Leaving tomorrow to take a gentleman for his first and most likely last trip to Africa. I am looking forward to the trip but not the travel. First oops is that I cant get a dayroom in Frankfurt. None availabe. Some kind of big fair this weekend. That means 15 hours with no real place to hide except the Crown room or one of the local beer gardens.I got that message yesterday when I tracked down the gal from Gracy travel who was supposed to get back to me. Not her fault there were no rooms available but I wonder just when she was going to get around to telling me the bad news? I dont like having to track people down that are avoiding you because they have something to say they know you dont want to hear.I am unhappy about the lack of communication more than the lack of a room. My advice folks is to just tell it straight. The truth is the truth even when one dosnt want to hear it.My complaint was having to take time out of my hectic day to track someone down who should have been on top of it. Totally my fault for booking right at the last as the trip came together. However, I wonder if I just got blown off and how much effort was put into it by said agent. My feeling is it was not pursued very hard. I aaked about rebooking the route but was told too late to do that supposedly as well. I have always liked Gracy Travel in the past and had great service from them. The lack of timely information was very unsettling. Nothing pisses me off more than to feel I have been blown off and or ignored. I believe the travel agency should have known about the fair in advance as part of their normal buisness for booking hunters through there. This should have been discussed at the outset and I probably would have rerouted. Any thoughts?

still ask for ths day room when you arrive.

There is a Holiday Inn not far from the airport. My hunting buddy and I stayed there in 2006 on our layover to Namibia.

Thoughts.....

1) Use Kathi.

2) I can second the recommendation for Holiday Inn Nord. Kathi booked me there when my son and I laid over for 2 1/2 days in Frankfurt. It has an EXCELLENT lunch buffet. About a 10 minute shuttle ride from airport. How much they would charge for a day room, I dunno but I'm sure they have a web site or use your travel agent. To get there, walk straight out past customs and then go left about a 150 yards, give or take and they have a shuttle pick up point. It wouldn't hurt to call them on one of the courtesy phones at that location.

3) Are you flying on an airline that has a baggage agreement with Air Namibia? If not, then the extra time required for re-check in may make the day room pretty marginal, but I'd go there just for the buffet.

4) The Holiday Inn Nord is located kind of in a park area, that is there is nothing around it but woods, if you want to shop or walk around in a grocery store then there are others that are in more of a suburban type area.

Thanks guys. I will see what I can find when I get there. All I can do at this point. Had I known ahead of time I would have rerouted through JNB. I guess I will drink a few good German beers and get through it. By the time time I get there I am really going to be ready to get as far into the bush as possible.

Mike:

It's really not too late. If you want to see if they have a room and costs, call them. Doesn't cost anything to ask and they speak excellent English.


Holiday Inn
FRANKFURT AIRPORT-NORTH
ISENBURGER SCHNEISE 40
FRANKFURT, 60528 GERMANY
Hotel Front Desk: 49-69-67840 | Hotel Fax: 49-69-6784190
Book Online or Call
1 888 HOLIDAY (888 465 4329)

PS: FWIW I would NEVER choose fly to JNB and on to Namibia myself. I just got back from South Africa last Friday, flying SAA DFW-Washington Dulles-Joburg-E London. Fly over Dulles to JNB was 15 hours, flt back JNB-Dulles is 19 hours including fueling stop in Dakar. I'd a helluva lot rather sit in Frankfurt airport walking around if that's all the options I had and have a 10 1/2 hour direct to Windhoek myself. As a matter of fact, when I got off that flt back to Dulles I said to myself, "Self, we're flying to Frankfurt or whereever even if we're going on to South Africa in the future."

I've used Gracy 4 times now, mainly because their office is only a few miles from my house. My contact has always been helpful, but going in there to pickup tickets, I've always noticed a bit of an attitude, just a vibe thing. You'd think travel agents, especially these days would try to have a good customer service attitude, but when you walk in, they kind of do the "who are you?"/protect the "executive" routine.

I've never used Kathi, but she sure participates in this forum and is a hunter herself, which I think is an added perspective that should be considered.

'Hope you and your friend find a way to relax in Frankfurt and no matter what, have a great hunt. You're doing a great thing.

Sitting in the Crown room in Frankfurt. No hotels available anywhere but these folks have made the stay pleasant. Got a shower and fresh clothes. Caught some sleep and abaout to go have a beer. Not to bad considering. Will be extremely happy to get to Windhoek and get into the bush.

I was in Zambia in May, tagged out early on my leopard and buff. Called Gracy to rebook, left my AMEX number. They told me everything was done.
I get to the airport the next day and no ticket. They had called my outfitter and said my AMEX was rejected on a $200.00 change fee.
1. I have booked many flights with them. Hell pay the $200 and I will refund them.
2. I called the emergency number they have.
No one answers it, and no one called back either.
Now I was pissed at AMEX also but thats another story. Steve at Gracy said he was sorry and if this had gotten to his level he would have approved it. First time I ever had trouble with them.