Which Airline Is Cheapest With a Checked Bag? Route by Route, October 2026
Johannesburg → Cape Town: cheapest fare we found R1,929 › one-way for Wed 18 Nov (checked 24 October 2026). More Johannesburg–Cape Town fares →
New: the VistaVoyage Fare Index, our monthly check of what 14 domestic routes really cost, with the bag included or not.
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Key findings
- We compared 19 domestic routes for Wednesday 25 November 2026 (checked 27 October 2026), adding the bag fee to every fare that does not include one.
- On 9 of 19 routes the cheapest fare of all already included a checked bag (Airlink, SAA or CemAir), so travellers with a suitcase pay no extra. On the other 10, FlySafair or LIFT had the lowest headline fare and stayed cheapest even after adding the bag on 9 of them. The exception is the busiest route: Johannesburg → Cape Town, where LIFT led at R2,129 but SAA, with a 23 kg bag included, was cheapest with a bag at R2,159, R190 less than FlySafair (R2,349) and R215 less than LIFT (R2,374) once their bags were added.
- Airlink and SAA include a checked bag (20 kg and 23 kg); on Travelstart a bag adds R210 on FlySafair and R245 on LIFT (R185 and R200 if you book direct with the airline), and roughly double at the airport.
The table
Cheapest airline once a checked bag is added, Wednesday 25 November 2026
Each airline's cheapest one-way fare on Travelstart's live search (checked 27 October 2026; Cape Town–Hoedspruit on 29 October), plus Travelstart's own price for adding a bag: R210 for a FlySafair 20 kg bag, R245 for a LIFT 23 kg bag. Airlink, SAA and CemAir include a bag. Some of the cheapest fares connect via Johannesburg (for example Cape Town–Hoedspruit).
| Route · cheapest headline fare | Cheapest with a bag |
|---|---|
| Cape Town → Durban Headline: LIFT R1,639 + R245 bag | LIFT R1,884 with bag › |
| Cape Town → George Headline: Airlink R1,439 (bag incl.) | Airlink R1,439 with bag › |
| Cape Town → Hoedspruit Headline: Airlink R4,359 (bag incl.) | Airlink R4,359 with bag › |
| Cape Town → Johannesburg Headline: SAA R1,529 (bag incl.) | SAA R1,529 with bag › |
| Cape Town → Nelspruit Headline: FlySafair R1,649 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,859 with bag › |
| Cape Town → Gqeberha Headline: FlySafair R1,089 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,299 with bag › |
| Durban → Cape Town Headline: FlySafair R1,729 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,939 with bag › |
| Durban → Johannesburg Headline: SAA R839 (bag incl.) | SAA R839 with bag › |
| East London → Johannesburg Headline: FlySafair R1,269 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,479 with bag › |
| George → Johannesburg Headline: FlySafair R1,739 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,949 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → Bloemfontein Headline: FlySafair R979 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,189 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → Cape Town Headline: LIFT R2,129 + R245 bag | SAA R2,159 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → Durban Headline: SAA R839 (bag incl.) | SAA R839 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → East London Headline: FlySafair R1,269 + R210 bag | FlySafair R1,479 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → George Headline: FlySafair R2,709 + R210 bag | FlySafair R2,919 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → Hoedspruit Headline: Airlink R2,489 (bag incl.) | Airlink R2,489 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → Kimberley Headline: CemAir R1,689 (bag incl.) | CemAir R1,689 with bag › |
| Johannesburg → Gqeberha Headline: SAA R1,099 (bag incl.) | SAA R1,099 with bag › |
| Gqeberha → Johannesburg Headline: SAA R1,099 (bag incl.) | SAA R1,099 with bag › |
How to use this
- Travelling with a suitcase? Compare the "with a bag" column, not the headline fare.
- Cabin bag only? The headline fare is your price: FlySafair and LIFT include a 7 kg cabin bag (56 × 36 × 23 cm) plus a small personal item.
- Add the bag online, never at the airport: FlySafair charges R375 at the counter against R185 online.
- Fares change daily; tap a fare to see today's price for that date. Work out your total with our bag calculator →
More: Baggage allowances on all five airlines · Fare Index October 2026 · How booking works
Frequently asked questions
Which South African airline is cheapest with a checked bag?
It depends on the route. On our fare checks for 25 November 2026, the cheapest fare of all already included a checked bag on 9 of 19 domestic routes (Airlink, SAA or CemAir). Where FlySafair or LIFT was cheapest, adding the bag (R210 or R245 on Travelstart) kept them cheapest on 9 of those 10 routes. The exception was Johannesburg to Cape Town, where SAA with its bag included (R2,159) was cheapest.
How much does a checked bag cost on FlySafair and LIFT?
FlySafair charges R185 for a 20 kg bag added online (R375 at the airport); LIFT charges R200 for a 23 kg bag added online (R300 at the airport).