How can I fly to Zimbabwe really cheaply !?!

[Wallace]

My parents (and little sis)live in Zimbabwe as my dad works there. I really want to visit them in June/July time but the flights I can find are all so expensive - £1400 ish for me and 2 kids. I am absolutlely desperate to visit as my life seems to be falling apart in most areas and I think it would do me good to get away for a while.
Does anyone know an amazingly cheap place to get flights? I am half hoping there is a charity that helps grandchildren visit their absent grandparents

wallace, I'm not sure you'll get it much cheaper. My parents and sister are in South Africa and we last visited them in 2002. It cost a small fortune (around £2600 for 2 adults, 2 kids) all because we could only travel in school holiday time (even though dd wasn't actually at school - something to do with the timing of dh's leave).

It makes me seethe. I did see some new ruling though that means you can book your flights from any country now (in one way tickets). Beforehand, we could only book them in the UK so had to pay UK prices. However, I'm not sure when this new ruling comes into play - I only heard about it on the radio.

In the meantime, there are some good deals to SA now with SAA (tickets around £400 per adult to Joburg) so maybe if you check them they'll have some Harare deals. Good luck and many sympathies!

Thanks I'll check that out. At first we were thinking of going in Easter, but there is no way we can raise that sort of money by then. A lot of the better deals around have to be booked by the end of January unfortunately

That sounds interesting about that new ruling - I'll see if I can find out more about that.

Here's a link to the news story. Not sure how it would work though. Seems to mean that you can book in other countries - so maybe you can get your dad or sis to try and book you a ticket from their end? (however I know what it's like in Zim and SA and no doubt the travel agents will think they can't do it!)

lower cost flights

10 years ago I flew back from Zimbambwe with Balkan Airlines via Nigeria and Bulgaria. 3 hours in Sofia airport. It was cheap but did take 24 hours, maybe it is worth having a hunt with some regional carriers.

What is it like in Zim at the moment ? Have things settled down ?

I think I will talk to my dad and ask him if he can find out fares from that end (maybe he will even offer to pay. Ha ha - as if!)

I think things have settled down - my dad says he would have no worries about me bringing the kids over so it must be safe.

I will hunt around a bit with different airlines, we are also very flexible as to dates of travel so I'm sure I must find something. The cheapest so far is now £1200 for the 3 of us with Ethopian Airlines.

Where is your dad - I spent two months living in a black township in Lake Kariba and another two months in Harare ?

Always remembering our host telling us to be careful driving at dusk as people regularly drove into elephants loitering on the road
Or maybe that was Zimbabwen urban myth

can't help with the fares but I hope you make it - it's a truly beautiful country - dh has, or rather had, family there and we have visited a couple of times. We had a close encounted with a buffalo at night. but not an elephant

My family are in Harare. We used to live there from when I was 5 to about 7/8. I have very fond memories and long to return.

i do once remember seeing a pink elephant (painted poor thing)down the road in Harare - part of a parade I think...

HAve you tried Air Etheopia or Air Kenya - we were looking for flights for DH a while back and both seemed to have reasonably cheap flights to Zim.

Flying to Jo-burg works out more expensive - no matter who you fly with - which I was suprised about

Also don't know if these links help at all

www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Harare/London-Area/

www.ebookers.co.uk

also try the British Airways own website - as their prices are pretty good - although still aroudn teh £1400 marker

Thanks all for your help. I think I am really looking for the impossible - flights for penniless people
I will keep looking...and also hinting to my parents that they might like to contribute. I am half tempted to take out a loan, but I know that is a very bad idea...