First of all, Excellent first buff with Mark Vellaro and CMS. Dande North.
Couldn't be more pleased.

Ethiopian Airlines.
Flight over was seamless, Agent at exit with sign in Addis to check my guns. Skipped first security and went through International security. Day shift, 1st string personnel? 30 minutes.
Flight home was opposite. Nighttime and 3rd string team. Hunters desperately trying to find someone that knew, or cared, what we should do.
Myself and 2 hunters from Dallas last to board flight to US.
Arrive Dulles Sat. Ethiopian baggage crew member shows up at US Customs after 25 minutes with rifles. No bags (ammo), Another 15 minutes he shows up. My bag makes flight home I don't.

Told everyone/anyone involved my flight departs 10:30am.

United-Dulles
After Customs rifle and bag inspection.
Near gate to board and United has to put their orange card in rifle box. 1 agent taking care of 3 hunters. 1st hunter in line says "take him first, his flight leaves at 10:30. He and I are ignored, when United agent catches on (after I got louder) asks 3 others who are standing in a group talking for help, they apparently decline. I ask 2nd agent at 10:15 to call gate to hold plane. At 10:28 he returns to say your flight left at 10:24 with your bag. 6 minutes early.
At this point I get really pissed off.
"go with the flow" is now gone.
(In US and 2 hours drive from home, and I don't need anymore of their "help".)
It was apparent I impressed some United personnel. NOW (too late) I have their attention.

Offered next flight 12 hours later. No thanks, call wife who is on way to final destination and she turns around and drives to Dulles (2 hours). Spend 90 minutes with 6 different United agents, Baggage office etc. and a phone call to United and No one can find any info as "it has been more that 10 days and there is no longer a file."?? Bump in to 2 other hunters stranded in Dulles from same flight.
My 2nd trip to the United Baggage office, I get Susan, Thank God. In 90 seconds she has all info and calls United baggage at destination and my bag is locked up in destination baggage claim. I will retrieve today.
7th day of my hunt, 1 hunter and observer show up. No rifles and no bags. CMS and I loan/give them enough to start hunting. They never got their rifles or bags (ammo) as Ethiopian wouldn't allow them to be forwarded from Addis without verifying serial numbers.
Myself and 5 other hunters with "lost" bags or stranded etc., in Addis and Dulles, may have been more I didn't bump in to.
All due to Ethiopian and their Don't give a f--- baggage handlers and firearm inspection policy.
United- Jaded? Incompetence? Weekend shift?

Wanted Emirates but didn't work with my dates.

Scott

What possible function does the firearm serial number check in Addis fulfill? The gun case is checked through to Harare at Dulles. The passenger has no access to it from that point. I will not fly Ethiopian again until they change that system.

quote:

Originally posted by drongo:
What possible function does the firearm serial number check in Addis fulfill? The gun case is checked through to Harare at Dulles. The passenger has no access to it from that point. I will not fly Ethiopian again until they change that system.

This was the question in my mind when I flew Ethiopian last year. There is no point to it other than some not so knowledgeable government official probably thought it would be a great idea.

Gubo/baksheesh is at the root somewhere.

quote:

Originally posted by BNagel:
Gubo/baksheesh is at the root somewhere.

I dealt with this crap in December of 2019, after our departure from Arusha was delayed by a day due to extremely wet weather that prohibited our charter from landing on the bush strip (we had to drive to Mwanza) caused us to miss our flight home on Emirates. Shawn Kennedy of Gracy Travel got us onto an Ethiopian flight which saved our bacon.

I was actually in line to board our flight in Addis when they pulled me out of line to play the verify the serial numbers game. Without going into all the details, it became drawn out, even wanting to count my ammunition. I blew my top, told everyone present that I wanted names and employee ID and was going to file a complaint with President of Ethiopian Airlines, as well as US & Ethiopian embassies. They immediately changed their tune, said they didn’t want any trouble and put my guns on without further delay.

I made my flight, which they held for over 30 minutes while I was dealing with those idiots. Imagine the cost to have a 767 sitting that long over this kind of procedure. As pissed off as I was at Ethiopian Airlines, they did provide a route home with guns on 24 hours notice, which we couldn’t do on Emirates or other airlines.