A video posted on social media by a South African went viral after protesting that his FlySafair birthday sale ticket ended up costing much more than the stated R12 price after additional charges were imposed after checkout.
The airline’s well-known ‘Birthday Dash’ launched on Wednesday morning, promising thousands of flight tickets from just R12. But for some travellers, the celebration faded the moment they reached checkout and saw the final total.
One South African man, who goes by the TikTok username @joshualeslieleo, sparked widespread debate online after posting a video showing how his supposedly discounted ticket ballooned in price once extra charges were added. The biggest charge came with the Dynamic Fuel Surcharge, priced at R657.
His video quickly gained traction on social media, with many users saying they experienced the same disappointment after spending hours in virtual queues.
@joshualeslieleo @FlySafair ♬ الصوت الأصلي – •
In the viral video, the man joked that FlySafair should advertise the full amount upfront instead of focusing on the R12 base fare. His frustration echoed what many travellers were already saying online. While the airline technically offered tickets starting at R12, customers discovered that taxes, airport fees and fuel surcharges dramatically increased the final price.
Some users claimed their totals climbed into the hundreds of rand, while others reported prices exceeding R1,000 depending on the route and travel dates selected. For many South Africans, the biggest surprise was how different the final payment looked compared to previous FlySafair birthday sales, where passengers often managed to book flights for well under R100.
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FlySafair’s promotion applies only to the base airfare and excludes additional costs. The airline also recently introduced a temporary fuel surcharge amid rising global fuel prices due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
According to the airline, separating the fuel surcharge from the base fare was meant to improve pricing transparency. However, critics online argued that advertising ‘R12 tickets’ without highlighting the extra costs more prominently created unrealistic expectations.
The issue quickly became one of the most discussed travel topics on South African social media this week.
Despite the backlash, many users defended the airline and said the sale still offered decent value compared to normal domestic flight prices. One user pointed out that FlySafair explains the surcharge system in its online guide, while others reminded frustrated travellers that cheap seats are limited and usually snapped up within minutes.
‘If you watch the “how it works” video on their site they explain that due to the fuel price increase they will be adding surcharges.’
– User @OpalMageZA on TikTok
Another traveller, user @hellllloitsme, noted that a flight to Cape Town for R900 was still a good deal, despite the vast difference from the advertised R12.
‘With today’s sale I paid R1800 for a RETURN flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg. I’m happy, still a bargain.’
– User @grantfenmore on TikTok
Others were less convinced, however, with memes flooding social media shortly after the sale opened, with users joking about spending hours refreshing webpages only to end up paying standard airfare prices.
FlySafair posted a video seemingly responding to the viral post, noting that they made it very clear that the prices were R12 excluding taxes and fuel surcharge.
@flysafair R12 base fare + fuel surcharge + taxes = still worth the dash! ✈️ #FlySafair12thBirthdayDash ♬ original sound – FlySafair
Even with the criticism, the FlySafair Birthday Dash continues to dominate online attention every year. The sale has become something of a national event, with thousands of travellers rushing online in hopes of landing ultra-cheap flights before tickets sell out.
This year’s promotion offered 50,000 discounted seats for travel until 30 November 2026, but the massive demand once again caused long queues and heavy website traffic.
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Picture: Screenshot from Video
