Summary

  • United Airlines says passengers are eager to travel to Cape Town throughout the year, signaling further growth opportunities.
  • United is the leading US carrier in South Africa, with 13 weekly flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
  • United Airlines deploys the Boeing 787 and 777 to South Africa, with consistent service and popular premium economy seating.

Five years after launching direct flights from the US to South Africa, United Airlines is happy with the year-round travel to Cape Town, signifying opportunities for further growth. United is the leading US carrier in South Africa and has played a pivotal role in increasing tourism between the US and South over the last few years.

Serving Cape Town from two hubs

United Airlines remains one of only two US carriers serving South Africa. In December 2019, the airline launched flights from Washington to Cape Town. Just three years later, it introduced a second route connecting Cape Town with New York (EWR). Today, the airline has 13 weekly flights to South Africa, including six weekly flights to Cape Town and a daily service to Johannesburg.

A United Airlines Boeing 777-300ER final approach

Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock

Speaking to Simple Flying, United Airlines Director Sales for Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, and Israel, Thorsten Lettnin, said that the airline is happy with its growth on the African continent over the last few years. It is seeing stable demand throughout the year from the US to Cape Town and sees growth opportunities. Thorsten Lettnin said,

“If you look at the demand for travel to Cape Town specifically, one would think that it is volatile and goes with the temperature, i.e., there’s less demand during the South African winter. However, if you look at the international arrivals from the United States to South Africa, it’s within a relatively narrow corridor. There is stable demand throughout the entire year, which shows us there are potentially further growth opportunities.”

The airline has received satisfying customer feedback on its US-Cape Town routes and is happy with how the service is developing. United has also leveraged its codeshare partnership with Airlink, South Africa’s largest airline, to offer customers access to more destinations in Southern Africa. Additionally, serving Cape Town from its Washington and Newark hubs provides travelers with easier connections from various airports across the US.

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Johannesburg and Cape Town attract millions of international passengers every year.

An increasing number of US tourists

Last year, Cape Town International Airport (CPT) broke its all-time record for international arrivals. The UK has historically been the largest source market for South Africa’s overseas arrivals. However, according to Lettnin, South Africa-bound travelers from the US have significantly increased in recent years to almost match the UK. The airline’s increased presence in Johannesburg and Cape Town has significantly contributed to increasing trade and tourism between the two markets.

Airlink Embraer E190 at Cape Town

Photo: Airlink

According to Stats SA, the UK and the US have been the leading countries for overseas tourists for several years. Last year, 356,160 tourists arrived from the UK, while 353,975 arrived from the US. The previous year, 283,031 arrived from the UK, while 262,183 arrived from the US. In 2019, there was a more significant gap between the two countries, with 436,559 visitors from the UK and 373,694 from the US, as Lettnin pointed out.

Growth across the African continent

Apart from Johannesburg and Cape Town, United serves Lagos and Accra in Africa. It will also launch a new route connecting Newark to Marrakech in October 2024. The US-based carrier has up to 19 weekly flights to Africa. According to Lettnin, Africa is a focus market with many opportunities and the airline will continue collaborating with other players to increase its footprint. As a founding member of the Star Alliance, United also has long-standing partnerships with South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Egyptair.

Furthermore, United is enjoying a joint venture with Air Canada and the Lufthansa Group to offer better connectivity between the US and Africa via Brussels. While United’s other African services are year-round, they are not operated daily. Therefore, the partnership with Brussels Airlines under the Lufthansa Group complements United’s direct services, offering customers more flexibility and travel options. Thorsten Lettnin added,

“We are positioning this for our customers, saying the Brussells-United partnership provides a lot of opportunities and flexibility because you can go daily to your preferred destination either via Brussels or on the nonstop that United offers. So, we are doubling down on Brussels. On the other hand, this summer, we are now flying double daily to Brussels from New York, so this really provides more opportunities for our customers to travel to their final destinations.”

The Lufthansa Group has also been expanding its footprint in Africa and will continue exploring opportunities to expand its services in various regions. Brussels Airlines, in particular, is reintroducing flights to Nairobi and increasing frequencies to Kigali.

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West Africa also has a number of routes to and from the US, with both African and US carriers operating direct flights. Last year, Houston’s mayor visited Nigeria and discussed plans to have direct flights from Houston to Lagos. While Houston is one of United’s largest hubs, the airline has no immediate plans to connect Lagos with Texas’ most populous city.

Lettnin highlighted that United Airlines offers its best product on its African routes. The airline deploys its Boeing 787 and 777 to Johannesburg and Cape Town. It maintains product consistency across all routes, meaning passengers can expect the same onboard experience no matter the day they are flying on. United offers three classes on its long-haul flights to South Africa: Polaris, Premium Plus, and United Economy.

United Airlines Boeing 787 taking off.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Over the last few years, airlines have moved away from first class to focus on offering a more comprehensive business class product. Additionally, many carriers are introducing premium economy to bridge the gap between economy and business class. United launched premium economy in December 2018.

The airline offers 24 premium economy seats on the Triple Seven and 21 seats on the Dreamliner. While the number of seats is relatively small, the product has been very popular, and United is satisfied with the customer feedback. According to Lettnin, premium economy seats sell out first, as passengers are really satisfied with the product offering relative to the price.

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