gordon, chief marketing officer at FlySafair, says the market is under-supplied, especially during peak travel periods.
Gordon adds inasmuch as they appreciate that their seats sell out, there is a downside.
He said:
Whether the dire shortage experienced this weekend is likely to reoccur is to be seen.
“We see that there is an opportunity to continue to add aircraft and build up our capacity to add more seats to the market.
“The other reality and possibility is that it is an appealing time for a new airline to emerge. It is difficult to say what the sustainability of that could be because many have tried and failed. We will just have to wait and see.”
Passengers are encouraged to book flights in advance as possible as the possibility of securing a last-minute seat is near impossible.
Missing your flight is also not an option as the shortage of flights is set to continue.
“In these times, it is imperative to plan and try to get to the airport an hour before boarding time because there could be 17 other flights departing to Johannesburg that same day, but you won’t get a seat in any one of them.”
Purchasing travel insurance is an important add-on in times like these.
The insurance, depending on the type you purchase, can cover the cost of your flight should the airline you purchased your ticket with be grounded.
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The latest fuel price hike will impact the cost of flight tickets.
Gordon says this usually fluctuates according to demand.
“You find that in instances where there is a lot of supply of flight seats from airlines but not a corresponding amount of demand from consumers, the prices are low. For instance, during mid-December when everyone is going on holiday, the prices are obviously going to increase.”
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