I've booked my own flights domestically and to Canada while travelling with firearms without issue. I'm a little intimidated by all the different laws and flight/airline changes involved to get to your final African destination.
Who do you all recommend to take care of your travel to Africa that is familiar with firearms/hunting? I've heard Gracy travel mentioned in the past. Any comments on Gracy, Cabela's, or others I don't know of?
I've used Kathi Klimes who posts here about 15 times to Africa without a hiccup yet. I just got an e-mail that her ticket package for March 3rd was FedEx'ed to me today.
She is particularly valuable if you want to go to several destinations. She did a great job on my 2008 trip with my daughters when we went to Dubai, Jo'burg, Vic Falls, Jo'burg and then non-stop back to Atlanta.
JudgeG ... just counting time 'til I am again finding balm in Gilead chilled out somewhere in the Selous.
Posts: 7764 | Location: GA | Registered: 27 February 2001
I booked my own flight to Africa. I got a great rate online with Delta. Everything went smooth. The issue with firearms is more of an issue when you arrive in Africa. Depending on where you are going you may want to hire a meet and greet service to get you through the process when you arrive.
Take copies of your airline's rules for ammo and rifle transport. Also TSA rules for rifle and ammo baggage requirements. This could save you a lot of grief.
I got an Email from Kathi just a few minutes ago needing the address to ship my Etickets to for my April 8th departure to SA. I used her for my first trip to Zimbabwe Buffalo hunting in December of 2008. Eleven days after I called her I had tickets in hand and flew out. It's a no-brainer IMHO.
Email her: Kathi@wildtravel.net
Rich fifty-nine days and I will be doing that Judge G thing. Chilling out...
Gracy Travel. They have a couple of people on the ground at Jo'Burg to see you through the firearms process.
Plus, they have 24 hour support in the event of an emergency.
We needed this support in 2007 getting out of Zim and we were very pleased with them. Doug Grey is our contact. Called them on a sat phone and they took care of complete rebooking in a few minutes.
RCG
Posts: 1132 | Location: Land of Lincoln | Registered: 15 June 2004
Originally posted by BigB: Kathi at wild travel is the best.
Another thumbs up for Kathi.
She has booked my travel twice for me without any problems. She would take my calls at any time and answer all questions that I had. She is one class act.
Good Hunting,
Posts: 3143 | Location: Duluth, GA | Registered: 30 September 2005
Well, we have used Kathi several times- our only complaint is she has not sourced my tickets on the QE2 round the world cruise at my $500.00usd asking price.
Posts: 1138 | Location: St. Thomas, VI | Registered: 04 July 2006
Gracy have always done an outstanding job, and have provided competitive pricing in all cases.
The large staff, and the 24 hour response ability continue to be an advantage that is attractive to me. There is always someone to take your call if things go amiss anywhere enroute.
As RCG, above, has noted they were able to restructure our trip in a very brief sat phone call from Zimbabwe, after we were unavoidably delayed from making our original flights.
Their staff in Johannesburg, are an added and welcome advantage as well. After that flight to JNB from the US it is a relief to have someone waiting and enthusiastic about assisting you!
Les
Posts: 1261 | Location: Clearwater, FL and Union Pier, MI | Registered: 24 July 2003
Originally posted by N E 450 No2: I have used Shawn at Gracy Travel on all 3 of my Safaris..
No problems, great service.
+1
I've used Shawn 3 times also. Having someone on the ground in J'burg is a big plus as well.
"...Africa. I love it, and there is no reason for me to explore why. She affects some people that way, and those who feel as I do need no explanation." from The Last Safari
Posts: 839 | Location: Greensboro, Georgia USA | Registered: 17 July 2004
Don't take the 24 hour thing from Gracy travel to serious, I was in Zambia in October and needed a ticket change. I had a satellite phone and called them (about 11 AM time in Texas and could get a recording that they would call you back but they never did that was after two calls and a wait of about an hour after each. Monday morning I was taken to the airport and a few hours and a few hundred dollars everything was worked out but not with any help from Gracy.
Posts: 74 | Location: Maryland | Registered: 24 February 2009
From what I have heard, nearly everybody in the travel industry has worked for Gracy at one time or the other. Kathi Klime worked there several years before going out on her own with her company Wild Travel. She has provided me with the best service, and at a great price. My tickets just came via Fed-Ex about six hours ago. Did I mention that in a mere fifty-seven days I will be halfway to SA? I'm sure I did, but just in case: in 57 days I am out of here for two weeks.
Sounds like to me that Gracy Travel may be the operation that is spreading the rumor about the Afton House no longer being in business unless we hear something to the contrary? One of the other threads here certainly suggests that, huh?
Hopefully if this is the case they will "fess up" and clean up their act? In the past they have been one of the "leaders" in helping everyone with their African Dreams. Hopefully I am wrong on this. Time will tell I guess?
Larry Sellers SCI Life Member
Posts: 3460 | Location: Jemez Mountains, New Mexico | Registered: 09 February 2006
These days, I invariably get a better ticket price online than I do through the "specialist" agents like Gracy, Cape to Cairo, African Odyssey etc. I just booked Seattle JNB for $1200 (plus minus) round trip including taxes. I had to pay an extra $400 to get to Vic Falls. The agents were all well over $2000. I have, in prior years, found good prices at economytravel.com I think the game has changed .. you can get as good deal buying direct from the airline as you can from the "consolidators", esp if you book online. You need to be a little flexible as to dates. I haven't had much luck with Hotwire or Priceline on African routes. One year I got a deal on Priceline but I had to fly via Zurich. One other point, you can often get a cheaper ticket on regional African flights (eg JNB to HRE) by booking the ticket online, separately from your international leg. They seem to have some kind of quota for the lower fares when bought in conjunction with international connections. I saved almost $200 this year doing it this way.
Russ Gould - Whitworth Arms LLC BigfiveHQ.com, Large Calibers and African Safaris Doublegunhq.com, Fine English, American and German Double Rifles and Shotguns VH2Q.com, Varmint Rifles and Gear
Posts: 2934 | Location: Texas | Registered: 07 June 2003
Steve Turner-Total Travel Solutions. I just bought tickets through Steve for a September trip to Namibia. Steve answered my questions quickly and always returned my calls promptly unlike some of the other agencies I have tried to deal with.
Steve gets my vote also. I went to him after another on here neglected to contact me after a couple tries. He had my tickets immediately and was always very prompt with each and every call or E-mail I have had with him.
Posts: 1755 | Location: Waukesha, WI | Registered: 21 January 2009
Kathi did a great job in booking my flights to Zim using my FF miles and then coordinating my flight with my son's and partner's. Each of whom was travelling from a different city.
"There are worse memorials to a life well-lived than a pair of elephant tusks." Robert Ruark
Posts: 4781 | Location: Story, WY / San Carlos, Sonora, MX | Registered: 29 May 2002
Barb at International Journies. She is te Bombdiggity. I have her cell and home numbers and she has gotten me in and out of so many places on short notice. I use her for all my travel. Not just for Africa.
Jeff
Posts: 2857 | Location: FL | Registered: 18 September 2007
Linda Schrader of Falcon Travel, Inc; San Antonio, TX
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ J. Lane Easter, DVM
A born Texan has instilled in his system a mind-set of no retreat or no surrender. I wish everyone the world over had the dominating spirit that motivates Texans.– Billy Clayton, Speaker of the Texas House
No state commands such fierce pride and loyalty. Lesser mortals are pitied for their misfortune in not being born in Texas.— Queen Elizabeth II on her visit to Texas in May, 1991.
Kathi 
should get a medal for being so patient with me and all my little problems. 
