For those who have flown Emirates with firearms...how long before your departure date did you receive your permit/permission or whatever you get to allow you to transit through DBX/fly with firearms? We leave April 17th.

I have filled out the forms online and received my "receipt" that they got it but crickets since. I have called customer service but quite frankly I get a different person every time and they have been little help.

I assume it will show up in an email sometime before I leave. However, at this rate the whole "rent a rifle" thing is looking awfully attractive to this bow hunter who doesn't travel with firearms often.

Three weeks prior to departure for me.

quote:

Originally posted by AK145:
For those who have flown Emirates with firearms...how long before your departure date did you receive your permit/permission or whatever you get to allow you to transit through DBX/fly with firearms? We leave April 17th.

I have filled out the forms online and received my "receipt" that they got it but crickets since. I have called customer service but quite frankly I get a different person every time and they have been little help.

I assume it will show up in an email sometime before I leave. However, at this rate the whole "rent a rifle" thing is looking awfully attractive to this bow hunter who doesn't travel with firearms often.

Anywhere from just under 2 weeks to a month in advance. Emirates customer service is DREADFUL. The only people who will actually be able to help you on this front is: Emirates Group Security- give them a ring with your details.

You can't apply earlier than 30 days before travel. I got mine two weeks later.

Thanks the responses, much appreciated.

Mine took one day, and I applied 2 months in advance.
I sent them my documents on Jan 16, and the same day got this reply:

Firearm Declaration Form
Dear Customer,

Thank you for submitting the declaration form. You will be notified by email when your request has been processed.

Please ensure you print a copy of the PDF attached in this email and carry it with you at the time of check-in.

Sincerely yours,
Emirates

It had a PDF form attached with my flight and firearm details. The next day I got this reply:

Dear Mr.XXXXXX,
We are pleased to inform you that your request for the carriage of firearms is approved under booking reference C7NAIS.
Please remember to print a copy of the declaration sent to you earlier and carry with you at the time of check-in.

May we also request you to contact the other airline included in your itinerary for their necessary approval.

Thank you for choosing Emirates. We look forward to welcoming you on-board.

Sincerely yours,


Junaid Sheik
Customer Sales & Service Representative
Tell us what you think about your experience with us today in our 10 second survey ?

I got the first email just fine. I'm waiting on the second email saying I was approved. Still nothing from them.

I hope you get sorted out quick. I wonder what the hold up is? Good luck and enjoy your hunt!!

Well, it seems there is a problem. Even though I have a confirmation e-mail with reference number,(see a above post) Emirates Group Security deny having any knowledge of issuing me one. I thought i would confirm my permit, but got this reply:

Dear Mr.Xxxxxx

Group Security did not received any request through Emirates website for carriage of firearm for you and/or your group. Since your group is travelling tomorrow and there is no approval received from Dubai local Authority , your group can not carry firearm on Emirates flight.

If you able to postponed your travel date and submit the request through website, we will process the request accordingly.

Please note that the complete process required at least 3 working days to finalised and obtain necessary clearance from Dubai local authority (Dubai Police Authority and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority).


Where to find the form:

www.emirates.com Help Centre Baggage Baggage allowances and excess baggage What are the rules for carrying firearms, weapons and ammunition in my baggage

So now what. 5 hours away from departing and it appears i have no permit

Damn! When I called customer service (3 times) they had no record of me ever submitting anything...ever. I've about resigned myself to shooting a lot before I go and renting a rifle there. The money spent on a rifle rental equals the headache by this point. Four trips with a bow without a wrinkle of a problem...now this.

Sorry to hear about your troubles my friend.

I figure i will just leave my gun at home. The last thing i want is delayed flights because of customs hassles. And i am traveling with a wife, a 3 and a 6 year old. I do not want to spend more time in an airport than i have to. And none of the emirates customer service seem to know why/ what / who to speak to, and they are very difficult to understand as well.
Damn. Not a good way to start a 14 day safari!

Despite how nice their planes are and their services...their customer service sucks, plain and simple. Good luck and have a great trip. Hopefully the bad luck will end with this hassle...fun times are ahead!

I have had a similar experience, 12 hours before I got the same answer, and ended up on the phone for hours working to get it sorted (I did).

Yep, they have horrible phone customer support.

Sorry about your experience with the gun permit process with Emirates . I have used Travel With guns because of their ability to reliability navigate the ins and outs of the gun issue with Emaciates . used them 4 times with no problem had permit in hand 2 weeks before flight .

quote:

Originally posted by shotgun46:
Sorry about your experience with the gun permit process with Emirates . I have used Travel With guns because of their ability to reliability navigate the ins and outs of the gun issue with Emaciates . used them 4 times with no problem had permit in hand 2 weeks before flight .

Which is great IF they will actually help you. Since I'm flying on mileage tickets I was told by TWG that they would not help me obtain a permit even if I paid them a fee for the service.

I had to leave the rifle home!!. They knew nothing of me. I showed them my permit and i just got a blank stare back. i am in Seattle now waiting to board Emirates to Dubai. I managed to get one guy from them that was sympathetic to my situation. I told him this is a common problem. He felt bad. Or at least it looked like he did. But nothing we can do now. My PH thinks it is funny and offered me the use of any of his rifles free of charge!! So at least the show goes on!!

I wouldn't give Emirates a penny unless they were the only option available. Even then I may just hunt elsewhere.

sorry it did not work out but it is your choice to go air miles and it is their choice not to do gun permits unless they sell you a ticket

quote:

Originally posted by AK145:

quote:

Originally posted by shotgun46:
Sorry about your experience with the gun permit process with Emirates . I have used Travel With guns because of their ability to reliability navigate the ins and outs of the gun issue with Emaciates . used them 4 times with no problem had permit in hand 2 weeks before flight .

Which is great IF they will actually help you. Since I'm flying on mileage tickets I was told by TWG that they would not help me obtain a permit even if I paid them a fee for the service.

quote:

Originally posted by shotgun46:
sorry it did not work out but it is your choice to go air miles and it is their choice not to do gun permits unless they sell you a ticket

quote:

Originally posted by AK145:

quote:

Originally posted by shotgun46:
Sorry about your experience with the gun permit process with Emirates . I have used Travel With guns because of their ability to reliability navigate the ins and outs of the gun issue with Emaciates . used them 4 times with no problem had permit in hand 2 weeks before flight .

Which is great IF they will actually help you. Since I'm flying on mileage tickets I was told by TWG that they would not help me obtain a permit even if I paid them a fee for the service.

No kidding...

I never complained about TWG, just stating what happened after several people mentioned using them. I'm sure they're great.

Sorry you guys had issues. I did all the leg work myself and it went quite easily. All paperwork submitted 30 days (not one day earlier I was told) and permits secured two weeks later.

I never tried a phone call (worthless). I simply used NYCRREK2@emirates.com email address for all communication.

That said, Joyce and I spent two hours in an office at the airport as every UAE policeman came in and took cell phone pictures of my double.

They were gracious and supplied tea and water and were very gentlemanly to Joyce.

All part of the experience.

The funniest part was one "policeman" that came in and said he needed to photograph our ammo as well. He took one of Joyce's boxes of 7 x 57 ammo and when he tried to open it the entire lot of 20 fell on the floor. He improvised not to look the fool and lined them up on the floor as if he intended this as a better way to photograph them.

Joyce and I just looked at each other, smiled, and figured it was worth the price of admission.

Cheers
Jim

The funny thing is this morning i recieved an email saying my permit is approved with a new reference number. 2 days after my departure! Interesting thing is I did not apply a 2nd time, nor did I send them any details other than the first time I applied on Jan 16th. This whole experience was a little bizarre! Needles to say Emirates will never see me again. I doubt they care about me in any case. Our flight from Dubai to Johannesburg only had about a 100 passangers on so at least we each had a whole row of 10 seats to ourselves

But that is all in the past!! Now looking forward to Kudu, Eland, Bushbuck, Wildebeest, Bushpig, Impala, Warthog and maybe a Njala if a good one presents itself

Have a great time! Lets see some pictures when you get back!

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:
Sorry you guys had issues. I did all the leg work myself and it went quite easily. All paperwork submitted 30 days (not one day earlier I was told) and permits secured two weeks later.

I never tried a phone call (worthless). I simply used NYCRREK2@emirates.com email address for all communication.

That said, Joyce and I spent two hours in an office at the airport as every UAE policeman came in and took cell phone pictures of my double.

They were gracious and supplied tea and water and were very gentlemanly to Joyce.

All part of the experience.

The funniest part was one "policeman" that came in and said he needed to photograph our ammo as well. He took one of Joyce's boxes of 7 x 57 ammo and when he tried to open it the entire lot of 20 fell on the floor. He improvised not to look the fool and lined them up on the floor as if he intended this as a better way to photograph them.

Joyce and I just looked at each other, smiled, and figured it was worth the price of admission.

Cheers
Jim

Jim,

I set aside some money to rent a rifle from the outfitter if I have to...no big deal. I just wish the process had gone smoother. It is...what it is. It certainly won't deter anything from a great trip that we have planned.

We got some snow up this way...finally!...a couple days ago. What a crazy warm winter. Maybe we can get together for a drink next time I'm in the valley.

Peyton