Cape Town Children's Initiative

IMPORTANT: If you are 14 years old or younger at the time of your GLA program, then you will be required to travel as an unaccompanied minor. Read about these specific airline policies here.

Flight Requirements:

• Arrive into and out of Cape Town, South Africa (Cape Town International Airport; airport code: CPT)

• Arrive between 10:00 (10am) and 22:00 (10pm) the day your program begins

  • Please note that you will commonly depart 1 day prior to arrive on your program start date.

• Depart between 11:00 (11am) and 23:00 (11pm) the day your program ends

HELPFUL HINT: GLA recommends not booking a flight via Hong Kong or with Cathay Pacific Airways due to the recent city-wide strikes that have in the past, caused flights to be cancelled. 

Suggested Route:

The suggested route - usually the most direct, least number of stops, and always leaving from a US gateway airport. Often times, multiple students from the same program will be on this flight, simply because it is a popular route to take. We cannot guarantee that other students will be on this flight, but very often, there are. You do not have to take the suggested route, it is just one option. You may take any flight you wish that falls within the flight parameters above.

A note on South African Airways: GLA recommends that you DO NOT purchase a flight with South African Airlines. The airline has been amid financial troubles, heading toward liquidation & bankruptcy. (It is common for booked travel to remain non refundable if an airline goes bankrupt.) When researching flights to your GLA program, we implore you to look at alternate options. 

Suggested Route

Option 1

• • British Airways - New York (JFK) to London (LHR) to Cape Town (CPT)

  • British Airways - Cape Town (CPT) to London (LHR) to New York (JFK) 

Option 2

• • KLM Airlines - New York (JFK) to Amsterdam (AMS) to Cape Town (CPT)

  • KLM Airlines - Cape Town (CPT) to Amsterdam (AMS) to New York (JFK) 

Suggested Route for Unaccompanied Minors

• • Read more about unaccompanied minors here. 

Recommended Travel Agency Partner

If you are looking for some guidance in booking flights, GLA has partnered with ScholarTrip in order to simplify the process. Regardless of how you plan on booking your flights, we recommend you speak with our travel agency partner first to ensure that you are getting the best deal and that you are booking the correct itinerary per GLA requirements and airline policy. 

ScholarTrip 

• • REQUEST: Click Here 

  • QUOTES: 1-2 Business days

  • HOURS: Monday to Friday 8:00 (8am) to 18:00 (6pm) Pacific Time

  • SERVICE FEES: Booking Fee $15 USD

Please do NOT book your flight until you've received the go-ahead! This will come either in the email titled, "Welcome Aboard! Save this Email!" or in a subsequent email.