Has anyone flown the USA-Frankfurt-Windhoek route lately? Our little band of rednecks will be going to WDH soon and we have always taken the Joburg route. We are interested in trying something new and would appreciate any pros and cons regarding this particular routing.

If 2007 counts as lately, then yes. I don't think anything has changed since then.

I find the route through Frankfurt much more traveler-friendly than going through JNB. (However, returning through JNB, due to time zones and connections, seems to work just fine.)

You'll leave the U.S. in the afternoon and reach Frankfurt in the early morning, local time. Sleep on the plane (use drugs if necessary) then stay active all day in Frankfurt, where you can take the train downtown and shop, drink the local beers and eat the local sausages, etc. By NOT getting sleeping accomodations during the roughly 10-12 hour layover before your Air Namibia plane departs that night, you'll be fully conditioned to the time change by the time you reach Windhoek the next morning (and you'll be tired enough to sleep on the 10-hour flight, regardless of the plywood seat bottoms of the Airbus.)

Be sure to book with an airline which has an interline baggage agreement with Air Namibia. This way your checked baggage will not need to be claimed or touched until you arrive in Namibia (no customs or storage hassles). The Frankfurt airport has a baggage check station where you can temporarily check your carry-ons while you do the tourist thing for a few hours around Frankfurt. No customs check or other red tape is involved in leaving the airport to travel downtown.

The biggest problem with going through JNB is that the only same-day connection to WDH is so tight that you are 90% likely to have to spend the night in JNB. This entails red tape regarding your guns and expense regarding sleeping accomodations.

It's too bad that Air Namibia dropped its London flights. London would make a nice alternative to Frankfurt for a change of pace.

Never done it myself, but everything I've read and researched shows it to be more expensive than the Joberg route with a long layover in Germany. The long layover could be either good or bad depending upon your point of view.

We are doing the dallas/frankfurt/windhoek route the 22nd of this month. I can let you know after the trip. I got tired of the jobergh hassle factor..

I did it about a year ago.

No hassles whatsoever in Frankfurt. I had my Dad with me so he appreciated the long (12 hr) layover.

We got a couple sleeping rooms at the Sheraton, got a few hours of shuteye and a shower and were good to go for the flight to WDH.

I have no experience with the JNB way but this worked well for us.

Air Namibia was a pretty decent airline with good service I thought.

I just sent my parents to Windhoek via the Frankfurt route, and they loved it. They are on the way back as I type this, but I spoke with them upon arrival in Windhoek and everything went smoothly.

One thing that has recently changed (even since they booked the tickets 8 months ago, so I guess it's a "con") is the baggage agreement did not carry their luggage all the way to Windhoek like it was supposed to. They were made aware of this upon arriving at our local airport, but said it was no problem when they got to Frankfurt, and re-checking the rifles and luggage took about 5 minutes.

Greg

I did it in 2007. I'm not a huge fan of that route. Now that Delta has the uninterupted flight between Atlanta and J'berg it is easier in my opinion. Just get the bulk of the travel out of the way in one sitting, spend the night in J'berg and head to your final stop well rested the next day. J'berg airport is pretty easy to negotiate now and the international concourse is pleasant enough to spend layover time in.

Greg,
Which airline did not allow the baggage to be checked through to Windhoek? I have flown Houston to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, then Air Namibia, twice and have been able to check straight through both times. I am going to Windhoek again next year, and I am debating which route to take, Frankfurt or J'berg.

I get an afternoon flight out of Newark or LaGuarida (NY) direct to JoBerg that lands at about 8am local time...plenty of time to catch the flight to Windhoek about 11am. .

I did it in 2009. The flights were fine. I almost had an issue with my gun on the way home .... the Air Namibia folks forgot to have me sign the certification that it was unloaded. This created some confusion in Frankfurt. In the end, everything worked out fine. The same thing could have happened in JoBerg. I shutter to think what it would have cost to make things right there.

Typing this from Pension Oganga in Windhoek right now. Flew US Air Tampa to Frankfurt and in last Monday/Tuesday - smooth as silk and no issues other than the US Air rep in Tampa was a bit unsure of being able to check bags/guns all the way through. Once she sorted that out no problems. Did a dayroom at the Carot Hotel in Frankfurt.

This was our first time through Frankfurt - did the J'burg route the three previous years. Liked this route and the break in Frankfurt MUCH better. No worries about stuff being stolen in J'berg or missed connections with baggage.

Gun claims/import was a bit slow due to a bunch of French guys and them not having their one page import permit filled out ahead of time and just their being French and attitude with the police in general. If they would have had their act together it would have gone much smoother for all.

Did the IAH/Frankfurt/Windhoek in 2006. Will do it again w/ the wife in kids in a few years. Lufthansa/AirNamibia had "carry through" then, don't know about today. Only problem I had was in Houston w/how much ammo I had and the weight.

All of us in my group had our Namibian gun paperwork done before we left the states. Said "excuse me" to those that were using the walls for a desk and went right on through.

I kinda like it when some SOB that is ahead of me acts like what me3taco said happened on his trip. I just turn up the southern manners and draw a bit, after an eye roll

I've done the Frankfurt-Windhoek route three times in the past 14 years, most recently last November (2010). I prefer it over any other route involving Jo'Burg. We've utilize the layover to take an organized bus tour of Frankfurt. Recently we do a couple days in Germany to visit the wife's relatives and do tourist things.

This last trip I did not travel with any firearms. In the past we checked our firearms at a 'short term storage' facility located on a lower level of the airport. I have no idea if that service is still available.

I've done Chicago/Frankfurt/Windhoek twice, once in 2006 and again in 2009. We flew Lufthansa and Air Namibia. No issues or problems either time. The first time I was traveling with my then 12 year old son. We just waited out the layover in Frankfurt in the terminal. The second time I took the whole family - both of my boys and my wife. We got the day room at the Sheraton. I personally thought it was unnecessary but my wife was happy we had the room. Jet lag was no issue either time - by the time you get to Windhoek you're pretty tired but you get to camp and get some chow and hit the rack at a reasonable hour and the next morning you're good to go.

Not a huge fan of Joburg. I'm on my way there tomorrow and can't say I'm looking forward to it.

I did the Atalanta - Gatwick - Windhoek in 2008 and checked my bags all the way through. Except for the 12 hour layover in Gatwick everything was great.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg Brownlee:

One thing that has recently changed (even since they booked the tickets 8 months ago, so I guess it's a "con") is the baggage agreement did not carry their luggage all the way to Windhoek like it was supposed to.Greg

Yes, which airline was this? I flew Delta on the U.S. - FRA leg and never touched our checked baggage until deplaning in WDH. Flying an airline without a baggage agreement with Air Namibia could complicate your trip.

BTW: Details like this are where the advice of an experienced travel agent is very useful.

quote:

Originally posted by MCM300:
Greg,
Which airline did not allow the baggage to be checked through to Windhoek? I have flown Houston to Frankfurt on Lufthansa, then Air Namibia, twice and have been able to check straight through both times. I am going to Windhoek again next year, and I am debating which route to take, Frankfurt or J'berg.

They flew Continental to Frankfurt then Air Namibia to Windhoek. Not the best combo going over. Strangely enough they were able to check the guns all the way home on the return leg using the same airlines. Something about the Houston-Frankfurt leg screwed them up.

Fly Lufthunsa and you should be okay from what I understand, they just had miles for Continental.

Greg, I fly over the July 22nd/ contenintal/frankfurt, windhoek. I noticed Air Namiba has more restrictive baggage rules than the last time, like a max in economy of 20 kg. Also some bizzare formula for excess baggage or overage like 1.5% or regular one way fare, etc. Has anyone had any experience with this this summer? Thanks,,,

quote:

Originally posted by drwes:
Greg, I fly over the July 22nd/ contenintal/frankfurt, windhoek. I noticed Air Namiba has more restrictive baggage rules than the last time, like a max in economy of 20 kg. Also some bizzare formula for excess baggage or overage like 1.5% or regular one way fare, etc. Has anyone had any experience with this this summer? Thanks,,,

Unless something has recently changed, the international treaties governing air transport provide that tickets sold in the U.S. for flights originating in the U.S. and connecting overseas have a free baggage allowance for the entire trip (going and returning) of two checked bags of not more than 50 lbs each. The lower limit is for passengers originating in places other than the U.S. Perhaps some of the travel experts can chime in here to let us know if I've gotten this right.

Butchbuck,
Just did the US to Frankfurt with United a little over 30 days ago. Bag and gun checked at Honolulu and picked up in Windhoek. Sometimes a day room in Frankfurt is worth it if the layover is more than 10 hrs. Otherwise, there are showers at the Frankfurt airport for 7 Euros.

Geoff

Denver to Frankfurt to Windhoek three times. Day room at the Sheraton across the street from the Frankfurt airport. Dinner, drink, shower and sleep and back across the street @2200hrs. Seamless.

Just got back from Namibia, and did the Paris route... its more expensive in the end, and the connections are quite tight, although you don't have the leave the terminal, you have the transfer desk, which is very slow. I would not recommend it.