We were supposed to have gone to Africa in 2020; the trip got postponed to 2021, and then again to this year. We’re hoping that it’ll actually happen this time – so we’ll need flights.
I wanted to book the flights through the cruise line (AmaWaterways), but their best offer required flying through Qatar with very long layovers and flights at inconvenient hours, so I decided to do my own research.
Google Flights had some very attractive Business Class fares, but they were through consolidators with dicey reputations, which did not appeal. I kept playing with the site, and got it to offer flights on KLM – the interesting thing was that it quoted two prices: $16k for the two of us if we booked round-trip tickets, or $13k for exactly the same flights if we booked outbound with KLM and the return with Delta.
That inspired me to look further, and I eventually found an even better choice – outbound on BA through Heathrow (with an 8-hour layover, which should be long enough to make the connection) and returning on KLM (booked on Delta) through Amsterdam. Total price: $11k for refundable tickets.
The flights will still be long, but my wallet will hurt less, and we’re protected if we can’t make the trip. And if prices go down, we can cancel and rebook.
