Has anyone flown there recently from the US who can shed some light? I'll be headed to the south island from Denver in May looking for mountain critters, and I will be bringing my own rifle. Looking at the ANZ website, it doesn't clearly state if the first bag is subject to oversize fees for a gun case or whether it is considered sporting equipment and considered "standard baggage." I pack light and was hoping to get by with just the gun case checked with ammo inside, a backpack carry-on, and a small personal item, and trying to avoid a $150/flight fee for the gun case if possible. Any help is appreciated!
Think you'll find that you can't have ammo in the same case as the firearm. Certainly not in Australia anyway.
The hunting imperative was part of every man's soul; some denied or suppressed it, others diverted it into less blatantly violent avenues of expression, wielding clubs on the golf course or racquets on the court, substituting a little white ball for the prey of flesh and blood. Wilbur Smith
Posts: 916 | Location: L.H. side of downunder | Registered: 07 November 2004
From Australia at least, I find Air NZ less trouble than Qantas. At the latter you have to get a special letter permitting you to take a gun, though it does give you carte blanche for the next year. With Air NZ I've just needed to notify them ahead of time and the airline itself doesn't seem to take much notice of the actual content - that gets left to Customs.
They do charge a bit for extra luggage though, maybe $70 each way for a second piece and $270 if you take three pieces. I avoided the third piece by taking my rifle in a soft bag within a big gun case. I stripped the big case of foam and filled the remaining space with clothes and other hunting stuff - but not the ammo; that had to go in the first piece of stowed luggage. The rifle was then declared to the check-in clerk as 'sporting goods', whereby I got a discount on the charge of about 50 per cent.
Coming home from NZ the 'sporting goods' charge was lower at $NZ25.
I carried my ammo in a flimsy, aluminium CD box I'd needed for South African Airlines but am not sure AirNZ requires anything more than the cardboard box, and nobody asked to see the cartridges.
Posts: 5188 | Location: Melbourne, Australia | Registered: 31 March 2009
I flew Air NZ this past June from the States. Had to have ammo and personal items separate from the rifle. That's the way I always travel BTW as it seems this will just about work with any airline/airport. The contingency I plan for however is that the ammo is in a locked hard sided box within the duffel in case they insist on ammo traveling separate (only happened once so far out of JNB). I did have to pay $70 for the extra bag. The only issues I had was tight connections from Auckland to Christchurch when the police station within the airport wasn't manned during their breakfast time. What was an 1 hour 45 minute connection ended up being a 25 minute connection with rechecking the baggage and running to the other side of the airport and going back through security. I asked to be rebooked to the following flight, 45 minutes later to avoid the stress but was refused. My wife and I arrived at the connecting flight as our names were being called numerous times over the PA system. We got on the plane with everyone staring at us and upset that we had caused a delay and were both soaked in sweat from running. Then the bags failed to make the flight. The bags went on the flight 45 minutes later. You know, the one we asked to be put on to avoid the stress!!
Have fun with Air NZ!! But you will enjoy your hunt as long as you don't fall down the mountain!!
Get onto the NZ Police web site and download their Firearms Licence application and fax/email to the Police station at the airport you will first fly into. They normaly will have your rifle case waiting in the cop shop for you. Well they do at Chrischurch.
Yes the baggage rules have changed since ANZ now codeshares. You use to get 10kg sporting goods allowance-rifles are sporting goods there- but now you have to pay.
Posts: 492 | Location: Queensland, Australia | Registered: 26 August 2012
Originally posted by Rule 303: Get onto the NZ Police web site and download their Firearms Licence application and fax/email to the Police station at the airport you will first fly into. They normaly will have your rifle case waiting in the cop shop for you. Well they do at Chrischurch.
Yes the baggage rules have changed since ANZ now codeshares. You use to get 10kg sporting goods allowance-rifles are sporting goods there- but now you have to pay.
That is unless you arrive while they are on their breakfast break for an hour and 20 minutes while you wait for them to show up at the airport station! The fact that we were at the cop shop with all paperwork filled out and waiting on a signature, was not cause to interfere with their donut and coffee session for the morning!