Cheap Flights from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg: Compare Fares and Book Online

Overview

This is one of South Africa's steadiest domestic routes, linking the judicial capital in the Free State with the country's largest city and busiest airport. It carries a constant mix of business travellers, government and legal traffic, students and families, which keeps flights frequent and fares competitive throughout the year.

The route, often searched as bloem to joburg or bloem to JHB, runs from Bram Fischer International Airport in Bloemfontein to O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, a distance of about 380 kilometres, in roughly fifty minutes in the air. Three airlines fly it nonstop, with around fifty departures a week between them, so there is usually a flight within a few hours.

Travelwings compares every airline on the route in real time, with the full payable amount shown in rand before you commit. Whether you are pricing plane tickets or comparing the airfare from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg across carriers, this page covers who flies it, the flight time, what moves the fare, what to expect at both airports and how to book the cheapest seat for your dates.

Route: BFN to JNB  ·  Distance: about 380 km  ·  Flight time: around 50 minutes  ·  Airlines: Airlink, CemAir, FlySafair  ·  Frequency: around 50 flights a week

Why Fly This Route?

The road between the two cities is a long one, and for most travellers the flight makes an easy case for itself.

• Time saved: around fifty minutes in the air against roughly four to five hours by road on the N1, so flying returns most of a working day to you in each direction.
• Frequency: about fifty flights a week means real flexibility on timing, with early morning and evening departures suiting a same-day business trip.
• Onward connections: O.R. Tambo is South Africa's main international gateway, so the route doubles as the first leg to Cape Town, Durban or an international departure.
• Comfort: the N1 carries heavy long-distance traffic and the drive is tiring, particularly at night or in poor weather.
• Predictability: the flight schedule holds within a narrow band, while a road trip can lose hours to traffic or roadworks.
• Competitive fares: with three airlines on the route, there is genuine price competition on most dates.

Which Airlines Fly the Route?

Three carriers operate the route nonstop, and they are genuinely different propositions rather than variations on a theme.

Swipe to see the full table

Airlines, frequencies and aircraft change by season. Confirm the current schedule for your dates before booking.

FlySafair is South Africa's largest low-cost carrier and generally holds the lowest fares on the route, on an unbundled model where the headline price is low and baggage is added on. Airlink is a full-service regional airline running the highest frequency here, with baggage included in the fare. CemAir is a regional operator for which Bloemfontein is a focus city, so its schedule is built around the Free State rather than treating it as a spur. Which suits you depends on your timing and whether you are checking a bag.

What Is the Bloemfontein to Johannesburg Flight Time?

The Bloemfontein to Johannesburg flight time is around fifty minutes northbound, with published schedules running from about fifty minutes to just over an hour depending on the aircraft and the winds on the day. The return leg from Johannesburg is typically a little longer at around an hour and five minutes.

Because the sector is so short, the time you spend at each airport matters more than the flying time. O.R. Tambo is a large, busy airport where security and, at peak times, the walk to a domestic gate can take a while, so build your planning around getting through the airport rather than around the fifty minutes in the air. A one-stop routing, which some fares offer, can add two hours or more to the journey and is rarely worth it on a route this short.

What Does Your Fare Include?

Inclusions

• ✅ A confirmed seat on the flight and date booked
• ✅ Hand baggage within the airline's size and weight limits
• ✅ Checked baggage on full-service fares, and included on Airlink
• ✅ Airport taxes and charges, shown in the total before you pay

Exclusions

• ❌ Checked baggage on the cheapest low-cost fares, which is added separately
• ❌ Advance seat selection on most fare types
• ❌ Excess or overweight baggage, charged at the airport
• ❌ Airport transfers at either end
• ❌ Travel insurance and personal spending

What Affects the Flight Price?

Fares on this route move constantly, so a figure quoted this week may not hold next week. What stays stable is what drives the price, and knowing that is more useful than any single quoted number.

• How far ahead you book: airlines sell in fare buckets and the cheapest sell first, so the same flight genuinely costs more as it fills. Two to four weeks ahead is generally the useful window on this route.
• Season: the December and Easter holidays, along with the July school break, are the busiest, when demand pushes fares to their highest levels of the year. August is typically among the quieter, cheaper months.
• Day and time: the early morning and late afternoon business departures price above the quieter midday services, and midweek generally beats a Friday or Sunday.
• Fare type: a low-cost fare with no checked bag can end up dearer than a full-service fare once luggage is added, so compare on the total rather than the headline.
• Airline choice: with three carriers competing, the cheapest on any given date shifts, which is exactly why comparing them together pays off.
• Return timing: a Saturday return often prices better than a Sunday one on the same itinerary.

For a live figure, run your dates through the search panel above. The fares returned reflect current availability across all three airlines rather than a historical average, which is the only sound basis for comparison.

What Should You Know About the Airports?

Bram Fischer International Airport, Bloemfontein

Bloemfontein's airport sits close to the city and is small and quick to move through, so an hour before a domestic departure is generally sufficient. It is a focus city for CemAir, which is why that airline's schedule leans towards the Free State. The airport handles both domestic and limited international traffic through a single main terminal, and taxis and car hire are available, though arranging a transfer in advance is sensible.

O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg

O.R. Tambo is the busiest airport in Africa and large enough that moving through it takes real time. Domestic arrivals connect easily to the international terminal for an onward flight, and the Gautrain runs from the airport to Sandton and Pretoria, which is the fastest way into the northern suburbs and avoids the traffic. A few flights on this route use Lanseria instead, north-west of the city, so check which Johannesburg airport your booking uses, as they are far apart.

When Is the Best Time to Fly This Route?

• For the lowest fares: travel in August or the quieter mid-year weeks, and book two to four weeks ahead.
• For business trips: the early morning departures fill first, so book ahead if you need a specific time for a same-day return.
• Around the holidays: December, Easter and the July school break are the busiest and most expensive, and most reward booking early.
• For flexibility: midweek departures price better than weekends, and a Saturday return often beats a Sunday one.

What Is There to Do in Johannesburg?

Johannesburg rewards a stay beyond the airport. The Apartheid Museum and Constitution Hill are among the most important historical sites in the country, and a trip out to the Cradle of Humankind, a short drive from the city, reaches some of the world's most significant fossil discoveries. Maboneng and Braamfontein have become lively districts for food, markets and the arts.

The city is also the gateway to more of the country. Pretoria is a short Gautrain ride away, the Kruger National Park is within reach for a longer trip, and O.R. Tambo connects onward to Cape Town, Durban and the coast. For many travellers, Johannesburg is the practical starting point for the rest of a South African journey rather than the destination itself.

Which Other Routes and Airlines Should You Compare?

If Bloemfontein to Johannesburg is one leg of a wider trip, it is worth pricing the connecting routes and the airlines that fly them together.

The return leg is the obvious starting point. Flights from Johannesburg back to Bloemfontein run on the same three airlines and a similar frequency, though the southbound timings and fares differ, so it pays to compare the two directions rather than assume they match. Our Johannesburg to Bloemfontein flights page covers the return in full, including the schedule and what moves the fare.

From Johannesburg, the busiest onward domestic route is to Cape Town, one of the most competitive air corridors in the country and served by several airlines across frequent daily departures. If your trip continues to the coast, comparing that leg alongside this one often produces a better total than booking them separately. Our Johannesburg to Cape Town flights page sets out the airlines, timings and fares.

It can also be worth looking at a single airline across your whole itinerary. FlySafair flies the widest low-cost domestic network in South Africa, including both this route and the main trunk routes, so booking your legs with one carrier can simplify the trip and sometimes the fare. Our FlySafair flight booking page covers the airline's routes, baggage rules and fare types.

How Do You Book Your Flight?

Booking flight tickets from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg takes a few minutes. Enter your dates in the search panel above, compare the three airlines by fare, timing and baggage, and book online. Flights from bloem to Johannesburg are shown with the full fare in rand. To book by phone or ask about an existing reservation, call +27 12 006 0002 or email sa.care@travelwings.com. The team can compare fare types, confirm which Johannesburg airport your flight uses, arrange connections to an onward or international departure and handle group bookings for corporate and family travel.

Disclaimer: Fares, schedules, airlines, aircraft and baggage allowances are set by the operating carriers and change without notice. Prices are dynamic and vary by airline, season, demand and how far ahead you book. Flight times shown are scheduled durations and vary with conditions on the day. Confirm which Johannesburg airport your flight uses and current fare details before booking.

Frequently Asked Questions: Bloem to Joburg Flights

1. How long is the flight?

Around fifty minutes nonstop northbound, with schedules running from about fifty minutes to just over an hour. The return from Johannesburg is typically a little longer at around an hour and five minutes.

2. Which airlines fly from Bloemfontein to Johannesburg?

Airlink, CemAir and FlySafair operate the route nonstop from Bram Fischer International to O.R. Tambo International, with around fifty departures a week between them.

3. How much does the flight cost?

Fares move constantly with demand, season, how far ahead you book and whether checked baggage is included. Run your dates through the search panel above for a current figure across all three airlines.

4. What is the cheapest way to fly this route?

Book two to four weeks ahead, choose midweek departures over Friday and Sunday services, travel in the quieter mid-year months where you can, and compare low-cost fares with baggage priced in rather than on the headline figure.

5. Which is the cheapest airline on the route?

FlySafair generally holds the lowest headline fares as a low-cost carrier, but the cheapest option shifts by date, which is why comparing all three together is worthwhile.

6. Which airport does the flight use in Johannesburg?

Most flights arrive at O.R. Tambo International, the main gateway. A few use Lanseria instead, north-west of the city, so check which airport your booking uses, as they are far apart.

7. How far is the bloem to joburg flight?

About 380 kilometres by air on the bloem to JHB route, against a road journey of roughly four to five hours on the N1. The flight price reflects that short distance, though demand and timing move it more than distance does.

8. Is checked baggage included in the fare?

On full-service fares, generally yes, and Airlink includes it. The cheapest FlySafair fares usually price it separately, so factor that into the comparison.

9. How many flights are there a day?

Around fifty a week across the three airlines, so several a day, concentrated around the morning and late afternoon business peaks.

10. Can I connect to an international flight at O.R. Tambo?

Yes. Domestic arrivals connect to the international terminal for an onward departure. Booking both legs on a single ticket where possible protects your connection if the first flight is delayed.

11. When is the cheapest time to travel?

August and the quieter mid-year weeks are typically the cheapest, while December, Easter and the July school break are the busiest and most expensive.

12. How do I book for a group or business travel?

Call the team on +27 12 006 0002 or email sa.care@travelwings.com and they will arrange seats together and confirm baggage for everyone on one booking.