Having endured another trip across the pond a month ago on SAA in the Airbus (the most uncomfortable seats of any airline I have ever flown bar none), I got to thinking about alternatives for future flights. Houston has direct service to Paris on Air France. Air France also flies to Jo'burg. My question is has anyone taken this route and if so how did it work out? Is there some huge price advantage to flying on SAA versus Air France? This last trip I went from Houston to Dulles, Dulles to Jo'burg and Jo'burg to Harare. If there is a way to avoid one entire leg (Houston to Dulles) and avoid SAA for all but the flight to Harare, that sounds like a pretty darn appealing option to me.

I have flown Houston to Paris (once), and from Paris to Joburg on Air France several times. No bad experiences on either. I much prefer the Air France option to Joburg (in a not new 747) than the SAA flight.

Mike,

You can fly Air France, British Air or KLM from the US and probably all out of Houston or Dallas to Europe and on to JNB. I have flown them all with no problem at all. The layover in Europe is a welcome break. I don't ever expect to fly ATL-JNB on SAA because I'm just not that masochistic.

FYI: All the negative stuff about Europe and particularly London with guns is complete BS.

Mark

I have flown SAA to Harare two years in a row and I just do not think my ass can take another journey on the Airbus -- and I am not a big guy, how the big fellows do it is beyond me. The notion of Air France to Paris and then on to Jo'burg sounds quite nice. I did a quick price check on the Air France website and the prices (going out into the May/June time frame in 2009) came up $1800 or so for a roundtrip. Mark, it also did not look like there was an overnight in Paris, looked like just a multi-hour lay over at the airport.

Mike,

I was not referring to an overnight on any of the options. You will just have a few hours to stretch your legs, do some shopping, and just see something other than the inside of a very large airplane packed with unconfortable and grumpy people.

Air France just needs to be notified I believe 3 days before your flight that you are carrying guns and they asked to see my ammo on the outgoing leg. No problem!

I do understand that Air France is not the best for luggage arriving with the passengers. British Air on the other hand is the best in that regard of any airline serving Africa. This is per Gract Travel.

Mark

took the Air France Houston to Paris to Joburg route 2 years ago traveling to Bots. nice trip in that we flew at night to Paris, had a long enough layover to take the metro into downtown Paris for a day of sightseeing, then another night flight to Joburg. i enjoyed the admittedly long trip because 1. it was a 747 2. i flew first class( freq. flier miles and 3. the 11 hour flights were at night, so i could sleep and arrive rested. i found Air France to be a superior airline

Eureka, Mike... I think you are on to something! I have flown the red-eye to Paris direct from Houston and it was a 9 hour flight... a breeze. Also flew from Paris to Jo-burg on a botched flight by KLM that rerouted us through France. That leg was a late afternoon flight as I recall. It was half-full and allowed us room to spread out and really sleep on the trip down. $1,800 is reasonable enough... hmmm headed to Joburg in July with my son... this may work.

Mike, I agree that a route through Europe is the best way to go. South African Airways has lost me as a customer forever (I hope).

Whether it be British Airways through London, KLM through Amsterdam, Air France through Paris, or Lufthansa through Frankfurt, I would pick any of them over SAA.

Price and convenience would be the determining factors as to which one I chose for any given trip.

No firearms permits are needed if luggage is checked straight through, except for Amsterdam, and that's a cinch to get.

Good luck!

I am definitely planning on giving the Air France route a try next year . . . I am guessing the wine has got to be pretty darn good too!

I believe that Emirates Air also flies to Joburg through Dubai from Houston too!

I am pretty sure on Emirates that you have to overnight in Dubai, otherwise, that would be a great alternative. Emirates has a wonderful reputation.

Anything but SAA!!

I have the same issue flying grom Atlanta to Joberg on the Airbus, what a horrible plane. It wasn;t so bad the first time I went over on a 747, but 20hrs+ in the Airbus is brutal. This fall I am heading to Namibia & decided to go thru Germany instead. It's a little more money but I get a 10hr break for nap & shower. Well worth it IMO.

We went 2006 Delta to Amsterdam and KLM to Cape Town. This year we took the Delta Flight to JNB and then the next day SAA to WDH. The Delta Flights where good and we where early both comming and going.

I personally liked the Delta to JNB better. Seemed a lot quicker and I like to get the traveling over with

I have only flown via Heathrow once and the 11 hr layover is a bitch. I have never had a problem with firearms in Heathrow.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:


FYI: All the negative stuff about Europe and particularly London with guns is complete BS.

Mark

I must say that me, living in spain, After a few trips to Africa (14), South & central america (16), Canada (8), mongolia (1),russia (9) , would never ever fly with KLM or trough Heatrow with my rifles if I could avoid it. KLM in Europe is not friendly with huntewrs at all but I must say that, appart from beeing badly treated when chek in, my rifles have allways arrived. Heathrow is for me a NO airport. the have lost my rifles 3 times arriving at the end of the safari once another time when i was back to Spain and the 3rd time 4 days late. Appart from that they were able to destroy a metal case bag for my rifles on two ocassions. I may have been very unlucky but i have to disagree with you Adam. sorry
Pd. Please note that I am not a booking agent so Mr. clement has traveled much more than I and his advice is probably much better than mine. I am only telling what happenned to me

Don´t look to much at my spelling, I don´t practice enough

I have flown twice on Air France with firearms and multiple times without guns and it is my opinion that they are better than any US carrier and way better than SAA.

The only important thing to remember is to have your travel agent or better still yourself inform the airlines that you will be travelling with a firearm and give them your gun case dimensions and weight at least 2 weeks before your travel date.

Aziz

I'll certainly be looking for flight and carrier options for next year's trip. I just returned from Namibia, taking the Denver/Frankfurt/Windhoek route via Lufthansa and Air Namibia for the second year in a row. Lufthansa is great, and the long layover in Frankfurt is great, allowing for a day room, shower, and relaxing meal.

But....Air Namibia is right DOWN there with SAA!! Dirty, uncomfortable airbus, sullen surly flight crew. Worse than SAA in many regards. An amazing contrast to Delta, British Air, Lufthansa, and others.