Find cheap flights from Iowa to South Africa
Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to South Africa
— South Africa
Jun 22 — Jun 291
Return
1 adult
Economy
From?
To?
Wed 22/6
Wed 29/6
Search hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights in South Africa.
Good to know
FAQs for booking flights from Iowa to South Africa
Top 4 airlines serving from Iowa to South Africa
Scores according to KAYAK customer reviews7,9
DeltaOverall score based on 30763 reviews
8,1Boarding
7,8Comfort
8,5Crew
7,8Entertainment
7,5Food
Fligts are on time, planes are clean, and staff is friendly
Pros: "Crew was friendly"
Cons: "Entertainment / TVs were not working"
Pros: "Crew was wonderful"
Cons: "This COVID to be over"
Pros: "Easy boarding and very nice crew"
Cons: "Food"
Pros: "Everything was amazing"
Cons: "Nothing really."
Pros: "new plane good flight"
Cons: "seat space"
Pros: "Fast!"
Pros: "Everything!"
Cons: "Remain awesome!"
Pros: "The crew on both legs of our trip were nice and accommodating."
Pros: "Not a lot"
Cons: "Customer service"
Pros: "Crew was extremely friendly"
Cons: "Cleaner window"
Pros: "Crew"
Cons: "Not cancelling our flight"
Pros: "Enjoy flying with Delta, crew was great."
Cons: "disappointed they didn't have a few more snacks available."
Cons: "The flight had over six hours in combined delays!!!"
Cons: "Better accommodation for handicap passengers."
Pros: "Seat was comfortable"
Cons: "The temperature, it was kind of hot."
Cons: "Slow WiFi"
Pros: "The crew was very friendly and helpful. With the plane full they managed to serve all with smiles on their faces and solved all problems, including cabin luggage problem."
Pros: "The flight crew was amazing! Very helpful and did everything they could to assist!"
Cons: "The plane was pretty toasty! It didn't really mellow out once we got in the air, either! That was my only complaint."
Cons: "The ticketing counter gave very bad guidance for when I arrived, thus refusing to allow me to check my bag. And insisting that I had to cancel my skymiles ticket and purchasing a new ticket. Show up at least 2 hours before at DCA for intl flights, employee incompetence could cost you $$$$"
Pros: "Not much. Just a cattle cart to go from here to there. Let's not pretend."
Cons: "boarding process."
Pros: "Even in the absolute freezing (-40F) the plane landed an hour early into Minneapolis. Was only delayed 20 minutes leaving. Crew did amazing to get the plane going."
Pros: "Short and easy"
Pros: "The crew was wonderful, the flight was on time."
Cons: "But the seats are so tight that we were definitely elbow to elbow and once seated I was unable to access even the purse that was at my feet. There was no entertainment and the tray table was tiny, not even an indentation for a cup!"
Pros: "The plane left on time and arrived on time."
Cons: "I did not like the fact that the food they served made my child sick. But hey, that is a given. Most airplane food sucks. But it shouldn't make a person sick. The flight staff was okay, but not nearly as professional and friendly as the crew flying to Lisbon. Thankfully none of them ran over my foot with the metal cart."
Pros: "Everyone was friendly and got us to our destination"
Cons: "None"
Pros: "Super friendly flight crew."
Pros: "Once we finally boarded, it was fine- plane was new and clean and entertainment system was great. Agents did the best they could with limited information on flight status. Provided snacks at departure gate- but they were all unhealthy."
Cons: "Flight originally booked with 2:30pm departure time, was pushed to 4:30pm a few weeks in advance. Then the flight was delayed on the day by 30 minute intervals until 9pm. Finally, we were switched to a different gate to board a different plane. Then sat on the plane at the gate for another hour so they could load all the bags. We didn't take off until 10:30pm- painful."
Cons: "Aircraft seemed shabby despite refresh of Comfort Plus, food was really mediocre. Steer clear of the Asian Veg option."
Pros: "I like the snacks they are not giving out on the flights. It seems that Delta is trying to make the flying experience nicer instead of more tedious and uncomfortable like many other airlines, which is appreciated."
Cons: "The flights were both operated by Delta but booked through WestJet, and the flights themselves were fine. The booking was through WestJet (found the flight on kayak which kicked me over to West Jet's site) and check in was a pain. Their code did not work for their site or Delta's, I had to FB message them both leaving and returning to ask for the correct one, and the first request took them hours to answer. I'll just book Delta next time and save myself the trouble."
Pros: "The A330 is So much better than the A320, More room, movies, games, wish the flight down was on a A330."
Cons: "Nothing- plane was full and pretty quiet. Bathrooms were easily accessed"
Pros: "Everything went smoothly."
Cons: "The row I chose for a seat was next to the bathrooms. Those seats don’t recline. Found it it’s very hard to sleep sitting upright. That made the flight and the first day of my international trip difficult. It would be nice for the sites seat selection feature to include such nfo on seats. I paid nearly $2000 for a shitty seat."
Pros: "Quiet, friendly, fast and efficient. What you'd want for a flight at 6am"
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."
Cons: "Flight was late by almost 2 hours!!!"
Cons: "Flight was delayed ... wish I had received text notice instead of email so I could have enjoyed the extra hours of vacation instead of sitting at airport."
Pros: "It all went very well. Arrived 20 minutes ahead of time. Wifi movies were great. Stewardesses were very efficient."
Pros: "The crew was fantastic. I generally love flying Delta and find their crew to always be very professional and kind."
Cons: "As this was a smaller, regional jet, there weren't a lot of amenities. But that's fine, it's only a 40-minute flight!"
Pros: "I'm very satisfied."
Cons: "No comemt"
Pros: "Staff were awesome. Give them a raise."
Cons: "Nothing"
Pros: "Crew did a great job. Got us out a bit early which helped reduce anxiety of a close connection. Felt taken care of."
Cons: "Lack of leg room"
Pros: "Short flight with great views"
Cons: "I was not asked to check my bag, but there was no space for it so I had to take it back off after everyone boarded. No drink or food. Ground crew forgot to get bags at end of fliggt for those of us who checked at the gate. Had to wait quite a while."
Pros: "Clean aircraft, boarding area, and friendly flight crew."
Pros: "Martha was wonderful"
Cons: "Was never able to get on flight. The plane lost a windshield wiper and didn't have any spare parts."
Pros: "Delta met and exceeded all of my expectations on this Atlanta to Baltimore flight."
Cons: "Wonderful service, on time departure and arrival."
Pros: "On time Clean airplane Smooth ride Friendly staff"
Cons: "Nothing"
Pros: "smooth flight"
Cons: "I'm not sure if this staff is exhausted or just over there job, but they cow towed to a woman who made major complaints about the air conditioning and even gave her points to help her deal with the temperature. Strange. They were only gold stays and I'm only Platinum and didn't complain once. Oh well, that's delta, we all deal with their silence when we post anything that is unfair."
Pros: "Good uneven full flight"
The crew is really friendly
Pros: "With my little boy the seats were so uncomfortable cause of the engine. But the rest was great."
Cons: "Great crew this time."
Cons: "Unexpected $100 baggage fee for second checked baggage"
Pros: "Everything was fine!"
Cons: "Everything was fine!"
Pros: "Smooth and easy flight"
Cons: "Food and drinks served late"
Pros: "The flight was only about 1 hour. Everything ran smoothly once we took off. The crew was very good, providing gate information for connecting passengers."
Cons: "It would have been better if we had departed on time. I don't remember why there was a late departure but it made it difficult for some passengers to make their connecting flight. My husband and I hurried to the gate for our flight to Washington, DC but that flight left late, too."
Pros: "Crew"
Cons: "All great"
Pros: "The crew was very friendly and provided excellent service"
Cons: "The seat could have been a little bit more comfortable. Then again for a long trip, unless you are in business or first class, it's not going to be that comfortable."
Pros: "Crew! They super attentive"
Cons: "A bit more legroom and seat size."
Cons: "No complaints. Good vegan food."
Cons: "Any entertainment"
Pros: "The flight attendants were friendly, and service was fast. The snack was a chicken and carrot sandwich. It was good."
Cons: "The boarding was delayed twice and no explanation was given by the staff. We arrived 1 hour late."
Pros: "Crew were excellent!!!"
Cons: "Se headline"
Pros: "Good, friendly crew"
Pros: "Everything was fine, the crew was excellent. We liked that Lufthansa did provide the special meals (that we requested on-line) for our family."
Cons: "The boarding was rather slow (but not extremely so). Calling boarding by row ranges, like some other airlines do, may speed it up or make it more comfortable. The seats were not too comfortable, but within what one can expect for an Economy class --- and not too bad, either."
Cons: "The gates kept changing and people were standing in line without being told how long the wait would be, or what was going on. A little challenging when you have overseas connecting flights ."
Pros: "Good crew and plane"
Cons: "Terrible bag check before security, very long and disorganized"
Pros: "The service was outstanding!"
Cons: "Someone stole my phone charger :("
Cons: "Departure was delayed causing me to miss my connection from Frankfurt to San Francisco."
Pros: "Wi-Fi and in flight entertainment"
Cons: "I'm 6'3" cramped in economy"
Pros: "The crew was great. It was only a short flight, so we only got a c0okie, but what a cookie!! Big and soft and super tasty. And the coffee was quite good. Germany has never been known for its superb coffee, but this coffee was very good. None of that fakey airline taste to it at all. Could easily be the gourmet coffee you'd serve at home. You DO serve gourmet coffee at home, right? And water and juice and then more water and more juice, all served up by very nice people--not just good service personnel, good people. Baggage pickup was quick and smooth--I travel with my cat, so pickup can be rocky. Nothing to it here."
Cons: "I liked everything, so am leaving this box completely blank. Completely, I tell you!! Stop reading this!!"
Pros: "The crew was really great. So pleasant and helpful. And, it was nice this time as it wasn't too crowded!"
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Water was spilled on me by flight attendant. Luggage was left in Frankfort. Did not have clothes or medications, or daily necessities. Must wait 1 1/2 days to get luggage"
Cons: "entertainment was not working! the flight to Frankfurt was late and I missed the connection to rome! crew told me to run for the connection but ad the gate they told me they had already put me on a later flight! no need to run like crazy across the airport if they had me already booked me on a later flight! missed my train connection in rome to bari...asked the airport lufthansa rep. to put me on a flight to bari but they told me they couldn't do it although there was a flight available!"
Pros: "Everything overall"
Cons: "Slight delay"
Cons: "Flight cancelled. Stuck in airport for 24 hrd"
Pros: "Flight was on time; food pretty good"
Cons: "Mishandling of an online upgrade request caused major headaches and an hour at service desk - final boarding passes were misprinted and, bottom line, our luggage was not loaded on our flight and arrived about 36 hours after us! Premium Economy seats were pretty nice but I don't like the tray-in-the-arm configuration. Extra recline just meant the jerk in front of me was in my face the whole flight."
Cons: "The food. I don't eat many food and the wasn't much selection."
Pros: "I enjoyed how smooth the whole flying went in the Lufthansa plane, also how quite was inside the plane compare to other airlines airplanes. I love the leg room in the plane. I impressed with the level of commitment to take passenger out the airport on time. It has definitely one of the smoothest and nice plane I have ever been so far."
Cons: "The pilot when landing landed too fast and the plane lost its balance for a second but other than that everything was great."
Pros: "I have the option to have a special meal. (vegan)"
Cons: "I have to ask for my special meal in advance."
Cons: "Took a few time to ask for my kosher food. Crew couldn't locate me on the list, than the were out of kosher food, gave me regular breakfast, which I couldn't eat more than granola. It was pre-ordered, and I called to confirm a week ahead."
Cons: "The on board entertainment sucks you need to upgrade"
Pros: "The crew were amazing!"
Cons: "I had to pay extra for "out of sequence" booking as I wasn't able to catch the flight out of Manchester to Athens. so i booked a different flight the next day to a different airline. Lufthansa canceled my booking as I didn't take my outbound flight, when they found the booking, they asked me to pay extra. Such a waste of money! Although, the crew on the plane were really good!"
Pros: "The aircraft was clean. The service was great. Food was OK. I enjoyed the wine service. Lots of movie choices. HOW does one get "bumped up" to Premium Economy?"
Cons: "The seats in Economy were the most uncomfortable I have ever sat in for such a long time nine and a half hours. All six of us found them to be uncomfortable. No seat bottom cushioning. I had a back pain. Boarding started with the First Class and Business Class first. It took an additional 20 minutes for Economy class to start boarding. The line was very, very long and interfered with other travelers in the airport terminal. "boarding area to Frankfurt was cramped" When we arrived in Denver, only five Custom Agents were on duty to process our arrival passports, although there are 14 control stations at Denver. It appeared as though the Custom Agents were not aware of the arrival of the Lufthansa 747 nor the one that followed. All other Custom in Europe were much more efficient and move people through quickly. What a bad first impress made by the USA Customs people."
Cons: "The cabin got a little hot during the night and made it hard to be comfortable. Also, the seats lean pretty far back so I had little room in front of me when the person sitting in front of me leaned their seat all the way back."
Pros: "Everything"
Cons: "Not a thing"
Pros: "Service was Friendly"
Cons: "Baggage took a long time l"
Pros: "Flights were cancelled that day due to a storm, but Lufthansa were able to fly an empty aircraft from Rome to fly us from London to Frankfurt. Despite the circumstances, Lufthansa were able to still offer catering. Thank you for your cimmitment."
Cons: "Lufthansa in general could invest a little more in the food they serve. Lufthansa's domestic and inter European flights are never a culinary highlight. :-("
Cons: "2.5 h delay"
Pros: "The flight was on time, smooth connection"
Pros: "On time rout"
Cons: "It was delayed by 9.5 hours!!!!!"
Cons: "crew service was not good especially in flight from Mumbai to frankfurt. I was not served with midnight snack though i was awake."
Pros: "Lufthansa seems to have friendlier more helpful customer service than does Webjet's customer service."
Cons: "Webjet customer service didn't seem very friendly or concerned about helping to request fees waived from themselves and Lufthansa."
Pros: "Service,entertainment, and food. Easy check in"
Cons: "Cabin was too warm. No air vents in new aircraft so difficult to sleep."
Pros: "Smooth flight, good service"
Cons: "Leg room."
Pros: "Munich airport is convenient and boarding went smoothly"
Cons: "This was an SAA plane, not Lufthansa. I have only had excellent service on Lufthansa. This flight again did not have a functioning entertainment system. I asked for this to be addressed and the SAA crew ignored the request and in the morning looked surprised to find out that several of the TV monitors had not worked at anytime on the flight. Not impressed."
Pros: "The politeness and friendly demenor of the LH crew is very refreshing and makes for easing the stress of a long journey. The seating arrangement and the below deck toilets were also nice. Seating next to toilets is never comfortable and moving them downstairs is a great idea,"
Cons: "Asked hor wheelchair assistance on the 3 connecting flight ... Never got one Weighing the carry on is ridiculous! Had to tortow away stuff because a couple pound over British allows up to 50 pounds on a carry on Asked to switch seats and hot terrible service Tried to get boarding pass 24 prior could not They lost my luggage got it 3 days later And other things that I was not happy about"
Pros: "See above"
Cons: "See above."
Delay. Long wait in line. Poor communications.
Cons: "Exiting passengers from the rear exposed the entire flight as people had to walk past those seated from the back to front. Great social distancing and we'll done British Airways"
Pros: "No and no."
Cons: "Very crowded in.club class. Way lower standard for business class as compared to the other airlines."
Pros: "Crew was friendly and everything was perfectly on time!"
Cons: "4 hs delay"
Pros: "The flight was on time and landed early"
Cons: "The bags could have come out earlier and the food could be better"
Cons: "I made a mistake in my daughter's surname while booking online, BA refused ro change it at check-in and forced me to buy a new ticket for her."
Pros: "Leg room fantastic"
Pros: "The crew were very attentive and there was a large variety of in-flight entertainment."
Cons: "I am not a heavy set guy but the seats were unreasonably close to each other, this meant that when you eat a meal your elbows push into your sides making it hard to bring food to your mouth."
Cons: "Direct flights to and from South Africa to USA not via Middle East"
Cons: "Very narrow seats"
Pros: "The crew, the food and the smooth journey."
Cons: "Seating is a big problem. I am only 192 cm tall and cannot really fit my legs into the space. Have them out in the corridor"
Pros: "That the flight was on time."
Cons: "not applicable."
Cons: "Seat was broken. Reclines without requesting. Tray also needs attention. Seat 15C"
Pros: "Quick boarding."
Cons: "Nothing. Pretty good for a short trip."
Cons: "Better business class seats"
Cons: "Delayed, twice!"
Pros: "New Years flight... very special. Great staff and grear entertainment on board"
Cons: "The flight data was not showing... could have been interesting especially on a New Years flight"
Pros: "This was a charter by BA. Airbus A320 with amazing legroom. Was slightly annoyed by them not having coffee ( to wake me up for the drive home) but I suppose I get why they weren’t serving hot beverages."
Cons: "The beverages thing above."
Cons: "Don’t like the business class seating configuration. The entertainment system played up and only worked in half the cabin. They tried to fix it without success"
Cons: "British air wouldn’t let me carry on OR check my guitar, so I was forced to give it to a homeless man at the Madrid airport in order to make my flight. FlyUs was no help at all, neither were BA, AA, or Iberia. Worst travel experience of my life and I’ve traveled the globe with guitars. Luckily it was an inexpensive instrument."
Pros: "The A380 is roomy with large overhead bins. Its quiet and smooth. Flight was on time!!"
Cons: "It was impossible to select a seat in advance. I could not even get to seat selection at online checkin. It was very frustrating. When I went to BA in London and Los Angeles they said it was responsibility of AA and when I went to AA in London & Los Angeles they referred me back to BA. Why can I not choose seats like on other airlines????"
Pros: "BA in South Africa run a clean efficient airline. Planes are new crew well trained and food is good."
Cons: "Preseating totally random no matter your status. Booked state of my choice well in advance and was presented at the back of the plane on check-in"
Pros: "I liked that we landed 30 minutes in advance for both flights to and back, compared to the other parallel flight via SAA which was delayed 2 hours when we arrived back."
Cons: "I didn't like the cheese roll I asked for as the whole roll and cheese was literally stuck to the bottom and parts of the bottom of the roll were mushy. The staff were professional but lacked personality and seemed a little hollow."
Pros: "I liked the seats that I got. Staff were friendly and it was a comfortable flight overall."
Cons: "There wasn't enough drinks (water etc) coming around after meals."
Pros: "Anna from Portugal was fantastic"
Cons: "Seat 26J was awful. You could feel the springs coils!"
Pros: "Food was tasty"
Cons: "Was delayed"
Pros: "Waitied.. in the okanevdir 40 minutes! Because couldn’t get the jolly to work for the steps Had to walk steps with my elderly mother with our carry on in the pouring rain.. then miss our flight to Milan had to wait 3 hours for the next flight ... which was also delayed."
Pros: "Quick and efficient boarding."
Cons: "The way that the crew (both in economy on right of plane) spoke to, and handled sensitive situations with several of the passengers in a loud and rather rude manner. This is not the British way that I have been accustomed to on previous BA flights, and is rather upsetting. The crew were very abrupt in general, and did not have that seasoned and polite demeanor which I expect from BA."
Pros: "BA moved me on to the Kulula flight without any fuss and gave me a meal voucher."
Cons: "I got to the airport to find that my 19:15 flight had been delayed to 22:15. I hadn't received any notification from BA and still do not know the reason for the delay. The only other option available was for BA to put us on the 20:20 Kulula flight to Lanseria and then shuttle us from Lanseria to OR Tambo. It really is not pleasant to get back home so late on a week night and not even be given any warning or any reason for the huge delay."
Pros: "Crew were excellent. Very friendly and helpful."
Cons: "Boxes under the seat in front took up legroom (but it did ensure good entertainment options). Could have offered some more drinks."
Pros: "The staff was great, friendly, helpful and professional."
Cons: "I thought the food lacked imagination, was skimpy and too hot. I burned my mouth several times. I really do not like having to pay for a booked seat. I have special needs at my age and so booking early is how I typically make sure I can access the bathrooms easily without climbing over sleeping passengers. I picked flight for the price, but in the end I should have stuck with Delta, KLM and Air France and got the extra miles as with seat bookings and only one bag allowance, what I ended up paying did not make it worth it. Oh well, live and learn. Seats were tight, anyone bigger than me would have really struggled."
Pros: "Friendly and helpful crew"
Cons: "My wife and I having to sit in separate seats when there were seats available next to each other. Being charged excess baggage when one suitcase was weigh under weight"
Cons: "Showed up 3 hours before departure and still missed our flight. The agents were extremely slow and rude. If you have a giant line of people who have missed their flight your system obviously isn’t working. Avoid Heathrow’s British Airways by all means if possible."
Pros: "All the normal stuff of flying domestic."
Cons: "The way that my brand new suitcase was damaged on the flight and BA just said that handles are excluded from bag damage. Thus, they can do what ever they want with your bag's handles, manhandle it and not take any responsibility. My suitcase was clearly damaged by the way it was handled since i booked it in till i received it again and they just said sorry...there is nothing we can do for you!!! Now that is is poor customer service."
Pros: "I have physical limitations and required assistance stowing overhead luggage and help getting out of seat. Crew were terrific. Wheelchair assistance also great. Travels on my own."
Pros: "Made up for time due to a big tail wind"
Cons: "Took off late and had to wait 45 minutes for luggage"
Pros: "Flight was on time,actually ahead of time."
Cons: "Aircon was not efficient. Very hot in the plane."
Pros: "The space on the A380 is nice, comfortable seats, and the crew was very considerate"
Cons: "No between meals drinks (like water, etc.) or snacks left out on this 11 hour flight. The seats are still a bit close together... for the comfort of a long legged man behind me, I was not really able to recline my chair at all."
Pros: "Aside from the typically narrow seats, the service included all the hallmarks of higher-tier service, such as hot towels, cloth napkins, a good meal, and so on. The crew was attentive, as well."
Pros: "Timely."
Cons: "The airplane was really old. The screens wouldn't start for a really long time. Very, very few options for movies and the screen and sound had terrible quality. Food was not really good."
Pros: "Staff was extremely friendly"
Cons: "Seats were too close and comfort was hard for the long flights. I wish premium economy was better explained to one world partners prior to booking so there would be access to better seats."
Cons: "$100 just to choose a seat ? $100 for a 2nd bag? A Kellogg's bar for breakfast? Shame on them."
Pros: "Strong tailwind brought us in 30mins ahead of schedule."
Cons: "Nothing. Was a smooth and friendly flight. Cabin crew were courteous and efficient."
Cons: "Took forever to serve cold drinks and food. Said we were going to have a short flight due to tail wind so they would not serve hot drinks. Mean while we landed at the expected time of arrival."
Pros: "Great food. Ground staff were very accommodating."
Cons: "Flight crew attitude. Cramped seating."
Pros: "Everything was good after we finally left."
Cons: "Due to mechanical issues, flight was canceled. Missed a day of our honeymoon as a result. Compensation offered as a result was unsatisfactory."
Cons: "Kayak/priceline re-booked my flight for my sister and I from SAA to BA, but failed to completely reissue us tickets. When we checked in for the flight, we had no ticket for the first leg of the flight, but we had tickets for the remaining flights. We immediately called to fix this problem, but due to slow customer service, we weren't issued tickets in time and the flight left without us. We missed all remaining connecting flights and were forced to buy New tickets. Now we have to work with kayak/priceline to get all my money back due to their error. We came back a day later than expected and missed going back to work."
Pros: "Gold muffin."
Cons: "Lots of turbulence so only business class got drinks does not make sense how is it that turbulence only stops economic people from getting drinks."
Best check in - Great help - thanks
Cons: "You take my money for nothing yu stolen my money why why you kayak my husband doesn't travel from Desmoines he is not in system why ????? bring my money back to my account aa"
Pros: "Loved the access to free entertainment on phones, and selection of snacks"
Cons: "They could have told me more than 24 hours before my flight that they changed me to a different flight 4 hours earlier in the day!"
Cons: "On time arrival."
Pros: "Good flight, nice staff."
Cons: "Food not the greatest and flight over-crowded."
Cons: "No apologies for being delayed. More than 4 hours. No explanation. Nothing. Awful service."
Pros: "Delays were clearly communicated with ample time to make changes if necessary"
Cons: "TEEEEENY WEENY itty bitty plane - hard to be comfortable- but fortunately it was a short flight"
Pros: "Ditto to above"
Cons: "Ditto to above"
Pros: "Easy connections, very timely and everything worked out great."
Cons: "Plane was full"
Pros: "The plane, crew and boarding was great, and the food and drinks were quite good. Legroom in standard economy class was passable for a 6'2" person."
Cons: "I booked through the United website as trip from US, have Silver status on United, and Lufthansa's policies of not allowing advance (1-2 mo before flight) seat selection (never on UA nor LH websites) are just horrible. Hard to get through on 800 number, and 1 day before trip answer was still to do it in Frankfurt. Economy plus was $1000 more/person, and even then no guarantee I could choose a seat far in advance. Then, at computer kiosk in Frankfurt, they had a wrong diagram of the plane,as we ended up on what turned out to be a no-recline row which I would never get. I'm 6'2", 230lbs, and wasn't able to sleep on that flight. Had I been able to reserve a seat behind a bulkhead or in exit row 2mos in advance, I would have been fine."
Cons: "I had to check my carry on from DEN to DSM because flight was full which I was told I could pickup at gate.. at the gate the TSA agent was very rude to me as I was confused as where my bag was, which I had to to baggage claim."
Pros: "Boarding seemed smother than usual. I had an issue with a large back pack that wouldn't fit in the overhead due to a smaller plane travelling to Houston from Des Moines, Flight attendant was extremely helpful as it was expensive camera equipment and was able to stow it so that i didn't have to check it at the door. Most appreciated their sensitivity."
Cons: "The United crew really needs an attitude check. How can someone be angry at 6 am?"
Cons: "The plane was not at the airport on time and when it caused us to miss the flight they blamed the weather instead of the plane not being at the airport on time. They were rude and refused to give hotel vouchers."
Pros: "Flight left right on time and arrived to the destination early - which was great because i had an extremely short layover"
Pros: "Decent room on the flight. No food or drink."
Pros: "Friendly service,. On time"
Cons: "Nothing"
Pros: "Everybody was so friendly"
Cons: "Nothing"
Pros: "No delays"
Cons: "Everyone was super nice and gelpful"
Pros: "Quick and easy. Nice crew."
Pros: "I was treated wonderfully and had an amazing times."
Cons: "Everything was great."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Attitude of gate agent, crews. Boarding penalizes all but highest level and they've demoted me since the merger and erased my 30 year history with UAL. Watched them mishandle a paraplegic passenger until another passenger swapped seats. Last choice for me."
Cons: "Tight seats, full flights"
Pros: "The crew worked quickly to get me another flight when I was not gonna make my connection flight."
Cons: "The plane malfunctioned and their time management of telling us when it was gonna be fixed was poor."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Crowded, overbooked, made me check my carry on which made me miss my train. Took 4 flights to get to my final destination. Small seats, uncomfortable... list goes on and on"
Cons: "Cancelled flight. No true explanation. Lack of detail and delay caused me to miss other flight opportunities."
Cons: "The airplane needed to be swapped, which caused an hour delay and made me miss my flight"
Pros: "I loved it"
Pros: "Staff was ok."
Pros: "At least I made it"
Cons: "Flight attendant for United 426 to Chicago was rude, flight delayed and they weren't very helpful"
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "Lack of updates"
Pros: "Everything's on time"
Cons: "No,"
Cons: "The snack"
Pros: "The flight itself was uneventful and went as expected."
Cons: "We were instructed to hand in our hand luggage before boarding the plane which meant we had to wait in a long one after the flight to get the luggage back. HOWEVER, the plane had plenty of overhead luggage room to accommodate our luggage. We were told by the cabin staff that the gate personnel don't always check what size plane it is before requiring everyone to hand in their luggage."
Pros: "Flight on time, no delays or problems"
Cons: "Seating for midgets"
Cons: "About two hours before my flight, it was canceled after previously making an airplane switch the night before after checking in online. The I received an email while I was on the way to the airport saying that the airplane that I was going to fly out on was canceled due to airplane maintenance. While I am happy they didn't fly the plane while needing maintenance, they should have planned ahead and known of the maintenance or had a backup ready to go. Obviously it must have been something they just found, but in the big picture of things. You have to pay an way to much for a flight as it is. They should have to solve their own issues to honor their part of the contract. We (as customers) can't cancel a flight with out penalties. Why shouldn't they have to do the same?"
Pros: "On the trip from Des Moines to Houston, timeliness of flight was great. The boarding went smooth and was done quickly. The crew were friendly and courteous. Overall the first half of the trip was fine."
Cons: "I was extremely disappointed in the condition of my luggage when I picked it up plane side. The wheel was broke off and all the pockets had been unzipped and it appeared they had been rummaged through. I had to drag my bag through the terminal. I spoke with 3 individuals with United who referred me onto the next and each unwilling as the previous to help. I myself am in customer service and would never treat my customers the way I was treated by the employees representing your Airline. I would go above and beyond to make the sure that the customers experience was a great one in spite of the unfotunate incident so they would return. I have never flown United before, and I will not consider your airline in the future."
Pros: "Nothing"
Cons: "I paid extra money for our seats so we cud sit together N I ended up on the front of the plane N my boyfriend clear in the back I'll never fly United again y the hell did I pay almost 25$ per seat to sit together to sit on opposite ends of the plane"
Pros: "They whole computer system went down all morning"
Cons: "I haven't made it. Their computer system was down all morning. I got a pretty inexpensive flight which was refunded. Although I can't go home, all the one way tickets are 3 times the price. Me and my 6 month old baby can't get home to his daddy."
Pros: "Crew was great!"
Cons: "They lost my bag for my entire vacation. They found it and "rushed" it to me, but it got waylaid in SFO and would have sat there had I not called them. Then they said they would deliver it to my hotel. When it arrived 4 days later, they said I could pick it up and they would not deliver it. I was 2.5 hours away. I told them to send it home, but they didn't and when I flew home 7 days later, it was still sitting in Munich!"
Pros: "Everything was great, no waits, and right on time!"
Cons: "N/A"
Pros: "That the flight was on time. disenchanted flight attendants. Makes you want to not need her assistance."
Cons: "Disenchanted flight attendants. For whatever reason, it is obvious that there is unhappiness. Not flat affect, just the look of disinterest, a look that tells you I don't care. In a customer based business it is so disheartening that the very person you may have to depend on to survive is not vested in the clientele that keeps her company in business, thereby insuring future paychecks. I'd like to communicate here that it wasn't all the attendants on either flight, but enough that it was obvious to anyone who paid even casual attention. I was flying home to California, so there were two additional flights a few days before the flights home. I never had any of the same flight attendants on any of the flight. As far as my observation of the attendants, as stated above, I think that speaks volumes. I will cite an example that happened on my trip from Iowa to Denver. I need wheelchair assistance, I walk with a cane, but not able to walk any distance. I pack a light carry-on, bring my purse, jacket and cane. I was being wheeled up the passageway in a regular wheelchair, and the man pushing me stated to the on-coming crew he "would be right back to get my suitcase, couldn't take both at the same time", and added " unless one of you could roll it up?". After an embarrassing pause, a female flight attendant said "Let the flight attendant do it. Add this to the list of responsibilities that aren't really my job." I actually twisted around to look at this person, I was so stunned to hear that! She grabbed my rolling carry-on handle and the look spoke columns. I was embarrased. Thank you. Debra K. Forsythe"
Cons: "Obnoxious crew, repeating the same instructions over and over. No food, no entertainment. Short flight though."
Pros: "Short flight. Food/entertainment N/A"
Pros: "Everything was great and the trip was on time perfect"
Pros: "Boarding was pretty quick and staff was friendly. I was in an emergency row so I had a little extra leg room in my middle seat. Also had wifi on this flight."
Cons: "Snacks need to be updated. I prefer the good old fashion pretzels, so maybe providing an option would be better."
Cons: "I have flown with United several times and will be avoiding this airline in the future. After notification that our flight had been delayed by 3 hours, the customer service was awful. The United representatives at the gate told us they could not rebook us nor would they be able to assist us with locating a different connecting flight. We then contacted customer service by phone and were directed to connecting flights. However the connecting flights were at an airport two hours away. After being informed that we would not be able to fly out the next day from the Des Moines airport, we. Had no other choice but to rent a car to drive to the Omaha airport. We had to rent a car because they would not accommodate us by changing our return flights to match where we flying out of. This whole experience has been awful for a trip that has been booked for more than 6 months. I plan to continue to inform the public of this horrendous experience."
Cons: "The WiFi entertainment didn't work."
COVID-19 information
Safety measures for airlines flying from Iowa to South Africa
Airlines flying from Iowa 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 Iowa
Mandatory masks
Masks required on board, masks provided on flights from Iowa
Social distancing seating
Middle seats unavailable to book on flights from Iowa
Pre-flight testing
Testing for antibodies, testing for symptoms for flights from Iowa
Flexible cancellations
Waiving of change fees. Search flexible flights from Iowa
Book cheap flights from Iowa to South Africa
Recent return flight deals
5/8Fri
2 stopsBritish Airways
32h 30mDSM-JNB
21/8Sun
2 stopsBritish Airways
32h 16mJNB-DSM
R24 287
22/6Wed
2 stopsLufthansa
38h 07mDSM-JNB
3/7Sun
2 stopsLufthansa
26h 58mJNB-DSM
R27 587
22/6Wed
2 stopsLufthansa
38h 07mDSM-JNB
3/7Sun
3 stopsLufthansa
35h 02mJNB-DSM
R30 904
22/6Wed
3 stopsMultiple Airlines
41h 57mDSM-JNB
3/7Sun
3 stopsMultiple Airlines
35h 02mJNB-DSM
R33 272
22/6Wed
1 stopDelta
22h 06mDSM-JNB
3/7Sun
1 stopDelta
25h 58mJNB-DSM
R49 364
22/6Wed
2 stopsDelta
27h 35mDSM-JNB
3/7Sun
1 stopDelta
19h 57mJNB-DSM
R49 427
5/8Fri
2 stopsUnited Airlines
28h 10mDSM-JNB
21/8Sun
3 stopsUnited Airlines
33h 03mJNB-DSM
R62 992
6/8Sat
2 stopsUnited Airlines
28h 10mDSM-JNB
7/8Sun
2 stopsUnited Airlines
45h 21mJNB-DSM
R100 796
6/8Sat
3 stopsUnited Airlines
28h 10mDSM-JNB
7/8Sun
2 stopsUnited Airlines
45h 21mJNB-DSM
R101 681
5/8Fri
3 stopsUnited Airlines
28h 10mDSM-JNB
21/8Sun
3 stopsUnited Airlines
33h 03mJNB-DSM
R103 970