I am planning a buff hunt in Zambia for the end of September 2010. I can fly to Johannesburg either with Delta or with SAA, and from there I will continue to Lusaka.

As making the connection at JNB to LUN is critical and both airlines schedules give me a connection time a bit over 2 hours, which airline would you choose regarding punctuality of arrival at JNB and other criteria_

Thank you, Antonio

My guess would be to fly SAA, only because then you can check in your luggage and get boarding passes all the way through to Lusaka. Chances are if you flew Delta to Johanesburg, you may have to re-check-in from Johannesburg to Lusaka and 2 hours might not be enough time to do that. Just my 2 cents, and I fly Delta all the time.

Mad Dog´s Son

Thanks for the tip

Of the two, I'd choose Delta.

Delta score +538 in the above/below average accident rate whilst SAA score -57

Here: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/rates.htm

I believe MDS is not correct.

Last year I flew Orlando/Atlanta/Johannesburg on Delta. I then connected to SAA for a flight to Harare. I was not required to pick up any bags in Johannesburg. I picked up my SAA boarding pass at the international transit area and was on my way. This took about 90 seconds.

Not a problem at all.

Go Delta.

i would swim before i would fly SAA.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions...

Steve, those are interesting data, thank you...

In the end I managed to get a cheaper flight with Lufthansa from Mexico directly to FRA and on to JNB. Once there, I will take a late SAA flight to Lusaka. This way I will not have to fly a longer trajectory over the USA/JFK which is always cumbersome...

Unfortunately, due to a tight time schedule I will not be able to take my 416 rifle with me,as in addition to the Mexican paperwork apparently even in transit I would also have to comply with all the SA gun importing red tape, which has become very cumbersome. It used to be so easy!!!

On the positive side, this should make inter-airline transferring in JNB easier...

Antonio

Antonio,

I think you mean you won't be taking any firearms with you? - In which case, all well and good but just in case you are. Have you looked at the Lufthansa charge for carrying them?

Because it ain't cheap!

Steve,

I have been twice to Africa with loan/rented rifles and both times I had trouble, once with a fancy controlled feed which failed to load and shoot in front of a buffalo and the other with a new custom rifle that did not eject the spent cartridge while sighting in.

It is always best to have your own, but I am not taking any firearms with me, because:

1) In Mexico it takes from 2 to 3 weeks to get the export permit from the army, and I am leaving on short notice in 2 weeks.
2) We can´t fly in transit over the USA with guns (forget the Delta option if you fly with guns...). So you have to fly either through Europe or via South America, which is more expensive.
3) As you mention, Lufthansa charges 50 Euro per flight for transporting a rifle.
4) Even if only in transit, the South Africans apparently want rifle import paperwork notarized (by a Mexican Notary in Spanish?) and signatures by the Police. In Mexico it is the Army that handles this, not the police, and they only register a gun in your name, they do not provide proof of ownership, signatures or translations. I have not found anybody who can tell me concretely what papers are requested for Mexicans. Formerly the army issued export permit in Spanish was enough for SA...
5) Add the weight restrictions by the airlines to that and it makes every day more sense to not travel with guns anymore, which is I think is what they want anyway...

Funny, considering that no shot was ever fired in 9/11...

Antonio,

Sounds like it's a real hassle for you.

As much as I hate to say it, I can see a time where most hunters in Africa will use hired rifles because of the hassles and costs involved in bringing their own.

I can also see a time where a lot of guys will just bring hunting gear like binos, boots & underwear etc and just buy the rest here and then give it away when they leave because of the excess baggage costs.

Steve:

If you consider that oftentimes they want to charge typically 50 USD/day for a lousy camp rifle with a fogged-up KMart sight on it, with two hunts you have spent as much as what a good new or used 375 H&H or 416 Rem Mag RemChester rifle costs...

Where is the African equivalent of Hertz or Avis for rifles and ammo? I´d become a Gold Member at once...

Regards, Antonio

Certainly a lot of companies would have to improve the quality of their loaner rifles but I'm sure most would if there was sufficient demand.

Our own loaners are .404 Jerrery custom built by Sabi Rifles with mercury tube recoil arrestor, Swarovski 1.5 - 6 scope on QD mounts. So some companies at least have good 'uns.

Congrats for that!!!

When you say loaners, you mean you do not charge a rental fee for your (very nice...) rifles?

My son was the 1st. to post to your thread, Antonio. He wasn't completly wrong. It depends on the connection out of JNB, and to what country. For instance there are multiple connections to say Harare, on a given day, but only 1 connection to Bulawayo. I think my son was assuming the baggage agreements between the respective airlines, and making connections for international flights.

We are going to Zim next year, and already know that we have to overnite in JNB, to make the connection, the next day to Bulawayo. Everybody's itinerary is different, and there is no broadstroke answer that covers everyone. I agree with Steve, that one of these days, we are all going to have to use rental rifles for our hunts, doesn't set well with me, but after this next, who know, it might be my last trip to Africa, you just never know.


maddog

i have used camp rifles and shotguns for last 4 safaris as well as the upcoming one next month. all good quality stuff with good optics. it is just too much trouble and hassle for me to fool with my own guns anymore. no multiple import permit fees if you overnight along the way, transportation fees, or excess baggage fees.

quote:

Originally posted by Antonio:
Congrats for that!!!

When you say loaners, you mean you do not charge a rental fee for your (very nice...) rifles?

No, we do charge for them but try to keep costs as low as possible. The charge is something in the region of about US$40 per day (I think) and that really only covers such things as excess baggage costs, insurance, import permits and damage etc and we charge for ammo at (production) cost per round not cost per box.

The idea is to have decent quality rifles available for clients to use at a reasonable price but that doesn't actually cost us money.

Here's an idea I got from the outfitter in Zimbabwe: why not bring your own riflescope and borrow the gun only?
Apparently, this particular outfitter has a regular customer who does this.
Of course you then need to know the type of the rifle to bring the scope mounts, too; or at least make sure if the scope mounts on the loaner gun are for an 1" or a 30mm tube!

- Lars/Finland

Schaukis

I used to do precisely that until they came out with the bright idea of classifying scopes as integral parts of a weapon.

At least in the USA and Mexico you cannot fly with a scope in your checked luggage if you do not have the appropriate import-export permit. They will even confiscate air-gun scopes, as happened to a friend of mine.

For the record, even Cabelas refuses nowadays to sell scopes if they suspect that they are going to be "illegally exported" from the USA.

So, as far as I know, you may be risking your scope, so check out the precise details for your own country and airlines...

Antonio