Dakar - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Alexandria, VA. Dakar was a straight flight to JFK on Delta or Air Senegal. Because Dakar is a hub city it is very easy to get out of and go to other interesting places. There are direct flights to Cabo Verde, Paris, Spain, Portugal and even Dubai and Istanbul. - Apr 2022
Washington, DC. There is a non-stop flight on South African Airways, or you can connect through Paris, Madrid or Lisbon. I usually broke the trip up and stayed a few days in Europe. The worst part of the trip can be getting to the new Dakar airport, which is far from the city center. - Jul 2020
Washington, DC. Six hours - there are direct flights! And many other international connections as well! New York, Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Brussels... - Dec 2019
Austin, TX. About 15 hours. - Dec 2018
Dallas, TX. Flights leaving Dakar are always late at night, 13-16 hours, layover in NY or Paris. - Dec 2018
Washington, DC is home base. 8 hours direct flight to Washington or New York. - Jun 2017
Virginia. Depending on the contract agreement, either a 7 1/2 hour flight from DC, or same from NYC. You can go via Paris, Brussels, Casablanca and Lisbon, too. - Apr 2016
DC. There is currently a South Africa Airways direct flight from Dakar to DC. The eight-hour flight is a codeshare with Jet Blue, so embassy employees can take it. There are rumors the flight will go away. In that case, there's a Delta flight to JFK. You can always transit through Paris as well. - Aug 2015
There is a direct flight from DC to Dakar that is just over 8 hours long, but it is on South African Airways. It has changed a bit over the past 2 years as to whether or not this flight complies with the Fly America Act. It depends on other airlines participating in the code share. We were able to take it over to Dakar, but had to take a Delta flight going from Dakar - JFK - IAD on the way back to the states. - Aug 2014
Washington DC area; trip is about 8 hours. Delta and SAA have direct flights. SAA is way better and worth the price difference. - Apr 2014
There are two 8-hour direct flights from the USA. Delta via JFK or South African out of Dulles. I highly recommend the SA flight, as it is comfortable and efficient. Delta sends their oldest 757 (single aisle) to Dakar, and it is teeming with people, babies, and bags. It is uncomfortable, smelly, and frustrating. So this is a good introduction as to what to expect in Dakar Airport. Some people also take Air France through Paris, which is fine, but then you have to deal with CDG. - Jun 2013
New York City. It's an 8-and-a-half hour direct flight. Or, you can fly through Europe (usually Paris). - Mar 2013
Midwest, USA. Flight to JFK or Dulles and then an 8 hour direct flight to Dakar. - Oct 2012
East Coast. It is a 9-hour direct flight to JFK on Delta and the same to DC on South African. - Mar 2012
Direct flights to the US - 8 hour trip, though flights arrive and depart at ungodly hours of the morning. All flights from here to either Europe or the U.S. seem to require an early morning departure, so be prepared! - Aug 2011
Central Florida - 9 hours to JFK, 2 hours to Atlanta, 1 hour to home - Jan 2011
Washington DC. Direct flights from Dulles on United/South African Airways and from JFK on Delta. - Feb 2010
To get back to the U.S. there are two major airlines with direct flights, South African Airlines/United (Dulles and JFK) and Delta (JFK). - Feb 2010
From DC /New York: 8 to 9 hoursFrom Europe: 5 to 6 hours - Jan 2010
