looking at airline tickets from S dakota to Joburg in April looks like Delta is the best route to take from Sioux Falls, SD to Atlanta then on to Joburg the bad part is the 11 hr layover in Atlanta. coming back looks like the choise is Joburg to Paris or Amsterdam or London before getting back to So Dakota. anyone with any thoughts of which country to avoid incoming home.I do not know if import permits are required for those countries. thanks Jim

Have you checked United? I think you should look into using a travel agent, well worth it!

If you are traveling with guns, you should pick the route with the least hassle, not shortest layover.

Use a gun savvy travel agent like Gracy Travel, Travel With Guns or Kathi Klimes. The small fee you will pay them is well worth it. They will help you sort out everything.

Mark

Absolutely what Mark said above!!

The 11 hours in Atlanta could cause you some issues.

I had to claim my bags and then recheck them in 2019. My time spent in the airport was under 7 hours. It was easy to do.

Ask your travel agent about this.

I had 2 options either a 7 hour or 1 1/2 hour connection. I went with he 7 hour connection as that way you can have a nice meal before boarding your long flight.

A nice meal in the Atlanta airport??

When United cancelled my flight to joberg they sent me to a particular hotel and when I arrived they informed me I would have to pay for the room and United would reimburse me. When I returned home I sent United a copy of my receipt and the mailed me a check for $77 less than I had paid and told me that is the maximum amount they paid. They lost my gun on the trip home and I got it the day after I got home. They wouldn't cover the charges in my changed flights because of the cancellation. They did send me a flight voucher for $75 dollars but I wont need it as I will never fly United again. There were many more issues on the out going flight but the return flight wasn't bad aside from losing my rifle.

Did you check into flights on Qatar out of New York, Philadelphia, or Washington DC?

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Use a gun savvy travel agent like Gracy Travel, Travel With Guns or Kathi Klimes. The small fee you will pay them is well worth it. They will help you sort out everything.

Mark

HydeHunter, this is excellent advice. Any of those 3 are excellent, especially if you run into problems along the way. Trust me, when you have a travel problem, you want one of them in your corner, and problems do occur. I say this from 1st hand experience.

going with a group put together by Hammer Bullets so they said they will be working with Jennifer at Travel Express. so she can figure it out so it will be interesting no matter how I end up going, looks like with all airlines I will get to Joburg about 13 hours later the the other group flying out of Missoula, Montana

Never ever travel through the UK with firearms, not even checked through. Amsterdam requires papers in advance. France is OK. All assuming you don't have to claim bags along the way. Once you claim bags you are in possession of a firearm in a foreign country and that's a no no. How do you know if you have to claim bags? Depends on how long your layover is, and whether you change airlines, and if you do, whether airline A has a "baggage agreement" with Airline B that includes transfer of firearms. The longer the layover the greater the chance of having to claim and recheck bags. For sure, if you have to buy two separate tickets you are going to have to recheck. So it gets complicated fast if there is a change of airline, even if there is a "codeshare" ie the flight number says one airline, but the fight is "operated" by a different airline.

Russ, I have heard that Heathrow is not good for travelling with guns. However, I always gone through Heathrow via Air Canada to SA Air and have never had any problem. Go figure.

The UK has an arms embargo on Zimbabwe so they will not permit you to travel with firearms if your fina l destination is Zim.

RSA you may squeak through IF your bags are checked direct. But don't count on it. For example, if your flight is delayed you may have to spend a day in the UK.

The other problem is Heathrow to Gatwick transfer. They need to employ a licensed courier and that triggers a huge burocrazy problem.

Russ,

I'm guessing but I've been through both Heathrow and Gatwick at least 12-15 times with guns. I've never had an issue as I jumped through the necessary hoops as you do anywhere.

The UK does have an arms embargo against Zim but that doesn't have anything to do with transiting the UK with weapons to any other destination. Use a savvy travel agent and they'll get you to Zim via the UK.

Having said the above presently the customs/entry process to the UK seems to be a huge mess at Heathrow and I would not recommend anyone go through there now. It takes hours!

Mark

Mentioning HEATHROW and BA in the same sentence referring to decent, problem free travel, is the same as mentioning HSUS and PETA when talking about hunting.

I would, without any reservations, avoid Heathrow and BA at any cost.

Have not used either for years, and did a few years ago.

Never again.

The most incompetently run companies in Europe.

Another option is SD to LAX and Turkish Airlines to Joburg and back. There will be a layover in Istanbul but the new airport and lounges are real nice.

tanks, the only problem with Turkish Airlines is that it wouldd take an extra day coming and going ie leave on a Sat. and get there on Mon. coming back leave on Tues get back on Thur so best is Delta each way and have to deal with Atlanta layover maybe Delta will be a nice lounge to stay in

Delta indeed has a nice lounge in Atlanta. Been there many times.