G'day all
Just want to let you all know I just returns from a great hunt with Asif of Global Safari Azerbaijan chasing Kuban and mid tur in Russia. Although I battled some real bad luck I still managed to take a nice caucuses chamois but the skin was destroyed in the fall it took most of the way down the mountain but we did find the horns, a 12 year old Kuban tur which was nearly twice the body size of my one from Azerbaijan!! And a fantastic 15yr old mid tur which again we lost over some nasty country when the rifle I was using would not recock and we found it thanks to the eagles a day later well chewed up. BUT all this does not compare to the degusting and baseless accusations and treatment I have received from QATAR AIRLINES!!! I check my bags and trophies onto their flight leaving Turkey to Doha then tfr on to Melbourne Australia. I told the staff what was in my bags and ask a fragile sticker be placed on the bag to help prevent any damage. I know they knew what my bags contained as the gentle man at check in asked what they were and from where as it turned out he was originally from that area!
My flight arrived late to Doha and running for the connection I knew my bags what not make it. When I arrived in Australia I was called to the baggage services to be told one bag made it but the other did not. I ask which and the one containing my cloths and skin didn't make it but the computer said the other did which contained my horns. How ever it was not found. Two days later when the other bag arrived from Doha it was taken by customs because it contain the skin so I had to drive back to the airport to present my LEGAL documents and the skin was released to my taxidermist.
BUT no word on the other bag, as it was nearly five days later by this time the staff tried to tell me it was an insurance issue now, so getting a little hot under the collar I said not a chance no one has explained why the system said it arrived when it didn't?? This is the really good part and where I am now fighting a huge battle. I emailed the QATAR AIRLINE help centre who replied a day later not with any information on my trophies but a letter that read as if I was still in Doha from there legal dept.( I had been home seven days by this time!!) stating that as I had "Smuggled a prohibited item" I was banned from the airline and its other carriers and that I had to make my own arrangements to get home.!!! Although I have not had any official documentation or notification I have been able to find out through internal emails by the rep here in Australia that the horns were taken by Qatar police/customs. They have no legal right to do so as if there was an issue they should have notified Melbourne customs to deal with at end point! I have all the LEGAL documents in order to hunt, export and import these trophies, they are NOT cities listed and therefore according to their own website there should be no problem to transport them!! Then after the continued fighting now going on two weeks I have still not been contacted by the airline or gotten a reply to the legal permits for these trophies to be returned but the baggage staff said I should ring Doha to fix it with them!!! What part of I am the customer and why should I do your job don't they understand??? QATAR AIRLINES has shown not one bit of DUTY OF CARE and having travelled and hunted for nearly 20yrs I have never come across such unprofessional behaviour in all my life. that battle goes on!!!

That sucks. Sorry. Wish I could help.

Thanks mate but I have good news today. After a 19 days battle I finally got a call from the airline and after a heated exchange where I basically asked why it taken so long for someone to get off their lazy fat ass and call me and more to the point call Doha and have my trophies released/returned I will get them shortly thank god!!! Now to start on the issue of the slanderous baseless claims they have made and get the ban over turned

Well done!keep the fight!

cheers mate, hoping to get another call today to find out where they are. Once I have them it will be onto the next matter of the ban being overturned and some compensation for their pathetic treatment

WIN WIN WIN I got a call from Qatar Melbourne today to ask for my address to deliver my trophies!!! So keeping up the battle has win for the little man for once, now to have to ridiculous ban over turned. I said it once and I will say it again to customer service from Qatar, the airline and the country are nothing sort of pathetic and disgusting!!! so called five star airline!!!! bullshit you don't even come close