I will be going to Namibia next summer with my son. I am considering one of two airlines to get from my home state to Frankfurt and then Air Namibia (AN) to Windhoek. One airline has a baggage agreement with AN; the other airline is much less expensive but does not have a baggage agreement so I would have to go through customs in Frankfurt (with firearms) and then check on to the AN flight. Has anyone done this? If so, what was your experience?
Thanks!

Trust me. Go with the airline that has the baggage agreement, which I trust is Delta. I have been there and done that both ways and it's not worth the hassle with German customs. Delta came to my rescue on the return flight when I had to deal with customs, who didn't quite know what to do for over an hour before I suggested they call Delta for help.

We flew United from Idaho Falls to Denver, and then United/Lufthhansa from Denver to Frankfurt, and then Air Namibia to Windhoek. Baggage checked all the way thru is the only way to go. Double check your connections and allow at least 2-3 hours between connections and you should have no missed baggage. Even with delayed flights, we have found this to be sufficient time to make connections.

A little more money up front might be worth a lot more piece of mind on your trip. Just weigh it out, and live with your decision.

I made that flight with Lufthansa and Air Namibia. The Lufthansa leg was OK, as was the Air Namibia down. The leg back was Air Namibia flown by Air Malaysia. It was the best flight and service I've had in years! I guess when you are in competition with Singapore Air you got to do it right.

There isn't a problem with checking guns if you check them straight through to Windhoek. Kudude

This past May I did the flight from Denver to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, and then Air Namibia from Frankfurt to Windhoek, everything went smoothly bagage was checked through from Denver to Windhoek. with the layover in Frankfurt you could go out into the city, but the other guy I was hunting with refused to do so as he has is convinced the authorities would give us nothing but problems so we ended up finding the russian gates downstairs and got a few hours sleep. Next time I'll find some way to got out into the city for a bit.

During the all day lay over in Frankfurt, I checked into the near by Holiday Inn Express. It was about 55 or 60USD and I got four/five hours good sleep; two showers; and a great meal at the Gasthaus up the street (one of two great meals I have had there now!)

There were no "transfer" issues. Never saw my gear until Windhoek, where the officials were terrific, professional, and very nice. Love Namibia! Kudude

High Desert: Back to your question about baggage agreement vs. no baggage agreement. I have no idea what the hassles may be with customs, but the thought of having to sit for ten or twelve hours with your guns somewhere in the airport is not a happy one. As most posters here have said, their guns were checked all the way from their original U.S. embarkation point to Windhoek, which also worked flawlessly in my case (Delta).

Another consideration in not using an airline with an interline baggage agreement: You may find that your baggage allowance on the Europe-Africa leg, if NOT purchased as a single ticket with your U.S.-Europe flight, will be only 44 pounds of checked baggage, compared to the 100 pounds allowed by international tariffs for U.S. flights. Your oversized gun case may not receive courtesy free baggage, also. In other words, you could end up paying punishing excess baggage fees if you don't watch out.

By all means, check with Kathi who posts here. She is great on these details (and can likely get you the best fares, anyway.)

By the way, I highly recommend going out on the town during your layover. The train to downtown Frankfurt is cheap and reliable. Also, staying up helps you adapt to the time difference and lets you sleep better on the Frankfurt-Windhoek leg. I can't imagine how miserable one might be who actually slept the day away in Frankfurt then boarded the all-nighter to Windhoek wide awake!