How to Fly to Africa with Points
This guide covers the best ways to fly to Africa with points, the hubs and carriers to use, the programs that book them, and the routing tactics for the long journey. Award prices and availability change constantly as programs devalue and adjust, so treat every points figure here as a rough, illustrative guide rather than a guarantee. Always confirm the current price and that an award seat is actually available on the airline own site before you transfer points, since transfers are one-way and cannot be reversed.
The lay of the land
Africa is a huge continent served mostly via connecting hubs rather than nonstop from the US. The Middle East and European hubs are the main gateways: Qatar through Doha, Emirates through Dubai, Turkish through Istanbul, and the European carriers through their hubs. Within Africa, Ethiopian Airlines, a Star Alliance member with a major hub in Addis Ababa, offers the widest network, while EgyptAir, Kenya Airways, and Royal Air Maroc serve different regions.
Because you are almost always connecting, the strategy is to pick a hub carrier with a great product and good award space, then connect onward. This is part of what makes Africa rewarding: the journey itself can be exceptional. See our transfer partners guide.
Best business class to Africa
Qatar Airways Qsuite, widely considered the best business class in the world, reaches much of Africa through its Doha hub, making it one of the most comfortable and high-value ways to reach the continent. It is bookable through Oneworld programs like American AAdvantage and the Avios programs. Turkish Airlines, through Istanbul, offers solid business class and extensive African connectivity, bookable through its own program and Star partners.
For Star Alliance, Ethiopian Airlines provides the broadest African network from its Addis Ababa hub, and EgyptAir serves North and East Africa, both bookable through Avianca LifeMiles, Aeroplan, and United. Kenya Airways, a SkyTeam member, is bookable through Flying Blue. The Qatar Qsuite routing is often the standout for combining a world-class product with reaching Africa. See our business class guide.
The best programs to use
For the Qatar Qsuite routing, American AAdvantage and the British Airways and Qatar Avios programs are the main paths. For Star Alliance carriers like Ethiopian and EgyptAir, Avianca LifeMiles is excellent with no fuel surcharges, and Aeroplan and Turkish also work well, with Turkish offering its own strong African network through Istanbul.
For SkyTeam, Air France/KLM Flying Blue books Kenya Airways and Air France flights to Africa, and runs Promo Rewards that sometimes discount African routes. Because all of these are reachable by transferring flexible points, you can choose the hub and product with the best space. See our Citi and Capital One ecosystem guides for Avianca and Turkish access.
Routing tactics for Africa
Because Africa requires connecting, embrace it: choose a hub that offers a great product and consider a stopover to break up the long journey and see an extra city. A stopover in Doha, Istanbul, or a European hub through a stopover-friendly program can turn one trip into two destinations. East Coast gateways are generally closer for the Middle East and European hubs that serve Africa.
Award space on the best products can be limited, so be flexible on dates and on which hub you route through, and book in advance for premium cabins. Mixing a premium long-haul leg with an economy intra-Africa connection can keep the cost reasonable. See our booking tactics guide.
Economy and timing
Given the long journey, a premium cabin to Africa is especially desirable, but economy can work when cash fares are high, and intra-Africa segments are often best handled in economy on Ethiopian or other regional carriers. Compare the cash price against the points cost as always.
Timing depends on your destination, since Africa spans both hemispheres and many climates, so research the best season for your specific trip, whether a safari in East Africa or a visit to South Africa or Morocco. Award prices and availability change constantly as programs devalue and adjust, so treat every points figure here as a rough, illustrative guide rather than a guarantee. Always confirm the current price and that an award seat is actually available on the airline own site before you transfer points, since transfers are one-way and cannot be reversed. See our economy redemptions guide.
Frequently asked questions
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