Well it looks like I am going to have to travel to Bulawayo instead of Harare in August
I have done this flight with SAA several times, each time staying overnight in Jburg. With the new BS surrounding the SAPS and 4457 I am considering dong the flight on SAA from JFK to burg and then directly on to Bulawayo. There is about 2 hour layover in joburg and then onnwards. I have never done this flight as I always wanted to actually see my weapons at joburg.
Has anybody done this flight and have you had any problems or know of anybody with experience?

Brent, I've done it several times. It's nice because you avoid SAPS and the cost of a night's stay. As I remember, it leaves JFK late morning, and arrives in Jo'burg at 8:05 AM. Flights out to Zim, Namibia, Zambia, etc are 10-11 AM same day.

I am flying SAA in two weeks JFK to Johannesburg to Windhoek. A good friend recommended it(he has made 9 trips using this route)as opposed to spending the night in Joburg.

I have done that worked out well

I've done it but I would have an alternate plan to spend an extra night in Bulawayo in case your gun doesn't make the flight. It's very common that they don't get your gun case transferred. There were two of us flying into Bulawayo from JFK and neither of our guns made the flight. There was one gun case on the flight but it was for the hunter who had arrived the day before.

There's only one flight a day from Jo'berg and there's not a lot of time for the luggage to get transferred. SAA will be of no help trying to locate your gun case, they will just tell you to come back tomorrow. Luckily, the next day both of our gun cases came on the Jo'berg flight and I had planned for an extra day at the start of my hunt in case there were problems.

Two hours is kind of tight for the connection in Joberg. I've done the JFK to Joberg to Harare, Maun and Kasane in the same day with no problems. I try to have a min. of a 3 hour layover in Joberg.

I'm flying JFK to Joberg to Namibia in May. I could have booked a similar flight as yours with an approx. 2 hr. layover but opted for a later flight to Namibia with a five hour layover just to be safe. I'll pass my time in Joberrg in the Bidvest lounge.

Since you don't have the option of a later flight to Zim I think you did the right thing with an extra day in Bulawayo.

You might want to check with one of the permit services in RSA who normally handle SAPS stuff to see if they could do anything for you to make sure your guns/bags make the connection.

Do it!!

Courteous staff in JFK including Port Authority Police.
Two hours in JNB is plenty of time.Guns will make it ok.
Did this three times with nary a hiccup.

Keith

I hate the plan for al the reasons you give for concern.

Fly Emirates from any major city to Dubai, connect to Harare. Overnight in Harare and take the 7am flight to Bulawayo.

You'll know your guns made it to Zim. If they get lost in Zim they are in Harare and there are two flights daily to fix it.

SAPS is a great way to ruin a Zim hunt!

This is exactly the plan I have in two weeks. Two years ago I did it your way and they lost my guns. Now they are saying they may not forward guns from SAPS to Zim and force you back to RSA to retrieve! Don't play with fire!

quote:

Originally posted by brent ebeling:
Well it looks like I am going to have to travel to Bulawayo instead of Harare in August
I have done this flight with SAA several times, each time staying overnight in Jburg. With the new BS surrounding the SAPS and 4457 I am considering dong the flight on SAA from JFK to burg and then directly on to Bulawayo. There is about 2 hour layover in joburg and then onnwards. I have never done this flight as I always wanted to actually see my weapons at joburg.
Has anybody done this flight and have you had any problems or know of anybody with experience?

Did it in 2015 no prob. And have already booked it again for August this year. When do you leave...might be on the same flight.

Thanks for all of the replies. I believe i am going to book it today with free miles. I am allowing an extra day in bulawayo in case
Lane, i am flying over aug 23 back on sept 11

You'll be arriving 3 days before I depart. Possibly could run into to you in Bulawayo but we will probably just miss.