Hello all,
I have just made final arangements for a hunt in Namibia for myself and four friends for May of 08. The travel araingments have us flying into JNB then on to Windhoek.
My question is;
All guns and baggage will be checked through from Atlanta to Windhoek. We have one hour and twenty minutes to make our connecting flight from JNB to Namibia. Do you think this is a resonable amount of time to make it? Do we have to leave the international terminal to make the connecting flight? Thank you for any help and comments.

You don't leave the Int terminal and you should have plenty of time. The only thing you will have is a security check.

Having made the Dulles/Jo'Burg/WDH connections myself 3 times this past year I'd say you'll make it but your bags/guns won't.
If you're using SAA they are notorious for getting you on the plane and your bags being left behind on short layovers. The same goes if your flying another airlines and changing to/from SAA in Jo'burg.
I would suggest you book a room the night of arrival in Windhoek you'll be tried after the flights anyway . This also gives your bags chance to get caught up with you in Windhoek the next morning when SAA's flight lands @ 10AM.
I can give you the name of the motel I use..good clean rooms, good reasonble meals and about $60USD. PM me if you want it.

Arrange with Optima or one of the other services to follow your bags. At least you will know if they are on your flight.

Will Optima or one of the other services do that? Guarantee that your bags will be on the connecting flight?

Good advice from ALP and others here. Just got back from Windhoek-Joburg-Dulles (SA 075/SA207)this morning. My rifle/shotgun and suitcase made it. My wife's two bags did not, nor did the rifle and bag of a hunter from Wyoming who was on the same flights. Gather it can be the same trying to make the connections coming from the U.S. so strongly agree with booking for an overnight stay in Windhoek to get the bag at the airport on the first flight the next day, checking of course to be sure it's on it.

A separate thread trashes SAA service and scheduling with considerable accuracy. I stopped in Cape Town after hunting in Natal and then went on to Windhoek. SAA asked me to pull the ammo out of my suitcase and they tagged the metal box separately, but did not unload it from the flight from Cape Town, causing them to incur the expense of delivering it to me in Henties Bay where fishing came before hunting.

That said, the cabin staff of flights down and back were professional and friendly.

Regards

Optima staff have the ability to actually go to wherever the bags are staged and physically verify their status. You do give your claim tickets to the rep. The firearms are handled by the police and it is their job to get them to the proper flight. Optima does find out if they are in fact in country. Whether they have the ability to insure your bags make the fight is beyond me but I did Dulles/JNB/HRE and everything arrived with me. Going back a bag was left in JNB and I did not use the service. They were supposed to notify me both ways but were no shows in JNB on my return and I didn't bother to call them.

I was told by Air2000/Hunters support that they are no longer allowed "behind the scenes" and no longer are able to sight baggage and assure it gets to it's proper flight.

Are the others: Optima and Rifle Permits and whoever else also not banned from the baggage areas?

Does anyone know what Optima and Rifle permits charges for their services?
Hunters Support did not reduce their rates even though they no longer meet you at the airplane or escort you through passport control or assist with baggage misdirected.

Les

It would be well worth the money if they were able to make sure that your guns and luggage made the flight. This year has been particularly bad with SAA in delaying guns and luggage. On a short hunt, waiting for your delayed guns to arrive, could be disasterous. If someone has more information on what Optima and Rifle Permits can or cannot do to assure your baggage and guns getting transferred in time, and if they are in line with the restrictions on Hunters/Air 2000, please so advise. Also, why hasn't the South African Professional Hunters Association expressed their concern, and jumped with both feet on SAA about this? Or is it a problem being experienced by all passengers? Moreoever, why the concern by SAA, all of a sudden, about weight limits on the airplane, when the weight limitations that have gone into effect during the past year have actually reduced the weight on a flight from 70 lbs per bag to 50 per checked bag? It's simply ridiculous.

Guys,
I was in a meeting with SA Police heads of Central Firearms on Tuesday evening and this point was vociferously raised with them by the hunting associations, of which Phasa was one.
They (Central Firearms) are concerned about it and have undertaken to investigate and try and sort it out.
They have asked that any and all problems get reported to them so they can follow up.

Tim, what sounds like your incident about the ammo was also brought up.

So if you do have problems, please ask your PH or outfitter to immediately inform Central Firearms registry.

Tim
I used to hear to put your ammo in a box within your duffle bag but that was some time ago and, I thought, no longer the case. What did they say when they did this? It's not in SAA's rules, I don't think.

BobS
When I went through JoBerg in August as a passenger "in transit", there was only one security checkpoint and a very long line. One hour and twenty minutes should be enough....unless your flight from the US is late. I would have a contingency plan to overnight in JoBerg. This might require clearing your guns.

The short time to make the Windhoek flight is why many go through Frankfurt.
Good luck.

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