quote:

Originally posted by Gusteaux:
Just been doing a little price comparison for a couple of "ghost" tickets for a mid May to early Jun 2019 price comparison between Delta/KLM from ATL to WDH via AMS and Qatar Air ATL to DOH and WDH.

Same dates (give or take a day or two due to limited flights into/out of WDH) Delta/KLM $2600 and Qatar $1670.

Been through Doha a good bit (retired mil from HQCENTCOM) and the airport is one of the nicest on the planet. Not real crazy about flying/supporting their national airline due to the govt's less than stellar anti-Islamic terrorism support but.....on the other hand, every $$ they have to use to subsidize the airline is one less they have to quietly support Islamic extremist groups too.

quote:

Originally posted by Gusteaux:
Saeed:

I presume you take exception to the last paragraph of my post. I make that observation based on the following:

1. Just like the vast majority of other countries around the world, Qatar Airways is a “national” or “flag carrier” airline. As such, the government provides funds for operations such that it doesn’t have to turn a profit to stay in business. That in and of itself is neither good nor bad, just the way it is.

2. In addition to living for a couple of years in Saudi Arabia, and a couple of years in Kuwait, and a cumulative couple of years (post 9/11) in Qatar, the last 10 years of my military career was at HQUSCENTCOM. Got there just after 9/11. Was there when the Saudi’s asked us to leave the Kingdom, close our operational bases and remove our forward HQ. The US had an existing small footprint in Qatar in the form of some pre-positioned military supplies, equipment and a few military and contract personnel to maintain/oversee it.

3. While Qatar did agree to accept the Forward HQ and expand the operational bases, operations and increased military personnel, it came with a significant price tag along with a host of restrictions. As I said above, after the forward HQ moved there, I’ve accumulated a couple of years there in Doha and some of the smaller support locations. Enjoyed the limited access we were periodically allowed downtown etc.

4. As a member of the HQ staff, I had access to the operational intel reports of not just Qatar but, a host of multiple coalition partner nations in the region and outside the region. Those reports contained info on the various governmental ministries, ministers, royal family members, private individuals and organizations and their support, both financial and political for a wide variety of extreme Islamic and Islamic terror groups both inside and outside their individual countries. Reports included names, connections, dollar amounts and who/where it went. Granted, intel reports are not always 100% accurate nor even close to it but, even if what we got was only 25% of the actual activity and if that was only 25% correct the amounts are still pretty shocking. Think for example of some members of the Royal House of Saud who have been funding/supporting Wahabisim/Salafism for years.

5. Worst part is, sometimes we’d be in meetings with some of these guys from the reports (not just Qatar) and they would be so supportive and helpful to our faces, while at the same time funneling info and money out the backdoor undercutting coalition operations and perhaps getting coalition forces killed. The most ironic thing is, in many cases, those extreme Islamic groups they were supporting were actually killing far more Muslim civilians than coalition military.

6. Most governments have a finite amount of financial resources to divvy out how they see fit. If one dollar needs to be allocated to one place, that means that same dollar can’t be allocated someplace else.

To be fair, I’m not picking on Qatar. Similar situations were going on in every Middle Eastern county. I say “were” because I’ve been retired since 2011 and can only logically presume similar activities to either greater or lesser extent are still going on and in all likelihood will continue for generations to come.

All that said, I'm still considering flying on Qatar Airways. The airline has a very good safety record, the capital city of Doha has a very good track record of safety and security for tourists, we can avoid the goat rope that J'berg has become and save a couple thousand.

If you find this “utterly stupid”, so be it.

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
Yep. Check bags and firearms straight through to Windhoek. No fuss whatsoever.

If you fly Qatar Air once to Namibia, you will never fly any other carrier.

The Oryx Hotel is also very nice if you want a room and a shower between flights. Plus the Doha airport has quite a few excellent restaurants.

quote:

Originally posted by Gusteaux:
Thanks Opus and Will.

Curious as to the "documents" they required and if you used a "connector" airline (Delta, American, Jet Blue etc.), to get to the QR flight originating US city?

If you used a "connector" were you allowed to check all the way through or did you have to claim and then recheck all directly back in with QR.

I've made several phone calls to the US QR Customer Service desk at 1-877-777-2827 and received very inconstant answers from the previous call. Based on the last call and person I spoke to I've emailed the following with my questions:

Support@qatarairways.com
Specialservices@us.qatarairways.com
Reservations_nar@us.qatarairways.com

The Special Services people have responded - basically it's the same office handling the phone call number but, refereed me to the other two email address.

quote:

Originally posted by Gusteaux:
OK - Finally got some info from a Supervisor at QR Special Services.

1. Submit a copy of each firearm owners passport, license (4457) and invitation letter to specialservices@us.qatarairways.com at LEAST TWO WEEKS before your originating flight.

2. Include your flight confirmation and flight details.

3. They will send a reply email once everything is "approved" BUT, they reserve final acceptance of the firearms and ammo at time of check-in to ensure all is packed properly and not more than the 5kg of ammo limit.

4. IF you are connecting with a QR flight via another airline, you "should" be able to check all the way through BUT; both flights need to be on one contiguous ticket not two separate tickets. IF two separate tickets and the other airline is not a "code share" with QR, you'll have to claim everything at the connection airport and re-check everything with QR.

5. Expect the QR and originating airline to ask to see the same documents you emailed and the approval email.

All in all, after getting to the root of the process directly from the "source", it is actually pretty simple. Just email copies of the three docs as soon as you pay for your ticket, wait for the "OK" email back and go. Sound a hell of a LOT easier than dealing with the 6 page SAPS 520 and goat rope in JNB.

May give them a try this year.