Not to mention, my flight path was somewhat ridiculous: Cape Town to Johannesburg, to London-Heathrow, to Los Angeles and finally to Salt Lake City-all in economy. After a whirlwind trip across five African countries, most of which was spent camping, I was craving some luxury. The round-trip flight operated by a mix of American Airlines and British Airways cost $1,500, so I paid $400 out of pocket plus another couple hundred dollars for short flights in the region.Īt the start of my trip, I was fresh and excited enough to brave a long flight to Johannesburg in economy class. The voucher had a year-long shelf life, and its expiration was quickly approaching in early March, so I booked a trip from Salt Lake City to Johannesburg, South Africa, to join an overland trip from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, to Cape Town, South Africa, from mid-January to mid-February. On my way home, I volunteered to give up my seat on an oversold domestic flight and received a $1,100 voucher from American Airlines. Last year, I booked a trip to Finland with a few friends for just $275 round trip.
I didn’t use points for this flight, and I’ll explain why in just a moment.
How I Booked American Airlines Boeing 777 Premium Economy
