By Tanya
If you have ever done the drive from Mutare to Harare, you know the struggle: a grueling four-to-five-hour trek, often navigating slow trucks and winding roads through the Christmas Pass.
Recently, I decided to trade the tarmac for the tarmac—skipping the drive to test out Air Zimbabwe’s domestic service. Is the 30-minute flight worth the price tag? Here is the full breakdown of my trip, from the booking nightmares to touching down in the capital.
The Booking Headache
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: securing a ticket was an extreme sport.
I initially tried to book via the Air Zimbabwe website, but it was constantly glitching (“tweaking” is putting it mildly). Desperate for information, I found a contact number online and called, only to be met with a surprisingly unprofessional response telling me they were “closed for the day.”
Eventually, the website cooperated.
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Cost: Approximately $87 (advertised as $85 plus fees).
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Schedule: Flights have shifted from the early morning 8:00 AM slot to around 11:00 AM.
Tip: If the website fails, keep trying or visit a travel agent. Don’t expect much help from the phone lines.
Departure: Mutare Airport
The experience on the ground in Mutare is… cozy. I arrived at 10:10 AM, and everything is incredibly compact.
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Check-In: As soon as you walk through the airport doors, the check-in desks are right there. You literally check in and then sit a few feet away near the exit gate.
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Timing: They are strict about the schedule. Check-in closed promptly at 10:30 AM as the aircraft arrived from Harare to pick us up.
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Security: Standard procedure with bag searches and scanning before boarding.
The In-Flight Experience
Once we boarded, I was pleasantly surprised.
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The Cabin: The interior of the plane looked “smart” and well-maintained—much better than I had nervously anticipated.
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Service: It’s a short hop, so don’t expect a meal. We were served a bottle of Bona water, which was perfectly adequate for the duration.
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The Flight: This is the selling point. We were in the air for exactly 25 to 26 minutes. The pilot nailed the landing (a “soft launch,” as I called it), making the journey incredibly smooth.
Arrival in Harare
Touching down in Harare, we taxied to the domestic terminal.
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Baggage Claim: This was a bit retro. The baggage carousel wasn’t working, so staff simply unloaded bags manually for us to collect.
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Transfer: Since the domestic side was quiet, I walked over to the International Departures terminal to wait for my ride—it’s a better spot if you need shelter from the rain or a place to sit.
The Verdict
So, is it worth it? Absolutely.
Despite the initial stress of booking and the rustic baggage claim, you cannot argue with the math. What usually takes half a day of driving was compressed into a stress-free 26-minute flight. If you have the budget (~$87) and want to save time, Air Zimbabwe’s Mutare route is a game-changer. Just make sure you book your ticket well in advance!
