I just returned from a Canadian hunt where the legs were United and Air Canada.

United has the standard form that the rifle is unloaded that you throw in the case and doesn't seem to care about ammo in your luggage.

Air Canada had a form with four copies. You write on a white cover and it copies through to a yellow, pink, and blue copies. My best understanding is that the white is for your records, the pink goes with the rifle, the blue goes with the ammo, and the first gate agent takes the yellow copy. In my travels I had four Air Canada legs. Each gate agent had differing ideas about this process. Returning, I had to fly short flights to Edmonton and Calgary before catching a ride home. The agent took my form in Edmonton. The agent in Calgary (next leg) insisted on another, leaving me without a copy for my records. Then, the flight home was Air Canada to Houston and an agent insisted on another copy of the form when I was already seated on the plane. I told her I would have to collect and open my luggage as they had collected all other copies, leaving me without any record.

Needless to say, my rifle did not make it home. Luckily United was quite responsive and got it to me the next day after I raised a stink.

I am still unsure of the process, but thought I would share my experience. If I were to fly AC again, I would insist on clarification from the first check in. Would have been a bigger bummer to have the rifle delayed on the way to the hunt than on the return.

I have requested my baggage fee for the rifle and the "special" $50 firearm handling fee refunded, but have had no response as of yet.

One other note - when checking in at Grande Prairie, they were adamant the ammo had to be in a LOCKED container. Luckily I had my handloads in a box with a locking ring. Per the lady checking me in, factory boxes would not fly.

Sorry for your angst while flying but this sounds normal for Air Canada. In my experience and that of my clients they are very disorganized.

Mark

If your bags are sent all the way through you only need the form once. If you are picking up your bags at each stop and rechecking them you will fill the form out every time

On my recent return via West Jet from Canada, the only thing any Reps were interested in were those pretty paper forms, they could care less what was in any case. I did NOT have to lock my ammo up, hell it was separated from the rifle anyway, so what would anyone do with it. Oh, that's right, my bad, they'd take my 9,3 reloads and put it in their rifle, lol.

quote:

Originally posted by Spooksar:
If your bags are sent all the way through you only need the form once. If you are picking up your bags at each stop and rechecking them you will fill the form out every time

This!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

quote:

Originally posted by Dom:
On my recent return via West Jet from Canada, the only thing any Reps were interested in were those pretty paper forms, they could care less what was in any case. I did NOT have to lock my ammo up, hell it was separated from the rifle anyway, so what would anyone do with it. Oh, that's right, my bad, they'd take my 9,3 reloads and put it in their rifle, lol.

Lots of airlines are starting to require locked ammo cases now. I find it easier just to lock it up in a container that if need be can be pulled out of my luggage and sent as separate baggage. I'm all about low stress when I travel and can't be bothered arguing with gate agents. This keeps it simple.