Contemplating a trip to SA in 2018. Travel agent is recommending SAA from the US to Joberg vs Emirates because "Emirates requires a lot of paper work". This would be the first trip that I have my wife accompanying me, and I don't want it to be the last . We would be going business class. Anyone traveled both SAA and Emirates that could enlighten me on the difference? Thanks.

Forgot to mention-I will be taking firearms.

I'm headed that way on the 13th with Emirates, Los Angeles - Joberg via Dubai. I used Kathi for the docs. It appears to me that most of the paperwork was for South Africa. So your going to have it either way.

I'd say you need a different travel agent. Maybe Gracy Travel, Travel with Guns, and I have recently found Travel Express very easy to contact.

No comparison Emirates is head and solders above SAA. Travel with guns will take care of the paperwork on the guns .

You will not find a better business class product than Emirate on an A380. The 777-300ER are nice planes, still above anything SAA or Delta has. If YOU book your flight, you can do the "paperwork on-line". My understanding is if an AGENT books the flight so much for the on-line, thus the lot of paperwork. I have an Emirates flight coming up with a 14 hour layover, during the day or I could have taken a different Emirates flight and had a short layover at night but my wife wants to see Dubai.

We are flying Emirates to Joberg in August. Africa Sky is handling everything when we touch down in Joberg. That was a very simple process sending them the information they need.

I went online and filled out the firearms paperwork on the Emirates website. It took me all of 10 minutes. The next day I received a polite email telling me all of my paperwork was correct but I had filed too early and to resend in no more than 30 days prior to departure.

Safe travels..............Larry