AED 947 Find Cheap Flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates

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Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to the United Arab Emirates

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to the United Arab Emirates to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to the United Arab Emirates?

These are the best return prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to the United Arab Emirates from South Africa found in the last 72 hours was to Abu Dhabi, at AED 1,491 return. The most popular route is Cape Town (CPT) to Dubai (DXB) and the cheapest return airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was AED 1,758.

How much is a flight to the United Arab Emirates?

The average and cheapest price for all round-trip flights to the United Arab Emirates from each origin found by users searching on KAYAK in the last month.

A flight to the United Arab Emirates costs AED 2,599 on average. The cheapest price found on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks was AED 1,369 for the route Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport (JNB) to Abu Dhabi (AUH). The most popular routes on KAYAK are Johannesburg to Abu Dhabi which costs AED 2,696 on average, and Cape Town to Dubai, which costs AED 3,223 on average.

See prices from:

What is the cheapest month to fly from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates is May, when tickets cost AED 2,688 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and August, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is AED 2,905 and AED 2,864 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to the United Arab Emirates, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below-average price on a flight from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates, you should book around 3 weeks before departure, which saves you about 8% compared to booking last-minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 24 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in the United Arab Emirates?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi Zayed Intl Airport (AUH), with an average flight price of AED 1,564.

Good to know

Low seasonAugust
Cheapest flightAED 947
Best time to beat the crowds but there is an average 2% increase in price.
Most popular time to fly (13% more expensive on average)
Flight from Johannesburg to Sharjah

FAQs for booking flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates is likely to change within 7 days, so travellers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional return ticket. You could then fly from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to the United Arab Emirates?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to the United Arab Emirates is Sunday when return tickets can be as cheap as AED 2,709. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, when return prices are AED 3,051 on average.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to the United Arab Emirates?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to the United Arab Emirates is generally in the morning, when retur flights cost AED 2,526 on average. Morning departures are around 8% cheaper than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to the United Arab Emirates is generally in the afternoon, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is AED 2,782.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines flying from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from South Africa to the United Arab Emirates? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.1
EmiratesOverall score based on 3484 reviews
7.9Food
8.1Boarding
8.2Entertainment
8.0Comfort
8.3Crew
Airline reviews

Fly Dubai takes low cost and thrift to new depths in terms of service levels, terminal 2 is grossly inadequate for capacity and resembles a crowded buss or railway station,, the fly dubai( Emirates) flight is never on time(was 2.5 hrs delayed), and this is not an isolated experience, the flght air conditioning was turned low while we waited on the tarmac for take clearance to save fuel, should say more!!!! The depths! I only fly this airline from a compulsion, emirates code shares for connections to Muscat

2.0 MediocreVenkatesh, Jan 2026
SFO - DXB
Read more Emirates reviews

Fly Dubai takes low cost and thrift to new depths in terms of service levels, terminal 2 is grossly inadequate for capacity and resembles a crowded buss or railway station,, the fly dubai( Emirates) flight is never on time(was 2.5 hrs delayed), and this is not an isolated experience, the flght air conditioning was turned low while we waited on the tarmac for take clearance to save fuel, should say more!!!! The depths! I only fly this airline from a compulsion, emirates code shares for connections to Muscat

Food was great. More vegetarian options on menu would be great!

They changed the flight time without telling us and were unwilling to help with rebooking because we booked through orbits/kayak

Child’s meal was great along with other nice touches for kids.

Both flights to and back from Lyon with buses taking extra time and delaying flight at DXB. Food serving needed work.

Emirates did great! I liked the service, the food, cleanness, and the flight was on time. Much better airline than Qatar Airways I flew with last year.

The main issue was that the flight from trivandrum to Dubai was delayed which resulted in arriving late in Dubai. Coincidentally the flight leaving out of Dubai to jfk was also delayed for different reason. Despite we reached the gate ( through wheel chair assistance) along with 10 other passengers we were not let in. The gate was open and yet was refrained from entering. We were then requested to flight the next morning. Meal vouchers were provided but the hotel reservations were not made and took a lot longer to receive that. If Emirates knew about the delay and was certain the passengers will not be able to board the next flight shouldn't they have prepared these ahead of time?

The plane was old so the entertainment system was difficult to operate. The crew did advise earlier. The plane was landed and parked away from the gates, which added 20+ mins to the overall arrival

There is an issue with A380 when it arrives in Munich, because a business class passengers like me have to wait for the first class passengers to disembark, which takes some time while you are also offloading economy passengers this causes an issue at customs where your business class passengers end up behind a large bulk of economy passengers This is a frustration and the early dislocation should be and is supposed to be a benefit of business class

I would have liked less packaged snacky stuff, more fruit. The crew was great.

In the business class it was everything wonderful. However in the economy is a hell. BTW. When I asked to search for tickets, I ordered business and I was offered options with economy, that was not clear in the order, so I could've acted faster to rectify it.

The seat cushions are absolutely lacking, not sure if they know the passengers are traveling for 14 hours straight, but the padding made our back and butt ache like crazy. The entertainment console had its own problems, either the headphone jack wasn't working or the power outlet via usb or ac outlet was not working. Not to mention the seat handles were not adjustable in some planes in the middle or on the aisle. Qatar may be operating a very old fleet of planes to make as much profit as possible, but passengers may not be following them for long, should this treatment of its customers continue. Qatar, wake up and do it right by your customers, or they may not be your customers anymore.

It was very good. It was a long flight and being a tight with little leg room.

I am a big person and have back pain and swelling in my legs, so this was a challenging flight due to confined space. I didn't find the crew very friendly either. I will think twice before flying long distances with Qatar again, due to the lack of legroom.

I appreciated the vailability of wheelchair services for persons with mobility issues all the way up to the aircraft. What could be better would be the food choices.

Very efficient and professional staff. Food was good and so was entertainment selection.

Excellent service. The personal adaptation of menus and the individual timing of service of them is fantastic.

Paid $10 for wifi for full flight duration and the wifi wasn’t available after initial 2 hours

Good. It would be great if comfort seats were available

My entire row did not have power for the full duration of a 14.5 hour flight. Could not charge any devices such as laptop or phones for the entirety of the long flight. The flight attendants tried to remedy the issue by resetting the power, but were not successful. The only other solution provided was to move me to another seat on the plane which was in the middle row. I had paid for a “preferred” seat that was a window seat. This was a downgrade being offered due to the power issue.

It was great! Kept the time. Provided what was promised

It was mediocre. Honestly, the flight was late but that didn’t bother me as I had plenty of time. The only thing that bothered me is that the crew never asked to make the beds for us in business class. Maybe the crew was exhausted and that just didn’t occur to them.

The flight was over 1 hour late taking off ,when I arrived in Abu Dhabi ,I missed my connecting flight to Bangkok so I had to wait almost 6 hours for my flight arriving in Bangkok at 6:30 am ,So I missed a whole day of my vacation and my hotel room sat empty so I paid for hotel days that I was not there. In Abu Dhabi there was a woman that worked the desk at transfers that was so professional, courteous , helpful,and may I say absolutely beautiful .she got me food vouchers for my layover and was a very calming presence. Besides that I will never use Etihad again I will pay the Xtra money . I'm sure they won't read or see this but it's my "2 cents" I'll use an airline that respects me and my hard earned dollars

I booked and paid for a Business Class seat for myself and my wife. 4 hours before the flight i get a call saying the plane they sent doesn't have the correct layout to accommodate all the business class seats they sold me 3 months earlier at a premium of $1500 a ticket. So they have to bump me from Business to Economy and will give me a $400 credit (total of $800 for both seats) that I could turn in at Abu Dahbi for $400 in US cash. They then promised a row that we could have to ourselves and the arm rests would go up so we could spread out for each of us. My wife was taken care of but I was put in the exit row with the flight attendents set as part of the three...and the arm rest did not go up. When we got to Abu Dahbi, they would not exchange our credit for cash as promised. Very disappointed they took my money 3 months ago and refused to reimburse for the change in seats or follow the promises made.

We have paid premium price for a business class Cabinet and we have received the old 777 with the following apart business class that is not to standard. It was very disappointing and it’s a very bad reputation for a premium airline company. This aeroplane should be the commission from being as a business class. We will pass this knowledge to our colleagues because the quality of business class in Etihad is not consistent and it is a lucky dip that sometimes you’re getting a good aeroplane and sometimes you’re getting their 30 years old aeroplane. The crew of the aeroplane have apologise and said that they hate this aeroplane and they have complained about it multiple times as well. Obviously Etihad is putting the economy in front of the Customer Experience. For the future we will not take this risk anymore and will fly with established company like emirates.

There was not any issues with the Etihad Airways. Staff was excellent and I love the variety of movies and games that they provided.

It was fantastic. The flight from Chicago to Abu Dahbi was fantastic. The crew, food and service were amazing. Everything was handled by the crew member assigned to us , Nicholas, was usually done before we asked for it. Highly recommend Etihad!

Etihad Check In counter/Station manager in Heathrow was bothering and not helpful at all. They are rude and not customer oriented

I didn’t have a flight because it was a fraud and you allow it. Illl never use Kayak again!!!

I missed my flight ,staff unhelpful, they sat and watched me wait ,gangway door closed, English was a problem no announcement I was on time now I missed my month vacation ,lost 1400 bucks no refund I'm sick to my stomach

Boarded almost 48 hrs later after a scheduling change on my initial flight that was not communicated either by kayak of SAA.

I had booked a ticket for a 6:40 am departure in July 2025, but it appears there was a change to 8;00 am, which meant I missed my connecting flight which departed 10 m minutes before I landed. I had seen this problem only the previous day and try to resolve it with South African air, but they are very uncooperative on the phone. All they could say was all flights were fully booked and I ended up buying paying $2,000+ to secure a ticket for my family to ensure we got out of South Africa by Monday, which am currently pursuing with the airline.

Excellent airline. Even with 1.5 hour flight, we got light meal on board

South African Airways on the outside, a very old shabby Qatar Airways plane on the inside

The food options were beef or veg, No alternatives for Hindus, that don't eat beef...

Flight was on time Seats ( business class) are terrible- you keep on slipping down as it doesn’t lie flat Food service is like economy class. Meals ( still wrapped in plastic) are just dropped in front of you

On time flight; otherwise not impressed by the check- in- purchased business class and the aircraft was downgraded; no refund given for the difference. Told I could access the lounge due to the above and was questioned by the lounge check- in person who was not friendly

Flight was cancelled with no notification until I reached the check-in desk at the airport. I also got downgraded and they lost my luggage.

Very bad. Linda the hostess was very rude all the time

Very bad, Linda the hostess was very rude all the time

The crew was unfriendly and very rude to name a few (Helina). I felt unsafe due to most of the cabinets were open while on flight. All in all the flight was ok, but the crew needed more training on customer service most of all for international flights.

I had a memorable experience. I dont have any comments at this time regarding waht could be better.

It is nice and great but the houstees crew are all the way back arguing with customers and behavior issues same of the crew i saw that also all the trips were very much butter!

They only gave us 30 minutes to make an international connecting flight. We didn’t make the connection but they did do a good job rebooking us despite the chaos. Our bags didn’t make it back and their process for customer support is pretty bad when it comes to luggage.

Good. Crew do seem to be less friendly- management are clearly limiting them or not empowering them as they used to.

Delays delays making us miss or next connection to IAD hence having to stay additional 24 hrs in Addis Ababa

Checking in wasn't organized, too many so-called diplomats were jumping line while everyone was waiting in line. They should have their own line not to impede on other passengers that was also waiting to be served. We all paid money and there should be no discrimination because everyone's money should have the same value diplomat or not! If they want to give diplomats some special treatment then let them create their own check in desk and not treat other passengers some that are (elderly, some with children, pregnant women) making them stand longer in line than necessary just because people are jumping line 😡

It was an old aircraft, stiff seats almost wooden chairs with thin cushions. Food was ok.

Traveling with Ethiopian is always a good experience. I also enjoy the stay at skylight hotel in Addis

The flight is packed and it feels like the space per individual has gotten smaller. Excruciating for a 14hr flight.

Everything you need to know for your flight to the United Arab Emirates

Cabin class types available on flights to the United Arab Emirates

Cabin classes available on flights to the United Arab Emirates. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.