Despite the resurgence of geopolitical tensions in the Middle Eastern region in recent weeks, South African travellers remain resilient, with demand for Middle East flight bookings maintaining stability for the upcoming December holidays.
However, South African travellers booking on carriers such as Emirates, Qatar and Turkish Airlines are asking agents more questions about flexibility, routings and insurance, and require more reassurance to finalise their bookings.
In a Travelinfo OpenJaw poll, just over 50% of respondents said clients were slightly hesitant, with many asking more questions before committing to travel.
December bookings strong
Travel agencies told Travel News that, despite this, they were seeing increased bookings for December, including with the Middle Eastern airlines.
“Forward bookings for the upcoming December holiday season are stable and, in fact, stronger than the same period in 2025, with many clients having secured their travel between April and June. We do expect the normal ‘last minute rush’ in October for December bookings,” said Jolien De Beer, MD of XL Glenwood Hermanus.
According to Sue Garrett, GM of Pricing, Supply & Marketing at Flight Centre Travel Group, the agency is forecasting combined volumes of more than 2 200 nett ticket bookings for the peak December season alone, up from just under 2 000 in full financial year of 2026.
“Combined ticket volumes across Middle Eastern transit routes for the peak December season, December 1 to January 6, are actually ahead of the same period last year,” said Garrett.
“What Flight Centre's travel experts are consistently reporting, across Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, is a reassurance conversation rather than a flat-out refusal to travel. Clients are asking more questions and are taking longer to move from quote to confirmation, but the majority are still booking.”
Both agencies emphasised that clients’ concerns were more about operational risks rather than the safety of flying through the regional airspace.
“This highlights that anxieties are practical and operational, relating to potential delays impacting time‑sensitive itineraries or the fear of being ‘stuck’ at a transit hub if disruptions occur. Ticket flexibility and cancellation policies are also top of mind, with travellers wanting assurance that they won’t face heavy penalties if plans change,” said De Beer.
Garrett added that these operational risks were particularly important to business travellers and conference delegates with fixed, immovable travel dates.
The agencies explained that reassuring their clients about these concerns required proactive engagement that shed light on specific details and mitigation measures provided by agents' expertise, airlines' policies and travel insurance.
“Vague reassurance does not convert hesitant clients. What does convert them is a travel expert who can walk them through the ‘what if’ scenarios with concrete answers, like what happens to their booking if there's a disruption, what their refund or rebooking options look like, and what travel insurance cover is available to protect time-sensitive commitments,” said Garrett.
Flexible fare options are being highlighted for clients who want the fare advantage of Middle Eastern routing, while travel insurance is a non-negotiable for all travellers, especially those with fixed event dates or business commitments.
The agencies added that the Middle Eastern carriers' strong reputation for reliability, affordability, significant loyalty programme benefits, new offerings such as Emirates’ Comprehensive Travel Insurance and accounts of recent positive traveller experiences were aiding them in providing reassurance.
Alternative carriers
While the majority of travellers are sticking to the Middle East airlines, some shift is occurring in routing preferences.
“A small segment of travellers, particularly those with inflexible itineraries or a lower appetite for uncertainty, are actively seeking alternative routings through European gateways or African hub connections,” said Garrett
De Beer explained that some clients were opting for major European gateways such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris and London, while travellers seeking more cost‑effective options were looking to African hubs, such as Ethiopian’s Addis Ababa. Meanwhile, travellers with time‑sensitive itineraries and bigger budgets were increasingly favouring direct flights to Europe and North America to minimise the risk of missed connections.
“The broader picture, however, is one of resilience,” said Garrett.
“The initial resistance that followed the disruptions of March and April this year has eased meaningfully. What we're seeing is a market that has absorbed a period of uncertainty, asked the right questions and largely concluded that the value proposition still holds, provided you book smart, protect yourself with the right insurance and work with a travel expert who knows the landscape.”
