Fellas:
Any of you fine gentlemen taking Delta flight 200 to Jo'burg on July 18?

I'm hunting buffalo and plains game in SA, then to Botswana for plains game for 8 days, then to Zimbabwe for a vacation and perhaps a bit of hunting. Taking a .450-400 double.

It will be a pleasure to fly Delta again after Emirates last year.

Cheers, all, and I look forward to meeting some of you.
Cal

I would enjoy meeting you Cal....I leave out on May 30 though. Maybe our paths will cross sometime. Happy hunting and good luck.

What's up with the Emirates flight last year Cal? My son and I are heading to Harare on June 28 and were planning on Emirates.

Delta 200 on August 12th for me. Final destination the BVC.

Also taking a 450/400...but just one barrel!

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
What's up with the Emirates flight last year Cal? My son and I are heading to Harare on June 28 and were planning on Emirates.

Todd:
Emirates was a fine airline with great food, clean planes, and beautiful attendants.

But, coming to and returning to Alaska I can't book through with a rifles so I have to collect my bags in Seattle and recheck which is very time consuming. Also, Emirates weighed my carryon. It was over the 15 pound limit and they wanted to charge $200. I took out a book and placed it in my gun case and saved the fee. The security in Dubai was annoying (three searches when transiting) but it was clean and safe. Returning to Seattle, it was a cluster xxxx rechecking in with Alaska Air--about four hours.

Delta is great for me. Straight shot Anchorage to Atlanta and Jo'burg, bags checked through all the way. Much easier for firarms with no advance paperwork and the carryon is not weighed. Much less hassle, for me anyway, coming from Alaska.
Cal

Thanks Cal.

BTW, I've had South African Airways weigh my carry on bag several times. I don't think Delta ever did though.

I understand the connection issues for you in Alaska. Glad to hear that's really the issue. My son lives in Houston. Emirates departs out of Houston so I'll just drive down the night before. Should be relatively easy connections for us.

Always loved travelling on Emirates, but OK, see your point. Need to have a beer or twenty when you're here.

Sorry Cal. Going a few days before via Atlanta to BVC. Would ve liked to have met you.

Close on dates anyway. Flying Qatar Airlines on July 17th and headed to East Africa instead... first time doing QA and transiting Doha.

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
What's up with the Emirates flight last year Cal? My son and I are heading to Harare on June 28 and were planning on Emirates.

Todd:
Emirates was a fine airline with great food, clean planes, and beautiful attendants.

But, coming to and returning to Alaska I can't book through with a rifles so I have to collect my bags in Seattle and recheck which is very time consuming. Also, Emirates weighed my carryon. It was over the 15 pound limit and they wanted to charge $200. I took out a book and placed it in my gun case and saved the fee. The security in Dubai was annoying (three searches when transiting) but it was clean and safe. Returning to Seattle, it was a cluster xxxx rechecking in with Alaska Air--about four hours.

Delta is great for me. Straight shot Anchorage to Atlanta and Jo'burg, bags checked through all the way. Much easier for firarms with no advance paperwork and the carryon is not weighed. Much less hassle, for me anyway, coming from Alaska.
Cal

The only airline that wanted to weigh my carry on was Qatar Airways!

And I was traveling First Class too!

And it was not at the check in, but at the gate??!

I told her “Miss, whoever told you to weigh the carry on bags here is a bloody stupid idiot! If you insist, I am not boarding, and you will never see me on this airline again!”

She apologized and let me on.

Someone came on the plane and tried to explain it was all a misunderstanding, as they were not supposed to check First Class passengers.

I repeated to him what I told the girl earlier, that any checking should have been done at the check in, not at the gate.

That was the last time I flew Qatar Airlines.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Williams:
Thanks Cal.

BTW, I've had South African Airways weigh my carry on bag several times.

SAA in Dulles has gotten "tough" on carry-on weight.

I really wish airlines would use a system where the passenger and his luggage weigh X pounds for economy, Y pounds for Business and Z pounds for First.

A few weeks ago I was on Emirates in First, and I was the only person looking normal!

Every single one in First was over weight!

Some by at least double my weight!!

I am glad guys like cal post things like this. It can make lifetime friends. When I flew home from zim, there was what I still call an old man boarding with me. He was still on my plane when we left Atlanta for salt lake city. When we boarded for SLC he sat one seat over. He had taken a tuskless the same day I had. We talked the whole ride and said we would see each other again. I have now went to dinner every year at SCI with him since then, and I'm finding out from him, age is just a number. Thanks RJ. See you next year.

Delta won't ship my buffalo to Alaska but they will ship me and my rifle to Africa to kill them.
Cal

Wish I could say I was going. Sounds like you have a great time ahead of you!

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Wish I could say I was going. Sounds like you have a great time ahead of you!

Ditto Ann,


I have the incredible misfortune of flying American from Germany to El Paso in a couple weeks with 7 checked bags, 3 kids under 8 years old, and my wonderful wife who is tired of moving back and forth from overseas for the 8th time.


Fun stuff.


She said she is due a cruise in 2020, I kind of think she meant alone!

I have used Emirates a couple of time from Dallas to Jo'burg and I agree the service/perks were exceptional. Last year I continued to Moz and was assured I could check my rifle from Dallas to Tete. Got to the airport and the counter manager said no way. Had Henry meet me in Jo'berg to import my rifle and leave again on the three hour layover. On the way back the luggage/rifle was checked from Tete to Dallas which I was not expecting so I did not have my "civilian" clothes that were in mhy checked bags to change into at the African Sky.

However, it was not the pleasure of traveling that most dissapointed me with Emirates - It was what I listened to on the Dallas/Dubia flight. On the entertainment menu was an interview with the president of Emirates where he extoled the virtues of Emirates supporting of anti-poaching efforts (I fully support those efforts.), how Emirates no longer ships trophies in support of those efforts, and a mini-tirage on how there is no excuse for sport hunting and it is just barbaric. That is the reason I will now go back to Delta Airlines for future travel to Africa.

I'm on DL200 8/29/19. Ultimate destination Simon Rodgers' camps.

Anyone else on 8/29?

I bought Economy Comfort. Hope it helps. I'm studying web articles devoted to surviving that flight. Actually, I'm more worried about surviving the flight back, when the fun is over.

Montana

Lots of fluids, no sleeping pills and plenty of walking around
Long damn flight for sure