- Flight
- about 11 to 11.5 hours northbound
- Departs
- O. R. Tambo International
- Lands at
- Heathrow
- Time difference
- London is 1 to 2 hours behind
- Currency
- Pounds sterling, in cash
Johannesburg to London is about eleven hours, and London is only one or two hours behind. Flying almost due north means a long flight with hardly any jet lag, which is the opposite of the transatlantic bargain.
The best trade in long haul
Eleven hours is a long time in a seat, but you arrive on a clock that is close to the one you left. There is no four day recovery and no lost first evening. Compared with someone arriving from Los Angeles, who flies a similar length and loses eight hours, you have it easy.
Day flight or overnight
British Airways runs two Heathrow rotations a day, so you get a genuine choice. The overnight lands early in the morning, which means a long wait for a room but a full day ahead. The daytime service lands in the evening and lets you go straight to bed on something close to local time. With this small a time difference the overnight is the easier of the two, which is not true on most routes.
Virgin is seasonal to Cape Town, not here
Both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic fly Johannesburg to Heathrow year round, so there is no seasonal gap to work around on this route.
The visa comes first
A South African passport needs a Standard Visitor visa for the United Kingdom. It takes time and costs money, so settle it before buying a ticket you cannot change. This is the single most common reason a trip from Johannesburg does not happen.
What to read before you come
London rates run well above what you are used to, and the way bookings are made differs too: arranged in advance in writing, hourly rate agreed before anyone meets, cash in pounds, no tip. The rates guide has the measured figures, and the visitor guide covers the etiquette.
The flight home
The flight home is much the same length. This route runs north to south rather than across the winds, so there is no hour to gain or lose in either direction, and London back to Johannesburg is scheduled within a few minutes of the flight out. One fewer thing to plan around.
Before you book
Most visitors travelling on a South African passport need a Standard Visitor visa before they fly. Applications take time and carry a fee, so settle it before you buy a ticket you cannot change. The official check if you need a UK visa service tells you what applies to your passport.
When to get in touch
London runs 2 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 1pm and 1am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Areas near where you land at Heathrow
The big figure is the straight line distance from the airport in miles, and nothing about travel time, which in London is always longer. Each page has the stations, the route from Heathrow and the measured rates.
Also close to where you land, with no profiles of their own but a guide to getting there and how outcall works: Feltham, Hayes, Hounslow, Southall.
Other cities in Africa
See every departure city
Cities with a similar flight time
Common questions
How long is the flight from Johannesburg to London?
The flight from O. R. Tambo International takes about 11 to 11.5 hours northbound. Add the connection time if your fare has a stop, and allow for getting to and through the airport at both ends.
What is the time difference between Johannesburg and London?
London is 1 to 2 hours behind. The United Kingdom and most other countries change their clocks on different dates, so for a few weeks each spring and autumn the gap shifts by an hour.
What time should I message from Johannesburg?
London runs 2 hours behind you. Messages sent between about 1pm and 1am your time land during London working hours, which is when replies actually come. For most people that is the evening and the night, so send in the evening and expect the answer to be waiting when you wake.
Which London airport do flights from Johannesburg land at?
Most land at Heathrow, about fifteen miles west of central London and on the Piccadilly line and the Elizabeth line. Some services use Gatwick, to the south, so check the airport on your ticket before you book a hotel.
Do I need a visa to fly from Johannesburg to London?
Most visitors travelling on a South African passport need a Standard Visitor visa. Use the official GOV.UK check if you need a UK visa service for your own passport, and apply well before you book flights you cannot change.
Do I need to arrange things before I fly?
It helps. Good diaries fill days ahead, and arranging from home means you are doing it awake and unhurried instead of jet lagged in an unfamiliar city.
Is escorting legal in the UK?
Yes, in England and Wales it is legal for two consenting adults to exchange sex or company for money. What is illegal is the activity around it, such as soliciting in the street, running a brothel or controlling someone else's work. The Crown Prosecution Service sets this out in its published guidance.
Is prostitution legal in the UK?
Selling and buying sex between consenting adults is not itself a crime in England, Wales or Scotland. Northern Ireland is the exception, where paying for sex has been an offence since 1 June 2015. Public soliciting, brothel keeping and exploiting another person's work are offences in different forms across the UK.