Find cheap flights from Chicago to South Africa
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CHI — South Africa
Jun 24 — Jul 11
Return
1 adult
Economy
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Fri 24/6
Fri 1/7
Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to South Africa
Good to know
Low season | February |
|---|---|
High season | December |
Cheapest flight | R9 022 |
Average price (return flight) | R16 803 |
Good deal (return flight) | R10 446 |
Good deal one-way | R10 067 |
Best time to beat the crowds (5% less expensive on average)
Most popular time to fly (10% more expensive on average)
Flight from Chicago Midway to Johannesburg OR Tambo
(avg. price over the last 2 weeks)
or less
or less
Top tips for finding cheap flights to South Africa
- Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from Chicago to South Africa for the following prices or less: to Cape Town R10 067 one-way - R10 446 round-trip
- High season is considered to be January, February and December. The cheapest month to fly to South Africa is January.
- Morning departure is around 1% more expensive than an evening flight, on average*.
FAQs - booking South Africa flights
Top 5 airlines serving from Chicago to South Africa
Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews8,3
EmiratesOverall score based on 15791 reviews
8,3Boarding
8,2Comfort
8,4Crew
8,5Entertainment
8,0Food
All is good 👍
Pros: "Smooth flight, staff very attentive, lots of great new movies to watch from"
Cons: "Staff kept reaching past me to shut my window without asking me first. Very rude."
Pros: "The crew we're good"
Cons: "Very less leg room"
Cons: "I wish the 777 had slightly wider seats like the A380"
Cons: "Mechanical problems delayed the flight 1 1/2 hours. Other than that, the flight was good."
Pros: "Supportive to my family needs traveling with 2 babies"
Cons: "I was offered an upgrade to 1st class, but not to my wife, I m thankful but had to decline the upgrade. I was hoping for more courtesy for an upgrade to us both as traveling couple rather than to one only"
Pros: "Leg room is spacious."
Cons: "Overall good.."
Pros: "Everything except food"
Cons: "Food"
Pros: "The flight was not packed so I got three seats to myself to sleep. Emirates has a lot of little touches like glow in the dark stars stuck to the cabin roof."
Cons: "Couldn’t locate the call button for flight attendants and the lines to the bathroom were long."
Pros: "Friendly cabin crew, new movies"
Cons: "Long wait after boarding before takeoff"
Cons: "Online Check-in didn't work properly, so we had to check in at the airport. They were understaffed and it took us over an hour to get through check in. The customer service was horrible, and we were only allowed to bring a backpack for a carry on, forcing us to check our one carry on bag. This made our two long flights uncomfortable with nothing to change into once we landed in Dubai and still had another 8 flight to Johannesburg. The flight itself was overbooked, and we then had to place our backpacks under the seats in front of us, giving us no leg room for 13 hrs."
Pros: "Comfort"
Pros: "Excellent food and serving"
Pros: "Flight timing"
Cons: "Service"
Pros: "Smooth flight. Attentive crew. Good entertainment options"
Cons: "The toilet had no toilet paper so I used the paper hand towel and prayed it did not block when I flushed. The beef option was not that great. I should've chosen the chicken."
Pros: "The food and the entertainment was great! Very comfortable seats."
Cons: "The cuatomer service at checkin was rude and the gate staff in dubai was also very rude i will never fly with them again."
Cons: "hh"
Pros: "Staff was wonderful, food goood !"
Cons: "More you to stretch out"
Cons: "Food"
Cons: "Very good"
Pros: "Amazing flight to travel for long travel! Relaxing! Easy to adjust in the whole flight! Crew was giving an awesome service!!"
Pros: "Perfect"
Pros: "Everything from food to seating was quite comfortable."
Cons: "Boarding was a bit more difficult since they did not call boarding zones"
Pros: "I liked the options for entertainment and comfort."
Cons: "Crew and Boarding crew were not at all respectful, they were very rude."
Pros: "I slept well since I updated to business class."
Cons: "Service was awfull. Noticed the air hostesses showed discrimination while serving meals and attending the passengers like me. I had a very positive experience in the past but not on this trip."
Pros: "Cabin crew"
Cons: "Nothing i like even."
Pros: "Very helpful, attentive staff who made the flight as pleasurable as possible for us. One of the staff helped me switch from the full row I was in to an empty row which made the long flight so much more comfortable."
Pros: "customercare was good. Thank you."
Pros: "New aircraft."
Cons: "Not enough storage space. Beds not the most comfortable. No wi-fi."
Pros: "The crew and overall experience was great. Comfortable travel conditions and crew was very responsive and proactive in comfort."
Cons: "Food was mediocre, nothing special."
Pros: "excellent services thanks"
Cons: "services provided to impaired handicap persons ,need improvement thanks"
Cons: "I shouldn't be forced to change my seat just because a hostess told me to then she was rude to me because I didn't then I finally changed my seat and she was ok- I don't think this is appropriate"
Pros: "Comfortable seat"
Cons: "I was inzble to select vegetarian meal on ypur website"
Cons: "WiFi services were inadequate."
Pros: "Very nice check in, because the people weren't rude. They accepted my luggage and gave me my passes."
Cons: "Everything was great!"
Pros: "Service, comfort"
Cons: "Too much costly for a Tuesday flight. But rest all good"
Pros: "Everyone was very plesant. The flight dinner was tasty."
Pros: "The environment was good and clean The food was on time and fresh"
Pros: "Great flight, very attentive staff, gluten free meal was not very good. At all"
Pros: "Great flight from Milano to NYC. Always traveling with emirates"
Pros: "The crew were friendly."
Cons: "wifi wasn't good - I couldn't connect. Wine choice wasn't good (white). Would have preferred a sav blanc"
Pros: "Crew v good"
Cons: "Food .. Fish undercooked ... Aircraft bit dated"
Pros: "Service"
Cons: "Food came before alcohol :)"
Cons: "Checkin process takes long"
Pros: "Courteous in-flight staff, delicious food."
Cons: "Long distance travel at single stretch on Chicago - Dubai sector."
Pros: "Service has become repulsive and terrible that a frequent traveling in Emirates like me for past 15 years is considering to find an alternative."
Cons: "Service, the interior and almost everything is poorly managed. The inflight after ringing the call bell for 10 minutes, was disgruntled to attend to us, literally screamed at us saying she was busy in the back and we need to be patient. She took an additional 10 minutes to bring us some water. Her attitude was inexcusable and offensive. I have been a loyal flyer making at least 2 travels in a year with Emirates and I'm ready to switch now."
Cons: "The temperature was set too high"
Pros: "Very friendly, courteous service. Boeing 777, spacious and quiet aircraft."
Cons: "Nothing!"
Pros: "Tons of entertainment options and $1 wifi. Don't expect fast speed but works for just fine for email and slow browsing."
Cons: "Flight wasn't booked, so people scrambled to take over middle sections. If you weren't in middle you were somewhat in a comfort trouble."
Allow to suitcase for in
Very good service, all were ok/excellent
Kayak/Qatar Airways tore one of my bags. I'd like compensation for it. Also, the check in at Chicago was time consuming and tedious owing to RT PCR checking. That should be made more efficient. Likewise, the check at Mumbai airport.
Recommend Qatar Airways to everyone! Service, leg room, and food are all great.
Pros: "The check-in crew in Chicago was very nice and efficient. The flight crew on-board were not friendly, they were very curt and rushed, and did not go out of their way to be helpful."
Cons: "Friendlier staff during the flight. Better food for breakfast. The connection port for my headphones did not work...I would not have been able to watch movies if I hadn't brought my own single connection head phones."
Pros: "The crew was really nice and very attentive."
Pros: "Food is delicious"
Cons: "Paid WIFI this time was horrible for the half of the trip WIFI don’t work"
Pros: "The aircraft was comfortable and the electronic amenities were decent and needs improvement"
Cons: "Free WiFi and Dancing boys"
Pros: "The flight crew/staff were professional and very helpful and accommodating to the passengers from check in to deboarding."
Cons: "Seats were a little close, especially for a long flight, with meals."
Pros: "The crew was great."
Cons: "Food wasn't that great."
Pros: "The crew was amazing. One of the onboarding staff was exceptional. Some onboarding staffs were unfriendly."
Cons: "Not allowing a laptop bag unlike Etihad, Emirates and other airlines was a bummer."
Pros: "Very courteous, friendly, professional flight crew and gate crew."
Cons: "Nothing to mention...very pleased"
Pros: "I was at airport 1 hour before the flight time But they already closed the gate, and I missed the flight, and my return flight is gone too Omg to much for me"
Cons: "I wish you can do something for me Because the tickets is really expensive"
Cons: "Slow boarding while passengers stand in the queue, late take off"
Cons: "Refund my ticket"
Pros: "This was my first experience with Qatar & it was outstanding. Crew members are extremely courteous & helpful. The aircraft seats in economy class were roomy & comfortable. Bathrooms were kept clean throughout the long flight. Food was very good as was the selection of flight entertainment. Can't thi"
Pros: "Q-suites are fantastic."
Cons: "Boarding was a mess. Premium boarding line was tied up by economy passengers and ground crew did not turn them back"
Pros: "seat was great"
Cons: "flight attendant should be nicer"
Pros: "The crew was very friendly and helpful throughout the flight"
Cons: "The boarding process in Chicago wasn’t great. Zones were not used"
Pros: "Delighteful experience"
Cons: "Better guidance at transit stop"
Pros: "Plenty of room to move around"
Pros: "Food was excellent and the crew updated us through out the flight"
Cons: "That fee for overweight was excessive"
Pros: "Q-suits. Very comfortable and private. Great upgrade to the 777. WiFi now available for very reasonable price"
Cons: "Bus transfer to Termial 5 is VERY poorly organized and takes over an hour. This makes it harder to get to Terminal 5 even if you don't have to clear security again. Seats had a bar under the padding at about the position of my hips. Uncomfortable to sleep for several hours"
Cons: "Ord to Doh: People kept window blinds open all through 15 hour flight Flight temperature kept very warm"
Pros: "Good food and good hospitality"
Cons: "The gentleman next to me had broad shoulders, so I spent most of the flight with my body a bit twisted, and eating without being able to move my right arm normally was undesirable. The cabin was kept a bit warm throughout the flight. We had a long wait (30 - 45 minutes after leaving the gate) before takeoff."
Pros: "Video on Demand at each seat in coach. Friendly staff. Also patient staff, what with the languages they have to cover with each flight. The airline goes everywhere so it’s impossible to say what anyone will be speaking."
Pros: "B777 Dreamliner is dreamy. Lots of overhead luggage space. Decent leg room (could always be more). Great individual entertainment screen for long transcontinental flights. Flight staff was a mixed international crew, very friendly, unpretentious, polite and just nice compared to other airlines. The planes they use seem very new. Would definitely recommend Qatar Air over Aeroflot any day."
Cons: "Food was decent for airline food but nothing to rave about and as with most airlines uses too much plastic packaging. Although I was pleased that some of the flights used metal flatware, but still too much waste in the industry in my opinion. Also, the headphone jack was not compatible with my headphones. The type used on the 777 is the dual pronged one. I did not have an adapter so had to use the crappy headphones that are provided."
Pros: "Food was great Seats were comfortable Everyone was super nice"
Pros: "Great service and crew"
Cons: "I’m a 6’3” in shape man. I selected the bulkhead seats for extra leg room. Great crew, but my shoulders stuck past the seat edge 3” on both sides. Qatar should revise their claim of most room in cabin - this 12 hour flight was one of the roughest I’ve had in a long time comfort wise."
Pros: "Good food. Great staff and service"
Cons: "I wish there was more seating room and unusually long waiting time for toilets."
Pros: "Checkin crew was rude and was not at all respectful"
Cons: "Checkin crew was rude and was not at all respectful"
Pros: "Every thing is great."
Cons: "Food Seat great service"
Cons: "Delayed"
Pros: "On demand entertainment systems seem standard, as I’ve flown Qatar several times and always had it. Friendly staff. And Doha is a great connection airport."
Pros: "Cabin crew including the ground staff were awesome in providing best of its class customer service. Food and entertainment onboard was really good."
Pros: "My flight from Chicago to Doha was late to come in and there was a gate agent waiting for us and two other passengers with a sign when we got off the plane. He told us that our flight had already left but he would get us on the next one. We ended up getting seats on the next flight but then were also given the option to get a temporary visa and explore Doha for the night. We opted for the comped night which included a very nice hotel and $100 in meal vouchers. We absolutely LOVED Doha and the hotel and food was fantastic! I don't think I have ever received better service from an airline or a hotel. We ended up walking around Souq Waquif and the downtown until 1am (we are two young females!) with no issue and just used Uber to get to and from the hotel. Everything was so well laid out for us! No complaints whatsoever!"
Pros: "smooth and on time with efficient service."
Pros: "The aircraft from US to Qatar was upgraded and looked new. I love the new on demand video streaming, the touch controls are precise and better than previous version"
Cons: "I wish the airline was a bit more organized with boarding. I saw people with other zones boarding even when they were not called. The air hostess was friendly but I kinda got a feeling that she is doing me a huge favor when I asked for something more."
Pros: "Hospitality, boarding process"
Cons: "Food was slightly undercooked (chicken). Should have better process to check for that"
Pros: "Enjoyed the food and the service from the crew. Plane was new and relatively new and comfortable."
Cons: "The check in agents were not very polite or helpful. They did not offer much assistance and help for a first time customer on Qatar Airways. My bags were also not loaded onto the plane and had to arrive on a later flight"
Pros: "Seats are comfortable with plenty of leg space. Aircrafts were clean and tidy. Landing and take off were smoothest I have ever experienced."
Cons: "Menu choice was very basic and quantity was also poor. Food quality was below par in terms of taste and presentation. In-flight crew was inefficient and flow. Meal trays laid on meal tables for hours after the passengers finished food. Flight attendants literally responded in over 30 min of call. I pressed special meals online before boarding. However, the flight attendants were not sure. They went back to kitchen to verify that and return with the ordered meal."
Pros: "It was excellent."
Cons: "It was excellent."
Cons: "No consistency with hand luggage. My companions and I were held to strict weight limits. Others were getting on with three and four bags."
Pros: "The entertainment options were fantastic! The flight attendants were very cordial and hardworking."
Cons: "I was very pleased with my flight. I really have I complaints."
Pros: "everything was as expected from a world-class in the travel world."
Cons: "In economy class, the seats are not as roomy as I thought and leg room space is not suited for overseas 12+ hours travel comfort."
Pros: "Vegetarian food options"
Pros: "The Chicago flight was more than hour late so had to miss my cincinnati connection. Had to wait for 4 hours at the airport to catch my next flight- making the long journey even longer. No priority lounge access provided to make up for the delay. Qatar never getting my business again."
Pros: "Inflight services, food"
Cons: "Wheelchair services in India, person left in between and had to walk with pain in my foot for a distance."
Pros: "Seat reclining was good. Fleece blankets were warm"
Cons: "Blankets had a really bad smell Food options were very limited - even bread was eggless"
Pros: "The two check in bags rule."
Cons: "Not applicable"
Pros: "Yes"
Cons: "Customer services"
Pros: "I was happy to avail of Wifi in the sky."
Cons: "No entertainment! For an major international flight, one expects some seatback entertainment"
Cons: "It was ok"
Pros: "New plane, fresh feel. Food is ok."
Cons: "Airline feels basic and no frills."
Pros: "Crew members are extremely polite and friendly. Flight was delayed leaving Kigali captain spoke to each passenger and apologise - great professionalism."
Cons: "Entertainment was limited."
Pros: "The Flight attendants are all awesome and undesrtanding...and the open wifi ate Kigali airport was great."
Cons: "No vegetarian option Bad boarding procedures, no one gets direction and it was very slow"
Cons: "THERE WAS MEAT INSIDE MY "VEGETARIAN" MEAL!!! This is totally unacceptable!"
Pros: "Rwanda Air is the best"
Cons: "Landing at Kigali was bit rough"
Pros: "The crew members are very polite and professional"
Cons: "The food is not very nice, the drink is don’t taste so great either . The airline seats are too small"
Pros: "Friendly service"
Pros: "I think that I appreciated all the details during the trip. As I get my kayak app in my IPhone, i firstly received a notice that the check in started.... At each step, I could see the time discounted through my phone"
Cons: "As I said, I liked everything. From the departure to the landing"
Pros: "That there were not many people on the second leg and that the plane was clean"
Cons: "The fact that we had an itinerary change with an extra stop (unannounced until 15 minutes before I boarded the flight) that delayed us by 1+ hours, that we were delayed from leaving Kigali by 1.5 hours and none of the crew could explain what was going on, that the rwandair staff was rude. I mean... It's Rwanda so I didn't expect much customer service (they are generally particularly bad by African, European, Asian or American standards) and I definitely wasn't impressed"
Pros: "Everything was perfect. On time arrival."
Cons: "Loud Nigerian co-passengers"
Pros: "The aircraft was nice, clean and seemed new. The staff was very professional, immaculate uniforms and appearance. Great attention to detail. We traveled from US - Nairobi - Kigali - Johannesburg, changing planes four times. These were some of the nicest planes. I felt very safe traveling this airline."
Cons: "Too much bread in the meals. The meals were adequate in quantity but each meal came with two rolls, which was excessive. Just a note - for the boarding area in the airport. Please have restroom facilities in boarding area, past security so you can use the restroom without having to go through security again. Also, if food and beverage is available for sale in the boarding area more passengers would make purchases."
Pros: "The Airbus. The crew's simple commitment to excellent service"
Cons: "The unconventional check in closure 90mins to departure even when the plan arrived late"
Pros: "Nice blankets. Good service."
Cons: "Food wasn't that great and juices were very sweet (tasted like sugar water)"
Pros: "Friendly staff, decent snacks and entertainment options"
Pros: "the snack was terrific!"
Pros: "Landing was very smooth. I got window seat as requested."
Cons: "My bags were mistagged and almost sent to Lagos instead of Nairobi. The agent noticed the error after the second bag was tagged. He went to search for my first bag that already went down the ramp. Although I gave him the exact description of the bag (purple hard case), he retagged the wrong one (red soft case). Good thing he took a photo. Third try was the charm but shouldn't have happened in the first place. Agents need to be more diligent with where they are sending bags and to double- and triple-check before he luggage is sent down the ramps."
Pros: "My sister and I were travelling to and from Tanzania through Kigali. The crew was great and our flight was easy."
Pros: "Information during flight"
Cons: "No TV or programmes to entertain slong"
Pros: "on schedule. staff at counters and flight crew were courteous and professional."
Pros: "The flight attendants are very welcoming and helpful. You feel safe and you get to see the pilot who is going to take you to your destination."
Pros: "Everything was on time and comfortable. Will take the same flight again in the future."
Cons: "Reservation was not honored, and only 3 prople out of 5 get boarding. Airline did not provided any other alternative and our friends had to cancel tour and return home!"
Pros: "Very slow check in. Bit slow and chaotic at gate. Pleasant enough service but not excetional. Smooth flight. Informative pilot. Silly short bus ride to terminal. Very very long wait for baggage."
Pros: "Good food, friendly and professional staff, a new and sparkling clean plane, swift retrieval of luggage upon arrival in Kigali. Thank you!"
Pros: "The crew was very welcoming"
Cons: "We had a delay of 40 minutes at Kigali airport without prior announcement"
Pros: "The staff at the airports were friendly."
Cons: "After thorough check (and hours at the airport) at the holiday destination, Dubai, my luggage was deemed lost. The DXB lost luggage staff helped me complete a 'lost luggage' report. However, the staff member told me that 'if' RwandAir found my luggage, I would be responsible for going to the airport as RwandAir does not have lost luggage delivery like most airlines. For the six days of my holiday, I waited for phone calls and checked emails expecting to hear from RwandAir. I heard nothing, RwandAir had made no effort of any kind to locate my luggage they had mishandled. Upon flying back home, I checked with the initial airport (DXB), the transit airport (Kigali), and my final destination airport (Brazzaville). My luggage was not in any of the airports mentioned. In each airport, and the RwandAir office at the Brazzaville airport, I presented the initial lost luggage form from the prior week and it was apparent that nobody, no airport, and no office was interested in finding my luggage. RwandAir, at no point, apologized for losing my belongings or in any way attempted to make up for seriously harming my holiday- not to mention the fact that it appears I will never see my possessions that were last seen being taken by RwandAir staff at the beginning of my holiday travels."
Pros: "New plane, friendly crew"
Cons: "Cramped seating, poor signage & boarding announcements"
Cons: "No entertnainment"
Pros: "I like the overall service in the plane."
Cons: "I didn't like changing the boarding time."
Pros: "Planes were great and flight crew excellent."
Cons: "On arrival at Kigali airport we were quickly moved through security to the departure area. This area was hot and without any facilities for toilets or water. We sat there for at least 1 hour and was a low light in out trip."
Pros: "Clean, comfortable plane and seating. On time service, courteous attendants. A meal served on a flight that was only about an hour in duration - very nice. Very pleased with this airline."
Cons: "Nothing."
Pros: "The crew is nice"
Cons: "Both flights were terribly delayed and while the crew apologized we sat on a small plane. In Entebbe the reason was they overbooked the flight. So leave those people behind to take the next flight, don't keep us prisoners on a plane for hours... Stupid management decisions."
Pros: "movie dinner on each leg of the flight"
Cons: "the movie didn't finish in the first leg and they didn't show it for the second leg, so I never learned the ending the flight arrived 40 minutes late"
Pros: "RwandAir flew us to Nairobi instead and I thought that was good of them to make that change for us. The above evaluation pertains to the flight to Nairobi."
Pros: "Food was beef brochettes, one of the best economy meals I have had. Wine was very good, from South Africa."
Cons: "Seats were not adjustable. It may be that I was in front of the exit row, but I looked and didn't see anyone leaning back anywhere. On the other hand, flight was only 1 hr 20 minutes."
Pros: "The Rwandair plane was modern and clean. Kigali airport has a nice cafe, and check-in was efficient. The plane left a few minutes early."
Cons: "Check-in closes one hour before your flight. Economy class: Food was a clingwrapped sandwich. The attendant gave me two bottles of a good South African wine. Security has gotten quite uptight at Kigali airport. They now stop your cab a couple hundred meters short of the airport, and have a dog check the vehicle. You have to pass through another security checkpoint at the entry to the airport building, and a third security into the boarding area. The final security check even takes away any empty bottles you have. And don't take any fingernail scissors in your handcarry, even if they have blunt points. You may have an hour or more wait in preboarding, and without water or bathroom excess. So takke care of these needs in advance."
Pros: "Crew were pleasant. The flight was comfortable."
Cons: "The flight was delayed, causing me to miss a connecting flight. Boarding was a bit confusing as multiple flights were departing from Kigali airport at the same time and same airline. Information was not conveyed clearly and it might have been easy to begin boarding the wrong flight."
Pros: "the flight got me to Gaborone on Monday morning"
Cons: "Person in Kigali checked my bag to Johannesburg, not Gaborone. Flight was delayed one hour. Slept on a chair in Johannesburg airport for three hours."
Pros: "Everything was excellent, service, cabin, food."
Cons: "First announcement cockpit was just before landing. Would have liked some information before takeoff and once in the air"
Pros: "Orderly, organized, courteous"
Pros: "In general, it was a pleasant flight from Entebbe to Kigali. The Bombardier was in pristine condition. There was no food offered (the flight is 45 minutes) and there is no entertainment available. The crew was pleasant and the seat comfortable (I am 5'11). I would fly again with RwandAir."
Cons: "There was nothing significant enough taken into consideration the characteristics of this flight and the construction in Entebbe."
Pros: "Unfortunately i missed the flight from kla to Nairobi via Entebbe due to closue of Entebbe Road. Return from Nairobi was okey but was delayed for about 40 minutes"
Cons: "Food needs to be addressed"
Pros: "They were professional, timely and courteous. Except for one flight attendant who was a bit rude, the entire flight was enjoyable"
Cons: "The rude flight attendant who was welcoming people to the plane"
Pros: "I always appreciate the cleanliness of Rwanda! This carries over to their planes too. Good staff on the plane. Too short of a flight for entertainment- it was amazing they even served the quick drink and snacks they did! Good on-time flights."
Cons: "After I bought my tickets the flights were rescheduled, giving us an 8 hour layover between flights... some in our party were stuck in the airport with nothing to do, and there is nothing to do in that airport. One question, when will passengers learn that listening to music or movies on the plane without headphones is really uncool?"
Cons: "I fell sick and my doctor advised against flying. Tried calling Swiss Air and JustFly.com: 6 calls back and forth and 7 hours on hold, no help. Finally got advised on driving to the airport to make the flight change at the Swiss Air counter at O’Hare. The representative told me to bring a note from doctor to switch flights. I did the next day. The same representative looked me in the eye after advising the day before and said there’s nothing she could do. Why make an elderly sick person drive to the airport again if you know already you cannot help??Absolutely terrible experience, no help from the airline or travel agency. Total loss of the full price of the ticket."
Pros: "The boarding process was easy"
Cons: "Some of the crew members were rude and inconsiderate - if you see that someone is sleeping, you don’t stand at their seat and lean on it and shake it while you’re waiting to give the security demo before take off."
Pros: "Coach seats were comfortable but if the person in front of you reclines, your video screen will be inches from your face and it becomes difficult to get out of your seat."
Cons: "Crew was not particularly friendly....almost downright rude at times"
Cons: "Only two options for dinner is very few options."
Pros: "The inflight entertainment was great and helped to pass the time. The food was good for airline food."
Cons: "The flight staff was just okay - they could have been friendlier. The seat cushions seemed old - they were comfortable enough for sitting but not comfortable to sleep."
Pros: "Some of the best airplane food I’ve had."
Pros: "Crew was attentive to passenger needs in a quiet way: without fanfare, did all possible to make it a pleasant, comfortable trip. In fact, went out of their way to get me a wheelchair ride to next flight, which I dearly needed"
Cons: "First flight was delayed due to circumstances outside of airline’s control. They managed to get us there and help me with wheelchair, etc to make flight. Great service and kindness"
Pros: "Seats were comfortable and the crew was great"
Cons: "Leg room was really bad in economy and the only upgrade option was to business for $10,000 so of course not affordable for the average person."
Pros: "crew are well trained"
Cons: "chicken dinner was not tasty at all"
Cons: "I had a carry-on sized bag which would have fit in the overhead compartment. I was told that it would not fit the Swiss Air compartment, thus was forced to check it at the gate. I expressed my concern that it would get lost (thus the reason I never opt to check bags) and was assured "They are very efficient in Zurich." When we arrived in Madrid, my bag was not at the carousel. I was told at Customer Service that it was on another flight, but that they could deliver it to my Airbnb between 4-7 pm. I had to wait there instead of enjoying my vacation to wait for my bag. The bag did not arrive until 10:30 pm. I did not have my clothes or belongings with me all day. Swiss Air in particular needs to update their overhead compartment regulations, as my bag definitely would have fit there, and could have avoided this entire situations."
Pros: "Boarding was smooth"
Cons: "The aircraft was horrible No space at all even after paying for a better seat"
Cons: "I’m a small person & your seating is cramped & uncomfortable!"
Pros: "The entire process from boarding in Chicago until arrival in Athens was very smooth."
Cons: "My special meal wasn’t available."
Pros: "Class staff"
Cons: "Almost missed my third plane, too."
Cons: "The seats in coach plus and Bussines were terrible"
Pros: "On time flight"
Cons: "Are the seats getting smaller or am I getting bigger?"
Pros: "Excellent Service. Excellent food."
Pros: "The flight was perfect until we hit horrible turbulence. 1 out of every 4 people was throwing up. We had to redirect to Milan."
Cons: "Swiss air is completely inept at handling a very normal reroute due to weather. 200 displaced people are standing in line. I’ve been here 5 hours and have not heard a word of announcement from them, our questions are rudely thwarted, and they continue to take half-an-hour to an hour per person with uncertain results. Give use new flights or a hotel."
Pros: "Flight crew, food, and seatback entertainment system (with USB charging port) were all great."
Cons: "The seats were uncomfortable and way to close. When the person in front of me leaned their seat back, I was forced to do the same. It was nearly impossible to eat. If you had a hint of claustrophobia, you would never make this entire trip without going nuts. I noticed that many of the middle seats were unoccupied, while my family and I were crammed into four seats side-by-side. If we had empty seats between us the flight would have been bearable."
Cons: "Not very much space for such a long flight."
Pros: "Great service and friendly staff! Also great food!"
Cons: "There's nothing I didn't like :)"
Pros: "nice chocolate."
Cons: "The tv screen for my seat was semi-broken, and the UI for it was poorly designed or just old. Lufthansa was much better."
Pros: "On time and friendly service"
Cons: "Poor selection of films, cramped seats and mediocre dinner"
Cons: "Warm breakfast in coach would be appreciated, but i understand it is just coach."
Pros: "Food, staff, service"
Cons: "No leg room"
Pros: "Friendly crew, decent meal, and above-average entertainment systems"
Cons: "Confusing boarding process, outdated and worn seats and technology, unable to select seats when booked as a United codeshare."
Pros: "On time, efficient, good service, professional"
Pros: "Very prompt and courteus"
Cons: "Baggage missing for three days. Communication poor."
Pros: "Crew was great! Boarded quickly! Alot of movies to watch!"
Cons: "When getting our meals the flight attendants didn't ask anyone to move their seats back up so it was difficult to eat since there was no space."
Pros: "Polite crew"
Cons: "The service and food was excellent. There is no question about dislike"
Cons: "Not. Lot of room for legs. Slection of movies very poor. Very old movies mostly"
Pros: "Flight attendants were friendly, and also very skilled so that their service was unobtrusive, graceful, and helpful. They took great care to get people what they wanted, and I saw them fulfill a few special requests from the people around me politely and quickly. The entertainment selections were good. The variety of interesting musical selections allowed me to go the whole flight without running down the battery on any of my own musical devices. The seat space was comfortable, especially compared to domestic flights I've taken for the last 10 years. The enforcement of carry-on luggage rules meant the overhead compartments were sufficient for what was brought aboard and people weren't filling the foot-space with bags."
Pros: "Crew was kind and helpful."
Cons: "Seats are so narrow and led room. Another bathroom is always a plus."
Pros: "Crew and flight service are excellent top notch. Also they are very friendly and helpful. Make flight enjoyable."
Cons: "Seats are too close together in coach, very cramped and uncomfortable if you are a tall or large person."
Pros: "Good entertainment"
Cons: "Couldn't control the airflow at your seat."
Pros: "Seats very confortabile"
Pros: "Staff were courteous and there was abundant food and beverage service."
Cons: "No child activities were distributed by the crew (like they did for our return flight)."
Pros: "crew"
Cons: "seat size and comfort. Had metal nox take good part of my footroom. small aisle. Food lousy."
Pros: "First time flying with swiss air, loved everything about this airline!!"
Cons: "Professionalism, outstanding service, no problems, no stress, no issues, flawless!!!!!"
Pros: "Our attendant was very nice with a great attitude."
Cons: "Luggage line in Zurich at airplane"
Pros: "Very good. Good entertainment options."
Pros: "Great flight all together."
Pros: "More space with a window seat than I am used to. Shoulder didn't even touch the side of the plan. Loaded the back of the plan first after premium and those needing extra time."
Cons: "By the time they got to me I only had one choice for the dinner meal. No restroom in the back of the plane so I got stuck waiting for the cart to come all the way down the aisle before I could go to use it."
Pros: "Flight boarding was quick and fast and food was great."
Cons: "Seats had no room and if someone in front reclined the tv was right in your face. Also what happen to having individual fans above. It was so hot I felt sick the whole way and when we pushed the call button no one came had to flag down an flight attendant walking by. We had to ask three more times to get the heat down. Overall it was okay."
Pros: "same"
Cons: "same"
Pros: "Everything else."
Cons: "The selection of movies was not impressive"
Everything went smoothly. Could not eat at Atlanta long lines. A sandwich on the plane would have been nice.
Cons: "Internet and plane was small and old"
Pros: "We landed safely"
Cons: "Out of everyone’s control Mother Nature"
Pros: "Everything went very smoothly."
Cons: "I wasn't able to connect my ipad to the free wifi for any of my four flights."
Cons: "crj900 from BUF-MSP is a wreck. worn out, uncomfortable seats, cold air coming from floor toes were numb for about 20m after flight. Flight delayed, missed connecting flight, lost comfort+ upgrade I paid for. No excuse for pitch in main cabin on 737-900 ER."
Cons: "Seats are terrible - need replacing-worn out; say like Queen Latina, setting on top of one another; absolutely no leg room!"
Pros: "Not a lot"
Cons: "Customer service"
Pros: "Packed flight. Ground crew did best to minimize carryon luggage. Flight crew were accommodating and cheerful despite almost 1H delay in departure."
Cons: "Pilot had no control over turbulence during last 3H of flight. He did his best to minimize but still a jittery"
Pros: "Very smooth flight and friendly crew"
Cons: "Chairs really uncomfortable"
Pros: "Crew was exellent"
Cons: "The food quality needs to improve."
Pros: "Amazing crew"
Cons: "More leg room and seat width. I don’t like having other passengers pressed against me."
Pros: "Everything was good except boarding was delayed several times and even after everyone had boarded. We arrived 2 hours behind originally scheduled time as the result."
Cons: "Delta needs to try harder to minimize flight delays."
Cons: "Connecting flight to as delayed. And my dad was not able to get on the plane."
Cons: "It made no sense to board an hour and a half before takeoff."
Pros: "On flight entertainment was very good. Flight was smooth and ran ahead of schedule."
Cons: "They were out of vegetarian meal options. Really poor for a six hour flight. Also, the family behind us was atrocious, but that’s not Delta’s fault."
Pros: "The movies"
Cons: "NA"
Cons: "Not getting turned around after flying in the air for an hour, having to get on another plane, and then landing at 4am."
Pros: "Arrive early. On time departure."
Cons: "My row 34 D did not have entertainment - had to move to another seat and row."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "That Delta was not more accommodating when I missed my flight.. Got totally lost in Austin. Have never driven there before and highways were difficult at times. $503 to get on another flight home. Ended up getting better deal at Southwest. Will most likely stick with them next time I am forced to fly."
Cons: "At least one hour late"
Pros: "I liked the cookies and juice. The interactive screen to watch something. The cleanliness. The price. On time. The service. Thank you. The excitement of flying."
Pros: "Nice employees and service"
Cons: "Seat room"
Pros: "Not sure why this flight was delayed inbound. But it made the departure late by over 30 minutes."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Unbearably hot!!"
Cons: "No food, just snacks and no place close to the gate to eat."
Pros: "The staff & crew were friendly. I liked having access to free entertainment. I liked being able to see the tracking of my checked bag (notifications)."
Cons: "My bag was roughed up a bit. Protective belt was torn off & signs of light damage."
Pros: "Generally, Delta is cleaner, their terminals are much nicer, and the experience is better than one with American and United. I wish they had more direct flights to my normal destinations--I'd fly with them more!"
Cons: "Someone unloaded a lot of crumbs on my tray table and they all got smooshed on the back of the seat between the tray table and chair. It was pretty nasty. (The tray table was clean, the back of the seat wasn't. Please be nasty.)"
Pros: "The crew at the airport was very courteous and helpful."
Cons: "No food; not even offered water; I asked a Delta employee about our seats and she was very unprofessional (mind you I'm traveling with kids and my boarding pass said that seats were to be assigned at the gate)."
Pros: "I can’t make it in mexico city on tuesday, wednesday’s performance had to be cancelled and we need to pay the cancellation fee 11500 mexican pesos, please reimburse on the credit card"
Cons: "I can’t make it in mexico city on tuesday, wednesday’s performance had to be cancelled and we need to pay the cancellation fee 11500 mexican pesos of the studio and musicians"
Cons: "I never received anything about my booking. I went the airport Wednesday morning not knowing if I’d actually fly out. I only had on my Kayak app a trip itinerary. Thankfully I did. In Atlanta I added my Skymiles # to my trip. Upon arrival in Mexico I rec’d a push from Delta about my trip with my Record Locator. Flying home was to depart at 8am. When I rec’d my boarding pass it stated 8:55am. While waiting at my gate Delta sent me a text at 7:30am that my flight would be leaving at 8am. That confused me. Needless to say I was suppose to arrive CVG at 3:49pm, but instead was booked on a flight departing Atlanta at 4:30pm. Plans at home had to changed for Friday evening as I was not arriving at mid-afternoon. Needless to say I’ll probably not book thru Kayak anymore."
Pros: "Long haul business class seat."
Cons: "Wheelchair service. Poor services at China airport. Connection flight is very small and seats are poor! They made pay to use the lounge at NY airport although my ticket is business class !!"
Pros: "Efficient boarding"
Pros: "Lov"
Cons: "Aircraft seemed shabby despite refresh of Comfort Plus, food was really mediocre. Steer clear of the Asian Veg option."
Pros: "Once we boarded the plane, we still had to wait for the pilots to arrive and then for them to run through their pre-flight checking before we could get underway."
Cons: "The flight was delayed and the departure gate moved at the Atlanta airport 3 times to 3 different concourses before we were finally able to depart around 1 hour later than scheduled."
Pros: "Good friendly staff. Delta Studios is neat."
Cons: "Small plane , last minute seat change, half hour delay"
Pros: "The in-flight entertainment and seats were comfortable. They gave us complimentary lunch as well, which was super helpful. I will be flying again to NYC with Delta :)"
Pros: "Service was fast and the inflight entertainment is free. Lots of movies to chose from, which is nice for the long flight."
Cons: "It was the most cramped I have ever felt in a plane and also the longest flight. Horrible combination. Some of the crew were snippy."
Pros: "Tons of free entertainment on the screen in front of your seat! Movies, games, and details on your flight, all available on your touch screen. USB charging is also available."
Cons: "No one told us they wanted everyone with a roller carry-on to.check their bags. An attendant told my sister that her bag needed to be checked. We did not receive this notification until we were at the gate, boarding."
Pros: "On time"
Cons: "With a short layiver, it would be nice to have the option to pirchas a sandwich on board"
Cons: "Whatever hack airline you are contracting with to do shuttle flights is terrible. Both the flight itself and the customer handling. If I ever see the option "operated by endeavor air" I am avoiding at all costs."
Pros: "Short flight just snacks. Was able to get a seat on standby for an earlier flight cutting my total travel time down by a couple hours. Very helpful gate agents"
Pros: "The organization and speediness shown during boarding the aircraft and the perfect timing on departure"
Cons: "The tv screen corresponding to my seat 9A was not working so could not see any movies nor information during the whole flight SDQ to JFK. The condition was reported twice to the flight attendance but was not able to correct it even after resetting the TV settings twice"
Cons: "Delayed boarding and take off"
Pros: "Left reasonably on time, arrived a bit early, able to find overhead storage for my roll-on, even boarding in Zone 3"
Cons: "Very tightly packed; minimal comfort for the flight."
Pros: "We were traveling with a group of 8, only 3 of us had assigned seats when were arrived and the others were on standby. We asked the attendant at the gate desk if there was any chance that the rest of us on standby could be seated together... HE UPGRADED OUR WHOLE GROUP TO COMFORT and allowed us to all sit with each other. Greatest flight experience I've had and such great staff with Delta. Will fly Delta going forward whenever I have a a chance (flew Southwest the rest of our trip - service, cleanliness, friendliness didn't compare)."
Pros: "Delta fed us so well. They made sure we were as comfortable as possible. The flight attendants were nothing short of kind and always smiling. Even the pilot was very ethusiastic over the intercom before the flight. He made jokes and everyone laughed. In fact, it was the most I've ever heard from a pilot on any flight in my life. I would rate this the best flight I've ever had. Thanks, Delta!"
Pros: "everything, thank you."
Pros: "The crew was nice"
Cons: "I didn't like the fact that I didn't get my luggage with me when I arrived to casablanca as I lived 4 hours away from the casablanca. I have to come back the next day to get my luggage. I was very mad about it.plus I noticed one of my luggage has been damaged so now I have to buy another one because I can t use it. It was disgusting."
COVID-19 information
Safety measures for airlines flying from Chicago to South Africa
Airlines flying from Chicago have enacted additional safety measures and adjusted policies to better accommodate travellers. Policies vary by airline.
Heightened sanitation
Daily cleaning, installation of cabin HEPA filters on flights from Chicago
Mandatory masks
Masks required on board, masks provided on flights from Chicago
Social distancing seating
Middle seats unavailable to book on flights from Chicago
Pre-flight testing
Testing for antibodies, testing for symptoms for flights from Chicago
Flexible cancellations
Waiving of change fees. Search flexible flights from Chicago
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