We were originally flying from Atlanta, now from Dulles, and have been reticketed. ANd yes, we know there are LOTS of people going through that change. Thanks, SAA (not)

The new schedule for the return trip is troubling. We arrive in Johannesburg from Victoria Falls at 3:30 PM on British Airways. Then leave Jo'Burg on South AFrican Airways for Dulles at 5:50.

You think two hours and a bit is enough for the guns to make it home? Can you realistically check them all the way through to Dulles? Anybody had recent experience on this?

Thanks!
(also posted on the African Travel forum)

quote:

Originally posted by H T:
The new schedule for the return trip is troubling. We arrive in Johannesburg from Victoria Falls at 3:30 PM on British Airways. Then leave Jo'Burg on South AFrican Airways for Dulles at 5:50.

You think two hours and a bit is enough for the guns to make it home? Can you realistically check them all the way through to Dulles? Anybody had recent experience on this?

Thanks!
(also posted on the African Travel forum)

StuC and I just transited Jhb Airport. On the return trip, we had a stayover in Jhb of 2hrs 20Min. That proved adequate (ample?) for our luggage (checked through) to make it onto our connecting flight.

Jhb Airport is fairly well organized - even if has a somewhat dodgy reputation. The only real delay StuC and I experienced was in an identity and security check on our way to the International Transit Area. But this was a matter of standing in line (maybe 30 minutes or so), and did not relate directly to the transfer of luggage from one plane to the next.

I don't know if this applies to flying with 2 different carriers as well. StuC and I flew SAA all the way, and in spite of our prior misgivings about luggage (in particular firearms) transferral, we experienced no problems.

- mike

I've had six enroute transfers checked through JHB in the last 16 months without a bump in the road. There are "services" that will visually i.d. your luggage and physically track it to the U.S. bound plane (or Tanzania, Zim or wherever-bound for that matter)... even meeting you on arrival to get your baggage info and later providing to you in the departure lounge the serial number of the container holding your luggage in the outbound a/c. If peace of mind is worth $50 to $100, there are plenty of threads here about this part of the old "meet and greet" stuff.

I once took two English doulbe rifle to Zimbabwe. Considering what they cost, it was very, very nice to know that they were on the same airplane as me.

just double check on the flight from vic falls to make sure its flying all the time. last time we were there going to bulawayo there were supposed to be 2 flights a day, but 1 didn't fly - not enuf people going there, so we sat around for another few hours waiting for the 2nd flight

HT - Yes, you can check your luggage all the way through. We did it from HRE to JNB, etc.. all the way to DFW last fall.

I'm sure you'll make the connection also, but I would encourage you to use a service like Optima to keep an eye on the transfer of your guns.

You don't want to arrive home to learn that they are in JNB.

Here's another possible problem for you. British Airways may not take your guns for you! When we flew home from Port Elizabeth through Johannesburg and B.A. did not have any security "services" for checking guns and we had to use SAA security (with a fee of course) to check our guns, then B.A. would take them on the plane. This may not be an option in Victoria Falls, I know it wasn't in Johannesburg on our way there, we had to transfer our tickets to SAA as B.A. would not take our guns

mho & StuC

PM sent.

Ian

You won't have any problems. I flew from VFA (SAA) to JNB (KLM) to AMS (NWA) to MSP (NWA) to PDX about a month and a half ago. The rifles were there when I got off the plane in Portland. I just checked with gate agent at each connection to make sure that the rifles were on board.

-Steve