So now that SAA is charging for rifle carriage on their planes, has anyone gone thru this with them since it started. Internal flights in Africa are pretty much limited to using them as most of the other carriers won't transport hunters firearms anymore. Having a upcoming trip and don't see any option other than using SAA from J-burg to PE.??
Willi

I called SAA and got it taken care of over the phone, with a credit card used to pay the fees. Am flying Jo’Burg to Windhoek in September, returning in early October. They wanted very limited info on the firearms. Later emailed me a confirmation. Was not a problem.

Money is what they want.

I find it interesting that SAA states on their website that a handling fee will be charged for firearms but doesn't specify the amount of the fee. Smells kind of fishy to me.

Tom,

If you search the other thread on the SAA firearms fees you'll see a very specific fee schedule. Nothing fishy just another fee. If you bought your tickets before May when the charges went into effect you should not have to pay anything extra for your guns.

Mark

I just completes the second of three SAA flights here and no fee as I bought my tickets prior to the May implementation.
Cal

We just returned a few weeks ago and as our tickets were bought before May, we paid nothing on the International nor domestic flights. Most airlines now charge an extra fee so no surprise they are as well I guess.

quote:

Tom,If you search the other thread on the SAA firearms fees you'll see a very specific fee schedule. Nothing fishy just another fee. If you bought your tickets before May when the charges went into effect you should not have to pay anything extra for your guns.

Thanks Mark. I was aware of your post which alerted us to the new fares. It just seems rather strange that SAA would say there's a fee on their website but not tell you the amount. Maybe I'm overly skeptical but why not post the fee? Charging a fee per gun seems unreasonable to me when both guns are in the same case. It's still one piece of baggage regardless of how many guns are in the case.

I'm curious how this will affect my trip in two months. I'm flying Emirates into JNB, then SAA to Bulawayo. Will the bags be checked through? Or, if I need to take the bags from Emirates to SAA, will I need a SAPS permit?

Engalnd,

If you physically gather your kit in JNB and then check it onto the Bulawayo flight you will need a SAPS permit. Be prepared to pay a fee.

Mark

Tom,

I agree with you on all points but there isn't much we can do about it if you have to fly SAA.

Mark

So lots of views and a few replies, but no one answered my question. Did some research on the SAA website and found that the firearm fee for SAA flights within South Africa is $25.00 per rifle, something I can live with. Don't like being nickled to death by any entity, especially airlines with their search for any way to make a few extra bucks, but considering the overall cost of a safari, this fee is small compared to other costs. Less $$ for any tips is the way I look at it.

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
So lots of views and a few replies, but no one answered my question. Did some research on the SAA website and found that the firearm fee for SAA flights within South Africa is $25.00 per rifle, something I can live with. Don't like being nickled to death by any entity, especially airlines with their search for any way to make a few extra bucks, but considering the overall cost of a safari, this fee is small compared to other costs. Less $$ for any tips is the way I look at it.

We were all set to purchase tickets on SAA a couple of months ago. The fee was $100 per rifle, PER FLIGHT LEG, international, outside of the African continent. Then $50 per rifle, PER FLIGHT LEG, international within the African continent. We didn't check the prices within RSA. For us, it would have been 4 rifles total (2 each), Dulles to Dakar, Dakar to JNB, JNB to HRE. So $200 + $100 + $100 going and $100 + $100 + $200 going home - EACH. So the fees added $800 to each ticket.

Screw em. Flew Emirates. Better experience all the way around and about 1/2 the total cost. But if you need to go some where that only SAA services, you're stuck with it.

I can accept (grudgingly) the "special handling fee" that airlines like Turkish Air adds for firearms. It is per leg as well but PER GUN CASE, not per rifle!

SAA is simple looking to make more $$$ off hunters....

We are flying SAA to Joberg in Sept but bought our tickets last March - otherwise we would be flying Emirates..

SAA had the better schedule for us so they were the best choice but this is the LAST time I fly with them - with or without firearms!!!

Bisonhunter - Could you post a link to the SAA website where the fees are posted?

Thanks

Try this, other wise do google for SAA firearms fee.

https://www.flysaa.com/manage-...earms-and-ammunition

quote:

other wise do google for SAA firearms fee

Now why didn't I think of that?

Bisonhunter - Thanks for the link. I see the prices shown are somewhat lower than previously reported. $65 for international travel instead of $100.

While annoying a $65 fee added to a 10 grand safari is not a deal killer .

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
So now that SAA is charging for rifle carriage on their planes, has anyone gone thru this with them since it started. Internal flights in Africa are pretty much limited to using them as most of the other carriers won't transport hunters firearms anymore. Having a upcoming trip and don't see any option other than using SAA from J-burg to PE.??
Willi

quote:

Originally posted by shotgun46:
While annoying a $65 fee added to a 10 grand safari is not a deal killer .

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
So now that SAA is charging for rifle carriage on their planes, has anyone gone thru this with them since it started. Internal flights in Africa are pretty much limited to using them as most of the other carriers won't transport hunters firearms anymore. Having a upcoming trip and don't see any option other than using SAA from J-burg to PE.??
Willi

But $1,600 is. That's what the fee was going to add to the tickets for me and my son's trip this year. $800 each. All for handling just another piece of luggage.

Screw em!!

I'm with Todd on this one. Fly to somewhere were you have a connecting flight out of Joberg and travel with two rifles and the cost ads up. What is really ridiculous is if you fly out of Dulles airport in Va. That flight makes a stop in Dakar each way. Your luggage is checked through to Joberg and you can't get off the plane but I've read where SAA considers that two flights and charges you double for each gun. So the $65 per gun becomes $130 per gun each way.

The original notice of this that Mark Young was nice enough to post states that the charge on international flights was $100 per gun. I've read reports where guys were charged this fee. Now their website says $65. Has their greed subsided somewhat? Better make sure to print out the info. from their website so you can show it to the employee at the counter.

quote:

Originally posted by Labman:
I'm with Todd on this one. Fly to somewhere were you have a connecting flight out of Joberg and travel with two rifles and the cost ads up. What is really ridiculous is if you fly out of Dulles airport in Va. That flight makes a stop in Dakar each way. Your luggage is checked through to Joberg and you can't get off the plane but I've read where SAA considers that two flights and charges you double for each gun. So the $65 per gun becomes $130 per gun each way.

Right, that's the scenario we were faced with but you've got one part of it incorrect.

It's not $65 per gun each way.


It's $100 per gun from Dulles to Dakar, then another $50 per gun from Dakar to JoBerg, then another $50 per gun from JoBerg to Harare. EACH WAY.

So for us, both carrying 2 rifles it was $200 from Dulles to Dakar, $100 from Dakar to JoBerg, $100 from JoBerg to Harare, then on return from Harare to JoBerg another $100, then $100 from JoBerg to Dakar, then $200 from Dakar to Dulles. PER PERSON!!

Total of $800 each for a total of $1,600 for the two tickets.

Yep Emirates is a much better choice the Saa gun fee being many reasons not take Saa besides the outrageous fees. If I had a choice between Emirates and SAA I would never take SAA even if they were less expensive. The last time I took SAA It appeared that half of the plane was hunters. I think that SAA will price themselves out of the market with hunters who have a choice of airlines. Who would take SAA if another choice was available ?

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
So lots of views and a few replies, but no one answered my question. Did some research on the SAA website and found that the firearm fee for SAA flights within South Africa is $25.00 per rifle, something I can live with. Don't like being nickled to death by any entity, especially airlines with their search for any way to make a few extra bucks, but considering the overall cost of a safari, this fee is small compared to other costs. Less $$ for any tips is the way I look at it.

We were all set to purchase tickets on SAA a couple of months ago. The fee was $100 per rifle, PER FLIGHT LEG, international, outside of the African continent. Then $50 per rifle, PER FLIGHT LEG, international within the African continent. We didn't check the prices within RSA. For us, it would have been 4 rifles total (2 each), Dulles to Dakar, Dakar to JNB, JNB to HRE. So $200 + $100 + $100 going and $100 + $100 + $200 going home - EACH. So the fees added $800 to each ticket.

Screw em. Flew Emirates. Better experience all the way around and about 1/2 the total cost. But if you need to go some where that only SAA services, you're stuck with it.

quote:

Right, that's the scenario we were faced with but you've got one part of it incorrect.It's not $65 per gun each way.It's $100 per gun from Dulles to Dakar, then another $50 per gun from Dakar to JoBerg, then another $50 per gun from JoBerg to Harare. EACH WAY.

This is what I pointed out in my prior post. If go to the SAA website: https://www.flysaa.com/manage-...earms-and-ammunition

you'll see that they quote a price of $65 for the international leg of the flight but you were charged $100. Either way the fee will certainly stop me from flying SAA in the future. I've been to Africa 14 times. All but one flight was on SAA but not again.

quote:

Originally posted by Labman:

quote:

Right, that's the scenario we were faced with but you've got one part of it incorrect.It's not $65 per gun each way.It's $100 per gun from Dulles to Dakar, then another $50 per gun from Dakar to JoBerg, then another $50 per gun from JoBerg to Harare. EACH WAY.

This is what I pointed out in my prior post. If go to the SAA website: https://www.flysaa.com/manage-...earms-and-ammunition

you'll see that they quote a price of $65 for the international leg of the flight but you were charged $100. Either way the fee will certainly stop me from flying SAA in the future. I've been to Africa 14 times. All but one flight was on SAA but not again.

According to the link you posted Tom, it looks like they've lowered it a bit since first introducing the fee. Went from $100 international outside of Africa to $65 and from $50 to $45 international inside Africa, per gun, per leg. Still BS though isn't it?

As a former airline employee, I used to see things implemented all the time that on the surface seemed to be done to generate revenue or cut cost, but in reality easily cost the company more money in the end. This seems to be just another example and why it strikes a nerve with me. It's pretty easy to visualize some mid level manager meeting whereby the decision is made to just charge the hunters for each gun in order to bring in more revenue. "Yeah, Hurumph, Hurumph ... That'll do it". Hunters ... "let's check out Emirates"!! Stupid shit.

The SAA rifle charging scam is the best marketing tool for all other airlines to pick up new business. Dumb is as dumb does!

Just flew from Joburg to Bulawayo on SA Airlink. There are no fees on the airlink flights. I was told they didn’t apply by Shawn at Gracy before I left and there was no fee. Just purchased the tickets couple off weeks ago

I thought Airlink didn't carry firearms at all. Haven't used them, and I may be misinformed.

I flew Airlink last October and they are firearm friendly!

I was on Airlink last week and no issues with my rifle from Jo'burg to Maun. However, Link's baggage weight limit is less than SAA so I had to pay a fee whereas on SAA I did not (same bags, no changes in the contents or weight).
Cal

Just back from a trip to Namibia.

Flew SAA from Jberg to Windhoek return business class.
I bought my ticket in June.

So as I was checking in I was told that there is a firearm fee and I’d have to pay at the SAA counter.
So went and they charged me $60 for the case.
The fact there were 2 rifles wasn’t raised.

I paid and they ticketed the gun case and I went to SAPS to clear the guns for Namibia.

Immediatly they asked for the receipt of payment from SAA!

I produced the receipt and they wrote the payment number next to each firearm in he book.

Guns arrived at other side and all good.

Leaving Namibia again I’m told that there is a fee for the firearm case.
I go to the SAA counter and produce my payment slip from Jberg.

The girl had no idea what to do and was perplexed.

I argued that as my ticket was a return ticket, I had already paid the fee.

She spent 10 mins ringing people and there was no consensus.

In the end someone rang and told her to charge me $45US as this is the new fee now.
I paid , guns got cleared and all arrived in Jberg ok.

At this stage, I believe one case counts as one item. SAA have no way of knowing what’s inside?

As to the fee well $45US isn’t too bad.

Be interested to see how others get on in the next few months.

Good luck!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
but considering the overall cost of a safari, this fee is small compared to other costs.

Bisonhunter,
I agree with this statement, but have you ever paid attention to how many times this applies to the same hunt. They tried to hit me for the fees on my return flight in Harare. Thank god the ticket purchases date was on the paperwork from Gracey so she backed down. I hate undisclosed costs and last minute add on fees.

True, the fees are a small part of the cost. It's just another way to nickel and dime the US hunters.
I equate it to the outfitters, PHs, adn agents who give an excellent price on a disounted or cancelled hunt but make up the money in numerous additional charges.
One shit PH, years ago, marketed cancelled hunts as "trophy fee only hunts." No daily rate was great selling tool and I got sucked into this only to find out the trophy fees were 2.5X the going rate. Of course that was mentioned after the hunt was over!
In the end, we as hunters will decide to pay or not to pay. Personally, for a few hundred dollars I will still hunt with my own rifle(s) than rent one.
Cheers, fellas.
Cal

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
I was on Airlink last week and no issues with my rifle from Jo'burg to Maun. However, Link's baggage weight limit is less than SAA so I had to pay a fee whereas on SAA I did not (same bags, no changes in the contents or weight).
Cal

Same thing always happens to me when I transit through BYO. Airlink always causes a problem leaving to do with weight.