A flush of airlines flock to Cape Town for the summer

Summertime in Cape Town and the tarmac at Cape Town International is as busy as can be, as European airlines pile on capacity to cater for the surge in travellers seeking summer sun in the Mother City.

British Airways has ramped up its year-round daily service from London Heathrow to Cape Town, going double-daily for November and December, before upping that to three flights per day from January 10 2025. Virgin, which returned to the city last year after a long absence, is claiming a slice of the market, too, with a daily service from London Heathrow to Cape Town until end-April.

Lufthansa is jetting in with flights from Munich, and it’s with their brand-new Allegris product that was launched in May. Operated on the airline’s Airbus A350 aircraft, it’s a deeply luxurious product that forms part of the airline’s €2bn product overhaul. KLM may not offer quite the same levels of luxury but it is increasing its services to 10 flights per week from Cape Town to Amsterdam from the new year.

It’s all good news for both local travellers looking to fly north, and the Cape’s tourism industry hoping for a bumper summer season.

Alongside these well-known airline brands, this summer sees a brand-new tail fin on the apron in Cape Town, as Norse Atlantic Airways takes up summer residency for the first time, to offer direct flights from the Mother City to Gatwick Airport, south of London.

Norse is headquartered in Norway but has international hubs at both Oslo and Gatwick. The airline’s been flying since 2022, with a fleet of Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Cape Town is the first Norse destination in Africa, and the longest scheduled route in its network. Depending on the time of year, the airline also spreads its wings to Bangkok, Las Vegas and Miami, cementing the airline as a popular leisure-focused carrier.

Norse operates on a low-cost long-haul model — not unlike airlines such as Edelweiss and Condor — that allows travellers to build their fares from the ground up. If budget’s your main concern, the Norse Economy Lite fares offer a seat and cabin baggage and not much else. Want to check a suitcase or have a bite on board? You’ll pay extra for that. But if you’re happy to travel light and bring your own snacks, you’ll find some extremely competitive fares on offer.

Up at the sharp end, the Norse Premium cabin is on par — perhaps better — than many global airlines’ Premium Economy cabins. Here leather seats and ample legroom — a roomy 43 inches, compared to 38 inches on British Airways and Virgin Atlantic — offer all the comfort you need for a flight to London. It’s not lie-flat, but the roomy seats have a good recline, spacious armrests and reticulated headrests.

Hungry? In the Premium cabin meals and drinks are included, with waiter-style service from the attentive and friendly cabin crew. Think teriyaki beef or grilled chicken, with fresh salads and bakes for starters and desserts. The wine list is limited — white, red or sparkling — but features French labels backed by a collection of spirits and mixers. Happily, you can use the in-flight entertainment system to order your drinks throughout the flight, which is a nice touch.

Norse operates a Dreamliner-only fleet, and the 787 is a pleasure to fly. The use of carbon fibre means larger windows and lower pressurisation than many other long-haul aircraft, adding up to a more comfortable flight. And for the outbound flight in daytime, the larger windows — with individual dimmers — created a bright and airy space for the flight north across Africa.

If, like me, you like to use the time in-flight to crack on with work, you’ll be pleased that each seat in Premium comes with in-seat power for laptops, and a USB port integrated into the personal fold-away screen. There’s no in-flight Wi-Fi though.

With a 2-3-2 layout, there’s easy aisle access, but if you’re particular about a seat you’ll want to secure that window or aisle before departure. Happily, seat selection is included with Premium cabin fares.

The seatback in-flight entertainment won’t win any awards but has enough on offer — a mix of new releases and classics — to keep you entertained through the 11-hour flight to London. But you might want to bring your own headphones: the disposable sets handed out by cabin crew after boarding are a far cry from what’s on offer in similar Premium Economy products.

And, the fares?

Presuming you have plenty of flexibility in your travel plans, I went looking for the cheapest direct flight from Cape Town to London in Premium Economy, with a fare that allowed — for clear comparisons — for checked luggage and in-flight dining and services.

On Norse, the cheapest Premium fare came to R26,870, while both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways were substantially — up to R20,000 — more expensive. But remember, airfares are dynamic and as demand rises or falls, fares follow the curve. Also, flying direct is always going to attract a premium, and there are often cheaper deals to be had flying via Johannesburg or European hubs.

Does Norse offer the most luxurious cabin in the skies? No, but that’s not what the airline is trying to be. Instead, come looking for spacious cabins, warm service and an affordable opportunity to upgrade your next trip to London without blowing that year-end bonus.