I chatted with a gent at Windhoek yesterday. Him and his son booked their own flights on Orbits.com. The return trip from Windhoek to Joburg was on British Air. They were checking there luggage with ammo and their guns. The attendant told them they don't allow guns or ammo on there flights!!! They had to purchase one seat on South African Airlines just to get them to Joburg.

quote:

Originally posted by Slider:
I chatted with a gent at Windhoek yesterday. Him and his son booked their own flights on Orbits.com. The return trip from Windhoek to Joburg was on British Air. They were checking there luggage with ammo and their guns. The attendant told them they don't allow guns or ammo on there flights!!! They had to purchase one seat on South African Airlines just to get them to Joburg.

If you are travelling with guns, book your flights with someone who knows what is going on.

Booking on line with someone like orbits is asking for trouble.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by Slider:
I chatted with a gent at Windhoek yesterday. Him and his son booked their own flights on Orbits.com. The return trip from Windhoek to Joburg was on British Air. They were checking there luggage with ammo and their guns. The attendant told them they don't allow guns or ammo on there flights!!! They had to purchase one seat on South African Airlines just to get them to Joburg.

If you are travelling with guns, book your flights with someone who knows what is going on.

Booking on line with someone like orbits is asking for trouble.

No kidding... Duh! Can't believe guys traveling with guns can be that clueless in this day and age.

They should have either used a specialist booking agent or done their own homework because not all aircraft types are allowed to carry firearms/ammo & not all airlines are licenced to do so on all routes.

It was their blunder not BAs.

Its common knowledge that BA and its subsidiary Com Air don't allow firearms on intra African travel.

They are lucky they got it sorted.

You would think when travelling with firearms you would do the leg work prior to travelling.


cheers

Nick

I wonder why whomever they were hunting with didn't give them a heads up. Certainly the outfitter would have known their flight schedule (airlines). Also, now with the SAPs debacle in RSA over nighting is a nightmare for unknowing US hunters, even those that have done it several times.

Best regards, D. Nelson

Darin,

I agree that you'd think the safari operator would have known. The moral of the story is as others have stated if the guys in question had let a professional that is familiar with traveling with guns set up their travel they could have avoided all the drama. I've traveled enough with guns that I could do it myself but even then when there's a fark up who am I gonna call? Orbits? Safari is supposed to be fun. Let a professional do your travel and avoid the angst.

BTW British Air has no issues with guns. Their partner Comair in RSA is not set up to take guns though.

Mark

Mark;

I totally agree and I don't travel with guns without a African knowledgeable travel agent handling all my details (thanks Kathy at Wild Travels).

But I just think of the poor soul who has never gone before and has never been on AR! So trusting and naïve!

I think it was in 2004 when you were ahead of me by a couple of weeks for an elephant hunt in Botswana, when the SAP firearms permit was implemented. Gracy Travel handled all my travel and permits with only a few weeks notice.

Best regards, D. Nelson

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
Also, now with the SAPs debacle in RSA over nighting is a nightmare for unknowing US hunters, even those that have done it several times.

Best regards, D. Nelson

If I may ask, what is SAP's doing now that is making the overnight in Johannesburg so bad now?
John

How about the fact that they won't honor the 4457's for most people because SAPS has decided that they're expired if they don't have an issue date in 2017. The fact that the forms don't expire doesn't seem to matter to the dim wits running SAPS.

This issue has been discussed in detail on this forum. Just scroll down and you'll find the threads.

quote:

Originally posted by Labman:
How about the fact that they won't honor the 4457's for most people because SAPS has decided that they're expired if they don't have an issue date in 2017. The fact that the forms don't expire doesn't seem to matter to the dim wits running SAPS.

This issue has been discussed in detail on this forum. Just scroll down and you'll find the threads.

Labman,
I am aware of this issue, thankfully my 4457 has the proper dates. Just wondering if there was something else D. Nelson was referring to.

I was referring to the 4457 change. Most hunters who have traveled know about the 4457 required by RSA as a firearms permit,although it is issued to US residence as a Customs form and proof you left US with the item listed and never expiring. Now RSA wants the 4457 issued in 2017 and on a particular edition of printed form. None of these requirements serves any purpose. But it definitely causes an inconvenience to those who do not have easy access to a Customs Office.

Sure glad Emirates still uses any legimately issued 4457 for transmitting Dubai. I will avoid traveling to or through RSA, as it is too difficult to get a new 4457.

Best regards, D. Nelson

Trouble with BA comes and goes, has for my 40 plus years in this business, Countless times folks have advised me of trouble with BA, and then some folks never seem to have a problem..

I can only surmise from my years in this business that Britten is as overloaded as California with anti gun liberals and BA has trouble keeping them in line as folks are upgraded to certain jobs and attitudes come and go.. Although it does seem to get their attention when it costs them money, so they fix they bandaid the problem until the heat dies down.

About two or three years ago BA over charged me tremendously on a shipment of one buffalo skull and one zebra hide, I pitched a fit and told them to stick it where the sun don't shine, and they had the nerve to say well we don't want it, and you cant lose your trophies, sounded like blackmail to me, so I said just watch you SOB and hung up, but if I was average Joe on his first safari, I would have had to pay for those prized trophies, such as did this man and his son! Did they make any effort to correct the situation, they did not and they should have, and if the other company is an affiliate of BA, the rules should be the same. No excuses there, just pure CYA IMO.

I have no use for BA, they never correct a thing, they only monitor problems! and I will never use them nor advise anyone to.

To each his own on this subject and buyer beware is my only advise.

quote:

Originally posted by D. Nelson:
I was referring to the 4457 change. Most hunters who have traveled know about the 4457 required by RSA as a firearms permit,although it is issued to US residence as a Customs form and proof you left US with the item listed and never expiring. Now RSA wants the 4457 issued in 2017 and on a particular edition of printed form. None of these requirements serves any purpose. But it definitely causes an inconvenience to those who do not have easy access to a Customs Office.

Sure glad Emirates still uses any legimately issued 4457 for transmitting Dubai. I will avoid traveling to or through RSA, as it is too difficult to get a new 4457.

Best regards, D. Nelson

D. Nelson,
Thank you for the clarification, I'm heading to SA in Sept. and have an overnight before heading to Harre. Thought there might have been something I had not heard of yet.
John

Gundog 64;

I'm so glad you have all your forms squared around. Africa always has a few surprises, we hunters aren't expecting.

Hope you have a great hunt. And I look forward to your report.

Best regards, D. Nelson

Their fault for not doing their homework before booking, and the outfitter should have informed them of the issues with intra-Africa travel and firearms.

We use BA for travel from Los Angeles to RSA and Europe because it is the cheapest and most convenient from our location. We have never had any issues with the airline and our firearms. Now, TSA and SAPS; thats a completely different and unpredictable variable while traveling with guns.

It's not BA it's Comair, which has a franchise to use the BA name. I agree that his outfitter should have told him not to use Comair (BA) for intra Africa flights.

quote:

posted 02 May 2017 18:20 Hide Post
I wonder why whomever they were hunting with didn't give them a heads up. Certainly the outfitter would have known their flight schedule (airlines). Also, now with the SAPs debacle in RSA over nighting is a nightmare for unknowing US hunters, even those that have done it several times.

The PH or outfitter was with them. They were waiting to get their guns checked in at the Police station at the Windhoek Airport. So I don't know why he didn't know? They told me they hunted about an hour and a half north of Windhoek. I gave them Traveling with guns phone number and they said they will never make that mistake again.

I have used Steve at Travel with Guns on the last two trips. They were getting setup to use Lufthansa and then they caught the restriction carrying firearms from Germany to Zimbabwe. I can imagine the problems I would have had if I had been booking flights on my on. There are just too many rules, regulations, and nonsense pertaining to carriage of firearms for the average hunter to know them all.

I just got back from 3 weeks in SA and had zero problems going and returning. Two of us 4 rifles total amd only one 4457 was issued in 2017. The other 4457s are several years old. AfricaSky did preclear our rifles so maybe that was the key. Not sure what the overnighting issue is that was referenced. I just act like I know all the people in the office, smile and chat with them and never had a problem coming or going since 2006. Maybe I just have been lucky or the fact that AfricaSky clears my permits.