I am pretty flexible when it comes to African travel but I assure you British Air will receive no more of my money.

The first problem arose When we tried to board in Heathrow London. Coming down the skyway I was greated by two British Bobbies in Body Armor standing over my gun case. They asked "Is this your guncase?" Okay what now? Run? I then had to open the case and go over serials, makes calibers dimensions of the case and weight. BTW All this data had ben supplied to BA months prior. Then the bobbies start quizzing me about the calibers most used by terrorists? WTF?

The next minor problem was the cabin service to Lusaka. Virtually nil.

We had a great hunt with fairgame and the best take off and landings were the bush flights. Go figure.

Now homeward bound. Lusaka to Joberg was ok but that was SAA. Now remembering that I am transiting South Africa with a weapon. So BA has not a clue what their own rules and procedures are. They also have not a clue what the laws of South Africa are. They kept pressing me for a SAPS 520 form and I kept explaining to them that I had not enetered their county and that I was merely transiting through the airport. Well they confiscated my passport and my Us Customs form. They held them for 90 minutes and probably only because I had Barb from International Journies on the cell with her talking to BA in London did I get my stuff returned. It was stupid of me to give up my passport.

Bear in mind this debacle went to the supervisor level at BA. Interestingly the BA desk folks were talking smack in Swahili. I also speak some Swahili.

Welll off and gone to London again. Guns...who knows. Now here gcomes one more kick in the pebbles. Leaving Heathrow a child becomes ill and we had to circle dumping fuel for 45 minutes and land in Glasgow, Scotland. 40 minutes on the ground they assured us. Things happen, people get ill I realize.

The kicker comes when they decide to serve meal service. Okay fine. But then it takes over an hour longer for First Class to complete their meal service. Do you think they could have held off dessert? Total time on the ground...4 hours. Connections are screwed.

The last dagger was the 2 hours necessary to recheck the bags from Dulles to Orlando. One gentleman was helping us. I will write him a letter of appreciation. The rest be damned. Also airlines should review their manpower. No wonder they are going broke. Most employees were just standing around.

41 hours total travel time.

Not fun

Jeff

Yeah, damn those airline employees. I bet those BA folks sic'd the Met police on you just cuz you had a gun and had a funny accent. You just know the armed response guys do whatever the counter folks tell them to. And dammit, you never get enough peanuts from the flight crew.

I had the same problem as you in LA transiting to London with a shotgun. Even had my UK licence with me. Stupid LA girl talking smack to me in "Valley Speak", thinking I would not understand her. She "knew" that guns were illegal in the UK so I could not possibly be bringing one there. It took some serious talking to finally get a proper gentleman supervisor from London who sorted her out and graciously got me back on my way.

Stupid kids getting sick and ruining your flight. I bet the kid could have held it all the way to the states just so you could make your connections. How inconsiderate! I'm sure the reason you were on the ground for four hours had everything to do with the creme brulee and nothing to do with finding fuel, terminal slots, air traffic control or anything like that.

Sorry...not a lot of sympathy. Your post sounds like a great big "WAahhhh!" Welcome to international travel. It is the same in Africa, Europe, Asia and even the USA.

How about:
"Gee, just had a long dramatic travel experience but at least it wasn't boring!"

Maybe you didn't read my post correctly or perhaps you're being a wanker.

Funny,
I will only fly BA, my highest regards to their service and handling of firearms. I will agree however that SAA/Lusaka thing is a bit of a hassle. Next time plan your trip around the BA/Lusaka/Heathrow route

Steve

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:
I then had to open the case and go over serials, makes calibers dimensions of the case and weight. BTW All this data had ben supplied to BA months prior.

They have to check, even if you do supply the numbers in advance?

quote:

Then the bobbies start quizzing me about the calibers most used by terrorists? WTF?

Translation: English sense of humour!

quote:

Also airlines should review their manpower. No wonder they are going broke. Most employees were just standing around.

They are - hence all the recent airline strikes

quote:

41 hours total travel time. Not fun

Agree. Anyway, now you're back, where are the safari pics?

quote:

Originally posted by Nganga:
Funny,
I will only fly BA, my highest regards to their service and handling of firearms. I will agree however that SAA/Lusaka thing is a bit of a hassle. Next time plan your trip around the BA/Lusaka/Heathrow route

Steve

That was my understanding as well. The info was supplied. Boarding on the skyway is not where you reverif and open a guncase. Having you passport taken and being involved with SA police is abit more fun. Just stating the experience. Didn't know I had to justify the facts. Bottom Line it was poorly handled. Oh well.

quote:

Originally posted by Bwana Bunduki:

quote:

Originally posted by Nganga:
Funny,
I will only fly BA, my highest regards to their service and handling of firearms. I will agree however that SAA/Lusaka thing is a bit of a hassle. Next time plan your trip around the BA/Lusaka/Heathrow route

Steve

That was my understanding as well. The info was supplied. Boarding on the skyway is not where you reverif and open a guncase. Having you passport taken and being involved with SA police is abit more fun. Just stating the experience. Didn't know I had to justify the facts. Bottom Line it was poorly handled. Oh well.

Am I to understand they actually had your gun case waiting for you in the jetway upon boarding?

That is absolutely correct. Six feet from the jet door.

Found the pics

That is odd, I once was sitting in the BA lounge in Joberg on the same route you did. Got paged to security, they asked me what caliber my .500NE was??? They seemed ok with .500 as my answer and told me they would contact me with any further questions. As I got to the gate a SAP asked me for my firearms permit, told him I did'nt need it as I was simply transiting. He said ooookkayy. And I boarded. I stay out of that cluster f&%k every chance I get.

Steve

Bwana Bunduki;

At check-in with BA, did you declare your firearms and fill out a separate form?

On several trips with BA, (LAX to Lusaka & LAX to MOZ and Zim) yes we had to provide all the rifle info at time of reservations, but also had to fill out a lengthy form stating serial numbers and flight details as well as purpose of travel. The form was similar to the domestic flight form here in US, stating our firearms are unloaded. It is placed in the rifle case.

We had to do this coming and going on BA flights and did not have any problems at all.

Just wondering.

D. Nelson

Jeff

What calibres were your rifles?

D. Nelson everything was filled out. What was interesting was all the information was in the BA system as my agent got a known contact on the phone in London while I was being mucked about in Joberg.

Steve,

.375 H&H and .458 Lott

Bwana Bunduki;

Well, you did your part...they just didn't do theirs!!!!

Glad it ultimately resolved itself, but they won't get your business anymore!!!

Best regards, D. Nelson

Jeff,

Thanks. Did you get the names/numbers of the cops involved?

Steve, I did not. Remember I am on my knees in the skyway and other travelers are stepping over my guns with wide eyes.

Jeff

I'm booked with BA for next June/July. They are certainly getting stingier with their mileage seats. A year ago booking went like clockwork.

I had no major problems flying with them. I was in first class (mileage) and after boarding in Heathrow and swithing to my 1st class jammies I was sipping their 18 year old Glenlivet when a gentleman in an orange vest came up to my seat and asked if I was traveling with a firearm. I told him I had a rifle yes. he asked me to follow him in my jammies and slippers through a security door down to the tarmac and identify my tuffpak and ammo case. The agent in Seattle had put multiple staples through the bar code and it wouldn't scan.

I appreiciated them taking the extra effort to insure that my rifle arrived with me.

Frostbit-It is a good thing you were traveling in 1st Class.They get priorty treatment with baggage as well.If you had been in economy your story may have not had such a happy ending.

Jeff,

I too always fly BA if possible and recommend it to my clients. My experiences have not been perfect everytime but overall BA has been very good and the guns always get there. Counter folks that don't seem to know their business are I think a circumstance of airline travel and not a unique to any one airline. Air Botswana in '09 BA in JNB actually staraightened things out.

I do feel for you on being accosted on the jetway even if the cops were doing their job and on the 41 hour flight. That had to suck and you didn't sign on for it.

Remember when flying was kind of fun? I vaguely do.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Jeff,

Remember when flying was kind of fun? I vaguely do.

Mark

Mark,

You nailed that one. Sure loses it's luster when you live in a place that an airplane is required to get practically anywhere.

I told my brother a week from now you won't even remember what a kick in the pebbles the travel was.

Jeff

I've been asked if I'm ever afraid of things in Africa....just the travel problems!

D. Nelson

You didn't say if you flew BA over to London.

My experience with BA was no problems IF I had checked the guns in with BA and not done a "check through" to the end of the flight with different airlines.

In the US, American "insisted" that they could check through to my destination of Lusaka or Harare. On my first flight, being anal, I asked BA in Chicago (after the flight from Minneapolis) about the fact that I had guns in my checked luggage, and that I just wanted to make sure they were there. Talk about alarm bells... Took me 3 hours to get it straightened out, but since I had a 5 hour layover, it got done in time. They pulled my bags out, put them in a different pile and handed me a bunch of paperwork, and wanted me to ID them, but TSA would not "let" them.

In short, BA wants to go through the check in process themselves rather than using the US Partner airline's approved policy. The one gal who knew what she was doing said that it was because of the UK gun laws that they just didn't want anyone getting something into the UK that they then had to sort out after the fact. It didn't matter that that was a transit stop, it needed to be right before they started.

I personally think that BA got such a bloody nose from their past reputation poorly handling guns that it is nearly impossible for them to lose guns now with their new proceedures

I have 100 percent confidence in their handling.

I flew BA from Orlando to Dulles. I flew BA from Dulles to Heathrow. BA to Lusaka. There was no reason for any of this. Don't forget about taking my passport for an hour and a half for the same problem in South Africa. Perhaps this was a one off. BA is sufficiently concerned about my situation. I did reveive the guns on both ends.

Jeff

just one more fine example why my guns stay home now when traveling to Africa- camp firearms have worked just fine for the last 5 safaris. life is too short to be bothered with bullshit.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:
just one more fine example why my guns stay home now when traveling to Africa- camp firearms have worked just fine for the last 5 safaris. life is too short to be bothered with bullshit.

Definitely going to try this one next time jdollar.

Jeff

i was scared chitless to fly ba based on their reputation, so we fill out all their forms , called them twice before leaving. the only problem we had was they charged us an extra 50 for the guns, that we knew, but then the dummy behind the counter charged another 50 for ammo. after we got back they refunded that. all in all if was a pretty flawless flight.

We flew Toronto-London-jobug a few years ago with BA and they were great. The staff of Pearson Airport in Toronto...not so much.

Butch,

If you would just listen to your hunt guru you'd always have a flawless trip.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:

In short, BA wants to go through the check in process themselves rather than using the US Partner airline's approved policy.

+1