A Nigerian lady known as Grandma Shasha on TikTok has brought attention to a significant difference in flight costs between the routes from Lagos and Cotonou to London.
In a TikTok video, she revealed that it seems more cost-effective for Nigerian travelers to choose flights from Cotonou, Benin Republic, to London instead of the traditional Lagos-London route.
The screenshot she shared displayed the flight costs for the Lagos-London route, indicating a soaring price of above N1.9 million (Nigerian Naira). However, the same flight from Cotonou to London was priced at a significantly lower N374,000, making it a much cheaper option.
In her own words, she said:
“Traveling requires a lot of money and careful planning, after your visa is granted, your next stop is flight booking. Be a smart traveler. For me, it will be a lot easier to go to Cotonou and board the flight since it is visa-free.”
Interestingly, an analysis conducted by Business Day Newspaper has supported Grandma Shasha’s claims. Part of the analysis reads:
“A flight from South Africa to London or Istanbul, despite the long distance, has always been cheaper than flights from Lagos to London or Istanbul, on the same airline and same date. The difference in ticket prices has made a number of Nigerian passengers fly from Accra, Ghana to London, Canada, and other frequently visited destinations in a bid to cut costs.”
Netizens also had various reactions to her revelation, with some asking her to check flight costs for other destinations.
See below;
@grandmaoflagos
Traveling requires a lot of money and careful planning, after your visa is granted, your next stop is flight booking,Be a smart traveller#fyp #visa #travel #japa
♬ original sound – GRANDMASHASHA
