Jerry Mpufane of South African Tourism and Irene Bar-Am of United Airlines shared in a virtual event with media and travel advisors the new nonstop service from EWR to Johannesburg’s JNB starting 03JUN.
The new service will be the gateway for many travellers to take part in unforgettable cultural experiences in Johannesburg, such as exploring the Maboneng Precinct, Bungee jumping from the Orlando Towers, visiting Nirox sculpture park, and taking Lebo’s bicycle tour of Soweto.
“We want the North American traveller to see South Africa as a safe, open, and ready destination that’s waiting with a wide variety of experiences, affordable luxury, and a warm Rainbow Nation welcome when they’re ready to travel,” said Mpufane during the presentation.
Included in the highlights of Johannesburg, he pointed out that trusted and familiar hotel brands such as Fairmont, Hilton, Four Seasons, Hyatt, and Belmond can all be found in South Africa’s largest and fastest-growing city, with quality and care consistent with the hospitality experience of these brands globally.
He went on to add that all of South Africa appeals to social and open-minded travellers, and there are many outdoor experiences for adventurous travellers. ‘Jo-Burg’ also has a deep history going back to the 1800s when large deposits of gold were found in the area. Johannesburg is the second largest city in Africa, and the world’s largest city that is not built on a body of water.
United’s new EWR_JNB flight is the only nonstop, daily service between Johannesburg and the United States by an American airline.
As for Canadian travellers, Bar-Am shared that although United Airline service between Toronto and Newark is temporarily suspended, Star Alliance partner Air Canada is operating Toronto-Newark (YYZ-EWR) providing travellers the opportunity to connect to United’s Newark-Johannesburg (EWR-JNB) service.
With public health protocols related to COVID-19 still in place, all travellers, including those who are vaccinated, will need to provide a negative test before boarding the flight.
All requirements for entering South Africa can be found here.
Access to the latest information and updates about the destination can be found here.
United and Abbott - a company that manufactures COVID tests - have partnered to offer international travellers with home testing kits. Travel advisors can read about it here and how it works here.
The United Airlines Travel Ready Center helps customers review COVID-19 travel requirements, find local testing options and upload any testing or vaccination records that might be needed for entry to domestic and international destinations.
