I will going on my 1st hunt in Zambia in August. On my way back via British Airways, I will be on a less than 24 hour layover (7:00 pm to 2pm next day). BA says that my guns and luggage will be held in transit until my connecting flight since the layover is less than 24 hours. Thus, I assume that will not need to hire a broker to keep them. I just plan to take a train into London with my backpack and come back the next morning to continue my flight back to Phoenix. Is this true, or am I in error?

It'll depend on a few factors such as which terminal(s) you use, do you change terminals (or indeed airports) and which airline(s) you're booked with and what agreements they have with each other.

I'd recommend you ask your travel agent to confirm in writing what arrangements (if any) you need to make and also whether you'll be allowed to leave the airside area whilst your bags are in the transit area.

If you can get the airline(s) themselves to give you similar confirmation in writing, then so much the better.

We had about a 9 hour layover in London when we flew over in May. We simply checked our baggage, guns included, straight through to Jo'burg, and didn't worry about it. We took the train into London and spent a few hours wandering around in Kensington. With the amount of time you have there, you can do some interesting things that we didn't have time to do. Our guns and other baggage arrived just fine. We flew British Airways without problem.

I'm not sure about whether you'd need a gun courier for that long of a layover, and certainly think that Shakari's suggestion merits consideration.

Paul,

I've just re-read your post and if you're flying BA all the way through, there's a few things you need to be aware of.

Firstly, they require 72 hours notice that you're travelling with firearms. I suggest you have your travel agent add the following statement into the comments section of your booking:

'Travelling with sporting firearms'

Make sure they use that exact phrase and make sure you take a printed copy of that with you when you travel.

Secondly, be aware they are very strict on the rule of not accepting ex military calibres such as 30.06 & 308 etc......... I've heard they're going to relax that rule but haven't seen anything in writing yet, so if you're planning to take an ex military calibre, I suggest you make sure you have something in writing stating the airline will accept the calibre.

Next up, BA rules are that you can't check bags through and leave the secure area before the final destination.......... this is a security rule and although you would probably get landside to go to London, you may well have problems getting back airside afterwards. Esp as your ticket will have been pulled and your booking will show you as having checked in already.

If you do leave the airside area, the airline will also put your bags and firearms on hold and if that hold isn't removed, even if you show up for your flight, they'll hold the bags back for a later flight.

You might like to check the BA firearms regulations here: http://www.shakariconnection.c...l-with-firearms.html

Thank you all for your insights. I am using BA all the way through and using the same terminal at Heathrow. The calibers are .375 and .458, so it doesn't fall into the military category. I booked the flights and arranged the hotels myself (after researching this great forum). The travel agent I was using was not good and this forum gave me more answers than she did. I will follow up with all of your suggestions. Thanks again.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
Paul,

Next up, BA rules are that you can't check bags through and leave the secure area before the final destination.......... this is a security rule and although you would probably get landside to go to London, you may well have problems getting back airside afterwards.[/url]

Am I misunderstanding this. Are you suggesting if a person flew from Lusaka with a final destination of Seattle and flew into Heathrow to depart Heathrow the next day (thus overnight) that they are not supposed to leave the airside? Sounds a bit strange when their website say "Overnight accomadations will be required".

It's a while since I've been involved in this and I might have a few minor details slighty wrong, but you can bet your life that in this post 9/11 society, airport security only ever gets tighter rather than looser........ esp at LHR where these things have been additionally tight since the Lockerbie incident. (and of course the history of the Irish troubles).

If you check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan_Am_Flight_103, you'll see someone checked a bag in and then went missing. The aircraft came down shortly after departing LHR. (Although that isn't where the passenger checked in and disappeared) So that's the reason for the regs and also the reason why they're enforced so strictly.

Can you get away with just going through passport control or insisting you want to go landside? Sure you can, the UK isn't a police state but getting back in again afterwards, ain't gonna be as easy.

If you're bags are checked through, then you're considered an 'in transit' passenger. You and your bags are in (separate) secure areas and your tickets and booking have been processed as such.

If you then leave the secure area and go 'landside' then firstly your bags will be put on hold on the computer, which means when their bar codes are scanned, the computer will tell the baggage loaders the bags are not clear to load and they will be set aside until you reappear, clear security again and (hopefully) the check in agent amends your booking to make your bags 'clear to load again' Assuming that happens and assuming the baggage handlers remember to rescan your bags, then they'll be loaded........ Note the repeated use of the word assuming.

Before you go landside, you'll need to have the airline amend your booking, ticket and boarding pass (if you have one) to show that fact. If you don't then when you try to go 'airside' again, then you're gonna be faced with a long delay in getting back into the airport. If you do have them amend your booking to show you've gone 'landside' then you'll still have a longish delay while you check in again etc.

If you're travelling with firearms, then the problems are magnifies many times over because they're additionally paranoid about firearms.

It's also not impossible that the airline may tell you that if you want to go landside, you need to collect your bags, take them with you and then recheck them in on your return....... again, if you're travelling with firearms, it's not an easy excercise.

In short, a lot will depend on what members of staff you deal with but BA and indeed most if not all airlines at LHR make it extremely difficult for in transit pssengers to go landside and most, have rules forbidding it or at least making it an extremely awkward excercise to dissuade passengers from doing it.

Frankly, unless one has to attend to pressing business, I'd recommend ditching the idea, staying airside and getting some sleep instead.

Thanks again. I may needed a firearms courier. The prospect of sitting in an airport from 7PM to 2:30pm the next day is not attractive. I will have to see if LHR has dayrooms to rent for the night airside.

There's an airside hotel there.

It is possible to check your bags through& leave the airport. You do not have to stay airside. I will pm you security tel number

Wharton