Qatar is ok to fly with...but completely nuts about handling guns...their staff is uninformed...not knowing what to do, etc...etc.. JEEZ..

Air Botswana is utterly incompetent on ALL issues, they fumbeled my luggage for 4 days in Joburg...blame anybody else...call me to say they recovered my guns only to present a guncase THAT DID NOT BELONG TO ME...!!! Hello luggage tags...!?! CUNTS..!

I will walk from Cairo to Maun before flying Air Botswana again...promise..

Very sorry to hear of your troubles.

But could you give us more details please?

I would like to know your issues. We are flying next month to Windhoek on Qatar. So far, they have been very accommodating. I called customer service for information on our rifles. A real person answered on the 4th ring and found out what we needed for our rifles and followed up with an email moments after the call. I emailed the requested documents and received a response a few hours later saying Qatar had everything needed and would call me if anything else was required.


Safe travels...…….LL

quote:

Originally posted by SFRanger7GP:
I would like to know your issues. We are flying next month to Windhoek on Qatar. So far, they have been very accommodating. I called customer service for information on our rifles. A real person answered on the 4th ring and found out what we needed for our rifles and followed up with an email moments after the call. I emailed the requested documents and received a response a few hours later saying Qatar had everything needed and would call me if anything else was required.


Safe travels...…….LL

I did exactely likewise...scanned and mailed them all the documentation regarding the rifles...only to discover that they could not find my mail when I came to the airport in Oslo..even though Qatar answered my mail and said they had gotten what they needed..

Their employees at Joburg had no clue what to do...when Qatar say they will move firearms it would be nice of them to educate their personell how to handle the paperwork...they milled around as frightened birds...barely got on the aircraft in time..

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. Thank you for the warning. I believe I will go and put my paperwork in the hands of the local office.

Safe travels.

I suggest this to everyone traveling with firearms.

Make copies of all the required documents, print and take them with you.

Preferably several copies.

Makes life so much easier for everyone concerned.

I make copies of the different documents, and stable each lot together.

When asked at check in or customs, I just hand over a complete set.

Works like a charm.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I suggest this to everyone traveling with firearms.

Make copies of all the required documents, print and take them with you.

Preferably several copies.

Makes life so much easier for everyone concerned.

I make copies of the different documents, and stable each lot together.

When asked at check in or customs, I just hand over a complete set.

Works like a charm.

That is exactely what I did...and presented the documents to Qatars staff in Joburg....the problem was that they had no idea what to do next..

Yep I make a copy of everything . Has made the difference between a great hunt and disaster on several occasions

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I suggest this to everyone traveling with firearms.

Make copies of all the required documents, print and take them with you.

Preferably several copies.

Makes life so much easier for everyone concerned.

I make copies of the different documents, and stable each lot together.

When asked at check in or customs, I just hand over a complete set.

Works like a charm.

quote:

Originally posted by Pondoro:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I suggest this to everyone traveling with firearms.

Make copies of all the required documents, print and take them with you.

Preferably several copies.

Makes life so much easier for everyone concerned.

I make copies of the different documents, and stable each lot together.

When asked at check in or customs, I just hand over a complete set.

Works like a charm.

That is exactely what I did...and presented the documents to Qatars staff in Joburg....the problem was that they had no idea what to do next..

Funny enough, a similar thing happened to me here in Dubai with Emirates many years ago.

I got to the airport, and the girl at the check in refused to let on, saying "you have guns!"

She called her supervisor, and gentleman cam over and asked what the problem was.

She told him we had guns.

He got behind the counter and looked at the computer screen.

Pointing to the screen, he asked the girl "where is the problem?"

She mumbled something I could not hear.

He hit the roof! Saying "it is all THERE in the system! So do your job and do not delay passengers again!"

The poor girl could not get us out of their fast enough.

He apologized, and walked us through to the lounge.

Qatar airways is generally very good, even had an airline representative meet me off the plane in Arusha to help clear my rifles.
However there staff in Johannesburg are bloody useless! they kept me waiting nearly two hours as they insisted on making photocopies of my SAPS520 (the only document i didn't have multiple copies of) eventually it transpired that their photocopying machine was broken!
In general all airline staff in Johannesburg need some serious re training as their efficiency and customer service is non existent.

I recommend Emirates. From my experience they always unite their travellers with their guns and ammunitions. And besides you skip Joberg.

Their business class is worth the upgrade.

I think most of the problems are due to Joberg!

That airport is best avoided!

All airlines use locals to staff their counters at JNB. Explains everything....

Virgin Air Lost my Rifle case in LAX. They didn't know if it was in Seattle,LAX or JFK for 12 HOURS!!! The Baggage claim in JFK said OH MY GOD WE LOST A GUN!!! This is NOT GOOD!!!

I have been avoiding JNB for many years. I mostly fly Emirates now. After 20+ years of annual safaris I've flown most rides to Africa and cleared customs with firearms in at least 9 countries. JNB is incredibly BAD and should be avoided at all costs!

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
I suggest this to everyone traveling with firearms.

Make copies of all the required documents, print and take them with you.

Preferably several copies.

Makes life so much easier for everyone concerned.

I make copies of the different documents, and stable each lot together.

When asked at check in or customs, I just hand over a complete set.

Works like a charm.

You would think this would be common sense especially since it’s been mentioned a million times on AR
It’s helped me a couple of times dealing with Saeeds favorite airline .....BA

Even the 'good' airlines can screw up with guns. A number of years ago while going on our annual African safari, my wife and I flew on our first leg from Las Vegas to Atlanta on Delta and my gun case did not show up. It contained a brand new double rifle and a brand new 375 H&H. After looking for it for some time, the Delta agents told me that they believed that it had been stolen. That was the wrong thing to say. I told them that having firearms stolen from an airline was a serious federal offense for Delta. I then spent the whole night in the airport harassing Delta agents and trying to track the whereabouts of the firearms case. Finally at about 4:00 am, they discovered that the gun case had actually gone on to Orlando. They then had it sent back to Atlanta on the next flight and it arrived just in time for us and it to board the flight to Jo'burg.