I've read rumblings about Air Canada being difficult to travel with guns. What is the problem? Need for advanced notice? Documentation? I am traveling from Medicine Hat, Alberta to St. John's, New Foundland.

Air Canada does NOT want to handle firearms and they WILL make your trip miserable. Fly with just about any other carrier.

They charge extra for firearms, both ways.

They also will ream you with the charges for ammo, which they require to be in a separate bag, not with the rifle in the case. I'd wslk and swim before I went with them
again! That said, if you are committed to flying with AC, get to the airport way early, because they'll jerk you around so much you could miss your flight.

Wow,I hadn't realize that the hassle with AC had gotten that bad.I travel 4 years ago to Quebec for caribou hunt & it was a breeze.

I flew Air Canada from Seattle to Sitka and back as part of my May 2015 Brown bear hunt with no problems or extra charges or hassle. My flight was part of a Delta booking from Albany, NY....maybe that's why it went smooth.

I've traveled with Air Canada dozens of times with firearms and not once have I had even a hint of a problem. Firearms have always arrived on time every time. Ticket agents in Calgary have always been courteous and usually ask what I'm hunting. Advanced notice is not necessary but I do it anyway. Most of the time I have been charged for firearms but never ammo. On occasion they haven't charged me but this was an oversight on the ticket agents part I believe. Honestly I've never cared about the charges as they're minor, and I'm just excited to be going hunting.

I leave on this upcoming Wednesday out of Calgary. I will have to get there 1/2 an hour earlier than normal to fill out the paperwork and give them $50. I have never had to pay it on the return. I am going through to Namibia and there is usually a bit of an adventure somewhere .. Easier to travel without guns but ... you know ....

Scruffy, are you flying through Frankfurt?

Yes, indeed. Yawn !!! Those are long hours waiting ...

Scruffy, I had a rough experience with the Frankfurt Police while trying to re-check my rifles on Air Namibia last year. They were oblivious to the new rules, they said I needed a permit, which wasn't/isn't true.

It is all a damn crap shoot. I went with Air Namibia last year from Frankfurt and it was no problem ..

The strangest experience was once at Calgary airport .. I showed the lady at Air Canada all the information and she handed me a note saying to take it to the lady handler (about fifty yards away) who would charge me the extra fee for the rifle case.

So we walked over there and gave the lady the note and told her we were there to pay for the fee .. She looked at the note and told me that she couldn't read the writing and had no idea who signed it .. ??

I said that the lady over in the other section had given me the note .. and it was right over there ..

She kept saying that she needed the name of the person who signed the note ... so finally I sent my wife over .. and she did not return..

The lady got more and more agitated wondering where my wife was ? I had no frickin' idea ..

Eventually my lady returned with some official and the explanation that the original lady had gone for coffee ..

The gray haired guy asked what the problem was? The lady said that she did not know who was the lady who gave me the note??

The man pointed at the signature .. said this was the person, and reached over and cuffed her on the top of her head ...

Aiiiieeeeee !!!! If I had done that I would have been hauled off in cuffs ....

I have never been more shocked in an airport ...

Not my airline of choice but basically hassle free flying with firearms...other than the stupid additional charge.

I just got back from my sheep hunt and have to say that Air Canada was great. I try not to use them due to the firearm fee, but there were no hassles at all.
The Air Canada lady in Winnipeg actually wanted to know where I got my aluminum gun case as her husband is a hunter/gun collector.
I finished my hunt two days early so I changed my flights home. For $125.00 fee I was able to change my flights, was upgraded to first class (both segments) and did not have to pay the firearm fee or any extra baggage fees (sheep meat) on the way home.

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Originally posted by Northman56751:
I just got back from my sheep hunt and have to say that Air Canada was great. I try not to use them due to the firearm fee, but there were no hassles at all.
The Air Canada lady in Winnipeg actually wanted to know where I got my aluminum gun case as her husband is a hunter/gun collector.
I finished my hunt two days early so I changed my flights home. For $125.00 fee I was able to change my flights, was upgraded to first class (both segments) and did not have to pay the firearm fee or any extra baggage fees ( sheep meat ) on the way home.

seems you were successful as the last time and even better with meat ...

Yes, I was successful! Made it home early to spend the entire long Labor Day weekend with the family.
I will post pics. and add onto my report in the next day or so....

Just got back the other day from my three week trip to Namibia. I flew using Lufthansa and went Air Canada from Calgary to Frankfurt, Lufthansa to Joburg, South African Air to Windhoek and the reverse going home.

Air Canada was great ! No extra charges at all .. In fact, when I was told to take the rifle case (which the baggage handlers beat to hell eventually) to the guy (unlocked for his inspection) who would send it downstairs ... he sent it down unlocked .. Oops !!! A lady eventually went downstairs and locked it .. she was great !!!

Canadian customs in Calgary did not even open the case on the return to look at the rifles .. My cherubic face has done me good ...

Travel update with air Canada.I just returned from a hunt in Newfoundland.I flew out of Medicine Hat Alberta to St.Johns.First off I saved $700us due to not flying across an international border. Check in was smooth and I paid firearm handling fee.Christen & I had 2 stops before St Johns @ 3 am. All bags arrived.

Return trip the ticket agent discovered that as I flew on a beech 1900 express from "The Hat" to Calgary that Air Canada is not supposed to accept antlers on the smaller plane.She looked @ my package job as I had split the horns and encased in grain bags.She said doesn't look like antlers and sent them on their way.I had explained where I lived & if need be I would drive to Calgray to retrieve them. She discounted the gun fee to an extra bag rate too.So far so good.When I arrived in Calgray went to A/C customer service explained that I had 5 bags and I lived 150 miles from "The Hat" and not to leave any behind. I didn't mention antlers, A/C rep said to check with captain,as I walked out to plane I saw all my bags on board. What I learned on this trip was to check the size of aircraft I would be traveling on to be sure that antlers can go. Overall a positive experience with Air Canada.

quote:

Originally posted by hvrhunter:
Travel update with air Canada.I just returned from a hunt in Newfoundland.I flew out of Medicine Hat Alberta to St.Johns.First off I saved $700us due to not flying across an international border. Check in was smooth and I paid firearm handling fee.Christen & I had 2 stops before St Johns @ 3 am. All bags arrived.

Return trip the ticket agent discovered that as I flew on a beech 1900 express from "The Hat" to Calgary that Air Canada is not supposed to accept antlers on the smaller plane.She looked @ my package job as I had split the horns and encased in grain bags.She said doesn't look like antlers and sent them on their way.I had explained where I lived & if need be I would drive to Calgray to retrieve them. She discounted the gun fee to an extra bag rate too.So far so good.When I arrived in Calgray went to A/C customer service explained that I had 5 bags and I lived 150 miles from "The Hat" and not to leave any behind. I didn't mention antlers, A/C rep said to check with captain,as I walked out to plane I saw all my bags on board. What I learned on this trip was to check the size of aircraft I would be traveling on to be sure that antlers can go. Overall a positive experience with Air Canada.

Maybe ... just maybe Air Canada is trying a little harder. I seem to always have a bad experience with them. Most recently in June of this year.

quote:

Maybe ... just maybe Air Canada is trying a little harder. I seem to always have a bad experience with them. Most recently in June of this year.

I don't think so. It all depends on the agent.. They over billed us $500 for extra baggage on our trip to SA in March and despite showing the agent all the paperwork he refused to listen. We paid it and got a refund later. He also took over an hour to check our rifles in. He had no clue what he was doing and we tried to help but he was having none of that. On other trips the agent has been friendly and efficient. Bottom line is that they will get your guns there but how pleasant that experience is will depend on the agent you draw.