Help me choose: United vs. Ethiopian to Cape Town (Solo 30s Female, Award Booking)
Hi everyone,
I am a solo female traveler in my 30s booking a trip from Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town (CPT) for late September. I am using United MileagePlus miles (49,500 miles for either option), and both routes have virtually identical total travel times and costs.
I travel with a carry-on only, so I am not worried about checked baggage or domestic bag transfers. I have Amex MR points and Avios as well, but couldn't find any alternative routes with decent award availability or arrival times (so annoyed Qatar doesn't fly out of ATL anymore).
I am completely torn between these two options:
Option 1: JetBlue + United+ South African
Route: ATL > EWR (JetBlue) > JNB (United) > CPT (SAA)
Total Time: 27 hours, 20 minutes
Cape Town Arrival Time: 11:38 PM
Pros/Cons: I love the idea of flying United because it's an airline I am highly familiar with for such a long journey. However, the 11:38 PM arrival time in Cape Town scares me. Even though I plan to arrange a private hotel shuttle pickup, landing past midnight makes me incredibly uneasy based on what I’ve read about the roadways at night in Capetown. I’ve done late arrivals into Delhi and Cairo before, but this seems significantly more risky.
Option 2: United + Ethiopian Airlines
Route: ATL > IAD (United) > ADD (Ethiopian) > CPT (Ethiopian)
Total Time: 26 hours, 30 minutes
Cape Town Arrival Time: 2:00 PM
Pros/Cons: The 2:00 PM arrival time is vastly superior and feels much safer for a solo traveler. However, I have never flown Ethiopian Airlines before. The idea of flying an unfamiliar carrier for an ultra-long-haul journey makes me a bit hesitant, and I've read mixed reviews about the transit security lines at Addis Ababa (ADD).
Given that I am traveling solo, carry-on only, and have hotel transport arranged for Cape Town:
For those who know Cape Town, is an 11:38 PM arrival with a pre-arranged hotel shuttle actually a safety issue, or am I overthinking the anxiety?
For those who have flown Ethiopian, did you feel confident they would handle things like missed connections or flight cancellations well?
Which route would you choose in my shoes? Thanks in advance!