Flight SA208 was cancelled on Saturday by SAA - stood in line for hours - it was a truly ugly mess. Cited mechanical problems. Looks like I'll be heading out Sunday morning. However, it is uncertain whether I'll make the connecting flight out of Jo'berg.

Kept my cool throughout, which is more than I can say for the SAA staff. They were total unprepared and ineffective. Found out one interesting thing -- the folks at the Dulles ticket counter are some type subcontractors and not direct SAA personnel. This really complicated things as they did not have the same level of access to SAA resources and info. Overall, they were very unprofessional. They lady in charge was scolding everyone -- customer and staff alike. Also, SAA Customer Care Offices and Call Centers are not open after 4:00pm on weekends - so, we were pretty much SOL, and at the mercy of the counter agents (they had none). Only other option given was to fly Air France to Heathrow, link up with KLM to JNB, and SAA to Bulawayo. Can't imagine that my luggage would make it.

Hope the unseen forces are in a better mood Sunday morning.

Good luck to you. I hope you get off the ground quickly and meet up with your luggage upon your arrival. Don't let the start of the trip put a damper on the whole trip.

I've flown to Jo'burg on SAA 208 out of Dulles. As I recall many of the airport staff I encountered were bitter and harsh and seemingly unhappy to be employed. At least they were nicer than that bunch working at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta.

Happy Hunting!

At this posting I hope you're already on your way and things have smoothed out. I've seen that staff at Dulles on the way out in '07. We were very late making the connection and they did seem very confused. I felt like we were already in Africa, but one of them did get us on the plane, entering through the right hand ladder in first class, (we were in coach) with the whole plane glaring at us. Very bizarre.

Good hunting!

Thanks Guys -- Appreciate the moral support.

I'm here in Johannesburg, overnighting in a hotel paid for by SAA -- actually, a pretty nice place (and I get free dinner and breakfast) but the price that I had to pay for the free room has been very high. It has been an absurdly poor trip thus far. When I got to the airport on Sunday for the rescheduled flight, they did not begin checking folks in until after 8:00 am. Reason being, SAA did not upload the passenger manifest into the automated system, so they had to manually enter everyone's information. The flight was scheduled to depart at 10:00, which would have got me there in time for a Bulawayo connection. Well, they took until 12:36 to liftoff, and missed my connection. It was just as well, as my bowcase did not show up in JNB with me anyway. SAA folks have been completely aloof in the matter, and in fact the lady at Dulles actually laughed at my making a connection -- which I did not think was funny. Well, lost a hunt day, and will put in a claim with the airline.

On a more positive note -- I spoke to my PH who followed up with SAA MGT about my luggage. The report is that my bag was delayed getting through security in Dulles and should be in the late afternoon flight. They anticipate that it will arrive with me in Bulawayo (I'm not counting on it). As a contingency, my PH knows a guy with a new completely rigged out Mathews bow with arrows, which we can borrow for the hunt, and it will be in camp upon my arrival.

Auspicious beginnings, but the good news is that it can only improve from here. I plan to have fun no matter what happens. This is my vacation, and I won't allow it to be spoiled. There will be some overcoming adversity stories in my future.

The only way that SAA performance or service could have been worse is if they crashed the plane. What a shame, years ago this outfit used to be a class act -- every trip I take with them gets progressively worse.

Hope your hunt itself is all that you wish for inspite of the airline mess at the beginning.

Why we as hunters continue to support SAA is beyond me (tho in some cases there is NO other choice of an airline to use)

Bisonhunter,
There are many other options to SAA. Delta, BA, Ethiopian, Virgin, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa. Just didnt know if you were aware. I think we all agree, SAA has not maintained their level of service as in the past.

I thought Virgin does not transport firearms?

quote:

Originally posted by CARLOSTHEJACKAL:
I thought Virgin does not transport firearms?

According to their website, they are allowed.
http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/us/passengerinformati.../sportsequipment.jsp

I had to look though...I was thinking about Arrowslingers hunting with a bow.

I heard SAA is in worse shape than our airlines here. That may explain the service

just another example of BEE at work- in this at the management end of things.

robncolorado,
yes, I know lots of other airlines fly to Joberg, in fact I used British Airways on my May/June 2008 trip and the treatment from the BA staff and ticket agents was GREAT. Now my connecting flight from Joberg to Windhoek was on SAA booked thru a travel agent and that was okay I guess for that 90 min + or - flight, tho they (SAA) did make me take my ammo out of my 2nd checked suitcase (not guncase) and check it seperatly as a 3rd bag ( and it suffered in their handling on and off the plane) tho I did get all my ammo in Windhoek, plus SAA hit me for over $100.00 bucks in excess baggage fees since I wasn't with them on the over ocean flights to get to Joberg. And then on the way home, SAA personnel failed to check ALL the luggage holds on the plane in Joberg when we landed and only thru prompting by my meet and greet service person did SAA people even think to recheck the plane and finally after almost 2 hours bring my gun case into the terminal for me to claim and then continue on my trip home, again on British Airways. Next time I hunt in Namibia (?) I'll try and avoid SA and SAA altogether. Not sure who else flies from Joberg to Windhoek other than Air Namibia and can't comment on their service quality.

My BA flights and changes were done without the use of a travel agent/service and were, for me on this trip just fine. My Flight on SAA was booked thru a travel service and thats where I had problems, tho not because of something that the travel service did or didn't do.

quote:

Originally posted by bisonhunter1:
robncolorado,
yes, I know lots of other airlines fly to Joberg, in fact I used British Airways on my May/June 2008 trip and the treatment from the BA staff and ticket agents was GREAT. Now my connecting flight from Joberg to Windhoek was on SAA booked thru a travel agent and that was okay I guess for that 90 min + or - flight, tho they (SAA) did make me take my ammo out of my 2nd checked suitcase (not guncase) and check it seperatly as a 3rd bag ( and it suffered in their handling on and off the plane) tho I did get all my ammo in Windhoek, plus SAA hit me for over $100.00 bucks in excess baggage fees since I wasn't with them on the over ocean flights to get to Joberg. And then on the way home, SAA personnel failed to check ALL the luggage holds on the plane in Joberg when we landed and only thru prompting by my meet and greet service person did SAA people even think to recheck the plane and finally after almost 2 hours bring my gun case into the terminal for me to claim and then continue on my trip home, again on British Airways. Next time I hunt in Namibia (?) I'll try and avoid SA and SAA altogether. Not sure who else flies from Joberg to Windhoek other than Air Namibia and can't comment on their service quality.

My BA flights and changes were done without the use of a travel agent/service and were, for me on this trip just fine. My Flight on SAA was booked thru a travel service and thats where I had problems, tho not because of something that the travel service did or didn't do.

Bisonhunter, Yeah, I see your problem with Windhoek/SAA. I was thinking of Zimbabwe as Arrowslinger was remarking on Zim when he started the thread. Since Arrowslinger was not transporting firearms, he could use BA into Zim.

I have only been hit 2 times for excess baggage and both times it was warranted. Once on BA for an extra gun case I was taking to a friend in Zambia and the second time was Zambian Airways when my bags exceeded their limits which were pretty light as I recall.

For what its worth, I am flying delta into joberg in 09 and most like SAA into Vic Falls....smply becasue I am using miles and BA wont fly firearms into Zim

If you insist upon flying SAA, don't be surprised at anything that happens.