I was wondering about travel with Air France; specifically from Dulles to Paris to Joburg in Business Class.

What I've reviewed online leads me to believe the following are true:

1. Reviews on Business Class seats have been VERY uncomplimentary regarding seat comfort, food and service.

2. Regarding firearms, it would appear that I couldn't put even a piece of clothing in the gun case and if I take 2 firearms even if the weight is below the weight limits I'll be charged $300 for the oversized luggage AND probably another $300 for the second gun which is considered a separate piece of luggage even if packed in the same gun case.

3. One has to declare one's firearms before the flight which is no big deal; at least I don't think it is but it only mentions rifles. I suspect they're just being generic in saying rifles and presume that handguns and shotguns would be OK but perhaps I'm wrong. Has anyone traveled Air France with a handgun?

4. The Air France web site mentions that ammunition must be in "original" factory packing and must be packed in a single container that must be packed with the firearm{s)

Any comments on or personal experiences with Air France would be appreciated.

While you folks are at it (if I may quasi-steal some of the thread)... Has anyone traveled on the new Voyageur Premier as an alternate to Business. I understand that it has a separate cabin, more legroom, seats that don't recline conventionally but within a shell so the guy in front of you doesn't kill your knees...

I'd like to compare Business to Voyageur Premier if anyone has done both.

Ernest, I have flown on Premium (a sort of economy + ) and don't like it. While you do have more legroom and seat width, the seat reclines less than in economy. Not good for snoozing at all. I find it to be an awkward position. Good on a short flight, but not the best for a long flight in my opinion when compared to an exit row in economy class which gives a better reclining angle and legroom.

Now if your Voyageur Premier is First Class, I've never had the luck to be upgraded.

Does not sound like Air France is an airline that is very friendly to traveling hunters.

All my flights to Africa with rifles have been on Air France (except for Namibia) and I've never had a problem from Paris to Joberg. However, I did have a problem from Dulles to Paris with a rifle last September. It wasn't a problem with the rifle, which I had duly declared two weeks before check-in, but the authorization which came back from Paris did not mention the box of 404 ammo I had also declared. In fact, a week before you leave (make your declaration to Air France two weeks before you leave) verify that they have the authorisation for both the rifle AND the ammo which may be seperate. Air France is trying to be in accordance with directives from a multitude of governments, as are all airlines, but they try to do what they can for the hunter in my opinion. Some airlines just say the hell with it, make it so complicated the hunter just gives up. Hunters going to the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Senegal almost all fly Air France. Somehow the rifles and ammo make it, don't they?

For my Dulles-CDG I was flying economy, had a checked suitcase and the rifle case, did not pay any extra baggage fees.

Grumulkin

Sadie and I have not flown Air France since '07 but we had zero problems. Gracy Travel set it up and all went smoothly. I would have no issues using them again if I was hunting central Africa again.

Mark

I can live with the poor service and poor food but if the Business Class seats are as uncomfortable as the reviews have led me to believe, I'm not sure I want to fly with them. If I'm going to be uncomfortable it would seem better to go directly to Johannesburg rather than to Paris and then to Johannesburg. If I were average size, the seats wouldn't be as much as an issue but at 6 feet 10 inches tall it is a big issue.

I'm also OK with filling out forms, checking to make sure I've been approved to carry my firearms and ammo but it seems a bit ridiculous to now allow any items in the gun case except guns and ammo and to charge an extra baggage fee for a second gun going with another gun in one gun case that is not over the 50 lb. weight limit. They way I read it, you would not be allowed to use a Tuffpak padding guns with your clothes.

Grumulkin
Sorry to advise, but my main concern would be your baggage.
Air France as an airline and Paris Charles De Gaulle as an airport have both got the worst reputaions in Eurpoe for lost luggage.
I stopped transiting through Paris after members of our party lost bags on three consecutive trips.
On the first of which they lost my .375 for five weeks and when it was eventually returned to home they couldnt even tell me where it had been.
Good luck.

Flew this route year before last Business. Great flighs no issues at all. comfortable seats
but you get a look at first and you then think business sucks.

I flew to Bangui, through CDG, in January. I flew Air France's economy comfort. I was blown away by: The comfort of the seats, the service of the F/A's, the food was as good as B/A business class. CDG was as easy of an airport as I have ever transited through. Air France seemed to handle the firearms with care I guess, they all made it there with me.

The scenery was fantastic as well
(all of them)

Ammo and Firearms must both be declared on AF flights. Get a confirmation from them that they have received this info.
The AF flight from Dulles uses the new Airbus 380. Quite a plane.

quote:

Originally posted by R.Jolly:
Grumulkin
Sorry to advise, but my main concern would be your baggage.
Air France as an airline and Paris Charles De Gaulle as an airport have both got the worst reputaions in Eurpoe for lost luggage.
I stopped transiting through Paris after members of our party lost bags on three consecutive trips.
On the first of which they lost my .375 for five weeks and when it was eventually returned to home they couldnt even tell me where it had been.
Good luck.

That is only true if don't count the UK as being in Europe. Heathrow has the worst reputation of any airport in the world, Paris is second, LAX is third, Frankfurt is 4th (at least according to any statistics I can find). The reality is that the bigger the airport, the more baggage that is handled, the more that is lost (or delayed).

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana1:
Ammo and Firearms must both be declared on AF flights. Get a confirmation from them that they have received this info.
The AF flight from Dulles uses the new Airbus 380. Quite a plane.

What I've read about Business Class seats is that they don't recline as much as Economy Class seats, are slippery so you keep slipping down and can't sleep. Do you happen to know if this is true on the Airbus 380?

I have no problem in declaring ammo and firearms. Did you travel with more than one firearm and, if so, did they make an additional baggage charge for the additional gun?

Have flown AF with shotguns and rifles... Well, since we could walk onto the planes with shotguns in soft slips and the (pretty) stewardess would put them in the "locked" coat closet!

They are really easy to get to accept guns, and typically french in the rest. They will misplace them and get confused-always have the regs from the AF website with you + the new declaration form.

But, they're a lot easier to deal with than most, and when they screw up, they do fix things... most times

O

Grumulkin : yup, they were on my last trip back from Job -> CDG last year on the A380