Flights to Sri Lanka

QUESTION: We want to go to Sri Lanka on holiday. Neither SAA or SriLankan Airlines flies between Johannesburg and Colombo. Which is the best airline or route? - Peggy James

ANSWER: You can fly with one of the Middle Eastern airlines, like Emirates or Etihad. There is no direct flight, so you will have to change planes at Dubai or Abu Dhabi. If you are one of the many South Africans who are determined to collect Voyager Miles on every trip, you could fly with SAA to Mumbai (Bombay) and then catch SriLankan Airlines or one of the Indian budget airlines from Mumbai to Colombo. If you cannot get seats, you could also fly via Europe or the Far East, but this would add substantially to your travel time.