I always recommend that clients use Gracy Travel, Kathi Klimes or a travel agent that is intimately familiar with African travel and travel with guns to plan their trip. Some folks fail to see that this is beneficial but the below example is proof positive that a good travel agent is invaluable.

This week I had a client and his wife arrive in Denver for there flight to London/RSA and on to Maputo, Mozambique. They had made arrangements to have their luggage checked all the way through to Maputo. In Denver they were told that they would have to claim their luggage in JNB and recheck it on the Maputo flight.(this is not correct) No amount of arguing with the agents could convince them that they could check everything all the way through.

The clients checked in with their bags tagged only as far as JNB. Of course they had no SAPS forms and were completely unprepared for a layover in JNB. Being smart people they immediately called Gracy Travel and myself. To make a long story short Gracy was able to have the bags retagged in London so they could be checked all the way through to Maputo. The clients are presently in Maputo with their guns and luggage overnighting there as planned to start their safari tommorrow.

This is not the end of the story. Gracy also sent the client's info to their guy Bruce in JNB who filled out the SAPS forms for the clients so that if the bags could not be retagged he would be ready to wisk them through the process and get them on the flight to Maputo.

Do you think if these clients had bought their tickets on-line that they would have been able to arrange all these contingencies while in transit. No way!

Use an agent and save yourself the possibility of a huge hassle.

Mark

Mark,

I could not agree more. From my experience, not only do you get good rates, but you get the knowledge of the agent, the connections the agents have and they can make alot of phone calls to numbers you might not even know exist. Let the Pros do their job and enjoy the benefits, even if you arent even aware you are receiving them!

Mark,

I agree completely!

Kathi was very helpful and diligent assisting me during the SAA strike fiasco a few years ago.

And as I've mentioned elsewhere,Doug at Gracy, restructured out entire itinerary during a 6 minute Sat Phone [borrowed!]call when my hunting partner and I "absolutely, positively" had to get out of Victoria Falls as soon as possible!
Dealing with the airlines when you do it yourself is fine, usually, here in the states, but, in the air or in Zimbabwe or any other remote, communication challenged location is best left to those with direct connections to the airlines.

Bruce is worth 10 times the small fee he gets. He personally takes care of you, getting you ahead of the long lines of DIY hunters, can usually make change in US for you (American Express's exchange counter wouldn't give me US currency..jackasses), and he will keep the Buzzard's and Vulture's off you, and believe what I'm telling you....bribes and outright extortion is rampant in Jo'burg currently. You won't go wrong with anyone Mark mentions. LDK

Mark
My wife (Christie) and I are leaving on August 13 for our first safari. Since this hunt is along way from driving 3hrs to the farm to hunt white tails, I have been reading all I can and talking to as many hunters/travelers as I could over the last couple of years to prepare. Reading the horror stories here is almost enough to make you not want to go.

When I talked to NE 450 No2 before his first trip to Zim and he told me he used Gracy Travel. Well for me that was good enough. Gracy is the first and only agent we called when got the dates. I would not attempt this without a pro involved. We are still 13 days out and things could go sour any minute. If they do I feel Gracy will be there to help.

I know a couple who just came back from there 16th trip to SA. They started using an agent but have been doing it on there own for years with very minor issues. We might try it on our own after 7 or 8 years but now I feel the need for a pro.

Use an agent!!!!

I have made over 50 trips to all of the continents in the last 8 years (all but 4 on business). Even when I do not travel with guns, I use an agent. Why? One out of 8 trips ends up with problems (except with going to Australia or New Zealand). Nigeria and Pakistan are the worst unless you are on British Airways.

Use an agent or you are just rolling the dice on a disaster....

Mark-

I agree 100% on the use of an agent. We used Gracy for our June hunt. A redirected flight from SFO to Dulles caused a missed connection on SAA. One call to Doug from the plane and he had us booked on the flight out the next afternoon. If we had tried to wait until landing, it would have been a headache because the SAA people had already went home. Their customer serivce line was horrible and they were over an hour late for the ticket counter opening the next afternoon. Once in South Africa, we got help from Bruce to track down my wifes bag that was missing for four days. They are a top notch company. They will be getting my repeat business.

Greg

Bruce is priceless. Last year I had one bow case arrive in Joberg with the destination tag torn off and my flight was an hour late to boot. That left one hour to recheck my luggage, get through security and make my flight to Windhoek. No way that's going to happen. But Bruce found me, got the bags, including bows, checked, inspected, and hand walked to the plane. The security line was extremely long, but with Bruce's help, I found myself in the "diplomatic" line. Made the plane with 10 minutes to spare. Never would have made it without him.

I get asked these questions all the time.

And my answer is ALWAYS use a travel agent who knows what they are doing.

Saving a few dollars is NOT worth the hassle you might get at some stage of your travel.

It is like insurance, well worth the extra costs.

But, some people are still insisting on saving a few dollars by booking on line.

Travelling nowadays can be a nightmare, even if you are not travelling with firearms.

Since July 1st, IATA stipulated that all tickets should be e-tickets to cut costs.

Trouble is some airlines systems have not been updated in time.

I was travelling on Emirates to Munich, then onto Lufthansa to Stockholm.

I had an e-ticket. At Dubai airport I was informed by Emirates that Lufthansa has not updated their system yet, so would require a paper ticket.

They - Emirates - sent a message ahead to their Munich office, so a paper ticket could be issued for me, and someone would meet me at the arrival and hand it over.

This was done, and I was able to continue my journey.

This would have not been done if Emirates did not have my travel agent to co-ordinate with.

Again, ALWAYS use a travel agent.

I concur completly with the use of travel agents. We use Kathi and the few dramas we have experienced
make whatever fee she charges worth the cost. I am
constantly amazed that people whom are spending 10, 14, 21 days at daily rates of $800-$900/day, worry about minor charges, which if things go badly, can
smooth their way

I have used Gracey in the past but now I am using Kathi. Last year when booking for DSC I check the net and found when I wanted to fly and told Kathi to book them for me and she said Ed why not book them yourself and save my $25. I told her she had been so helpful in the past on other business that the $25 was the least I could do. She is a gem and her husband is a very lucky man. JMO

On all 3 of my trips to Zimbabwe, going through SA I used Gracy Travel, and would do so again.

I think of using travle agent's fees kind of like insurance policies; not really liking to pay for it, but really glad to have it if I need it.

I watched Bruce closely the last time my wife and I went through JNB...I think he could run the whole airport if he had to.

I just returned from RSA and wish I had used Bruse. I did use Gracy, but was not fully aware of Bruce's capabilities. Our flight from IAD to JNB was delayed 3 hours, causing us to miss our connection to PLZ. The meet & greet service (riflepermits.com) helped immensely with arranging our flight the next morning and vouchers for hotel and transport for our unexpected stay in Joburg. Next trip will be with Gracy as well.

Genuine curiousity here - Has anyone used Gracy Travel or Kathi Klimes for Central or Western Africa? If not them, who would you recommend? It seems to be an entirely different ball of wax in Benin and Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Central African Republic, compared to Southern and Eastern Africa. I am just wondering if they have the same level of connections in those regions.

Thanks in advance.

pinotguy

I used Gracy for Cameroon and they did a great job. The safari operators meet/greet person does everything on the ground. Very easy transit of the airport coming and going in Douala.

Mark

quote:

Genuine curiousity here - Has anyone used Gracy Travel or Kathi Klimes for Central or Western Africa? If not them, who would you recommend? It seems to be an entirely different ball of wax in Benin and Burkina Faso, Cameroon and Central African Republic, compared to Southern and Eastern Africa.

Ditto. Used Susan Hill at Gracey for my January 2008 trip to Benin and all went smooth. Spoke with Susan today about tickets to Argentina and found out she is retiring at the end of the year! Darn the luck... gotta find a new go-to.

bwanamrm

Just ask for Shawn at Gracy Travel.
She has handled all 3 of my trips.
She has been great.

quote:

Just ask for Shawn at Gracy Travel.
She has handled all 3 of my trips.
She has been great.

Thanks 450 will do.... tough to say good-bye to Susan though. Been using her since '94!

Bummed that Susan is retiring. She was of major assistance to us on our recent trip to Africa. I would simply not travel to Africa without using Gracy or another agent that specializes in that travel. While we were in Africa, our oldest son was informed he needed to report to his College soccer camp earlier than had been scheduled and from the bush we contacted Susan who made arrangements for his flights back and was able to avoid change charges other than a modest fee. She then assisted us again, when my wife and I were literally left at an airstrip (that's a whole 'nother story) the evening we were to depart Masai Mara back to Nairobi so she could fly to the states and I to Dar for my hunt. She arranged changed flights for my wife for the next night and me on another flight to Dar seemlessly. I think that by the end of our trip she must have cringed every time she heard I was on the phone.