Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Travel (to Africa) Question

I'm making my first trip to Africa next spring and have to ask a travel related question of those who have made the trip before.

I'm flying Delta to JoBerg, RSA. I have an upgraded (Business class) ticket that has 3 checked bags 70 pounds or less and up to 62" linear (L+W+H) included, plus the carry on stuff. Generous allowances compared to coach.

I read the Baggage Rules at Delta http://www.delta.com/traveling_chec...e/fragile_bulky/sporting_goods/index.jsp ) and the TSA rules (http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm)
and no mention is made of case dimensions when referencing shooting equipment, just that it counts toward the baggage allowance, and cases with more than two rifles/shotguns get an extra charge. There's stuff there about how many guns and how much ammo, and at TSA, even that you can pack the ammo in your gun case. (That's a can o' worms from what I've read here.) My old two gun case did not meet the lockability requirements of the TSA (I have one like the example they showed of a bad case, but used it many times on domestic trips up to 2003 or so), so I bought a Pelican 1750 Series. Just long enough to fit the rifle, plenty of room for the shotgun and some extras. All is well I thought.

I never thought about any oversize luggage problems when I bought my Pelican case, but it measures over 62 inches L+W+H, more like 76.12 inches!

Has anyone had to pay oversize charges on gun cases? I've a 26" barreled gun that's 46+" long, and a shotgun, so a two gun case is bound to be over 62 inches, isn't it? I still have time to get another case if it makes sense. If I can find one that makes the tape! I guess I just want to prepare myself if the fees apply.

I cringe at calling the airline, it's pot luck on who you get. Any experience out there?

Thanks.

I went to South Africa this past September. I also flew Delta. My 2 gun case (Cabela's by ICC) was over 62" and I did not get dinged for excess baggage fees.

Oh, I will say you lucky dog about being upgraded.

Thanks Heeler.

I have to thank my lovely, caring, considerate, soul mate of a wife for the upgrade.

She was convinced by the threat of "DVT" to her 6'4" hubby that an upgrade was needed. That, and a 50% off of normal fare move by Delta.

I am normally too tight to part with $$ for an upgrade, and I don't have the miles for an upgrade! The upgradeable coach fare was just $800 less than the price I paid, so it would not have paid to buy and use the miles. I will end up picking up 27K miles this way as well. That upgradeable coach fare was about 3 times the lowest coach fare available! That kind of dilutes the value of the miles IMHO.

One thing - I am going at the start of the season, before the World Cup inflates things, and the fares are higher in the months following my trip. Some dates are stupid high.

Thanks again, I feel better.

I had decided to go to Zimbabwe on June 27th. My airfare was $3200! I priced May 1st and fare is $1250. I talked with PH my goal is archery Elephant and that is not good time to go for that. I also am applying for Kodiak Island Brown bear which would be May 1st. I have since changed Africa to Sept . I think airfare should be cheaper then because of the "shoulder season". Bob

Bob,
I'm going April 24 to May 5 (including travel). For May 1 to 12, it was about $500 more total - about $1750 vs. $1250. Funny, but the fees and taxes were bumped a lot. Have to see if the percentage went up...

Even now the BizElite fare discount has been reduced some. World Cup. My PH says he's nearly booked every day from May to August - folks figure they'll stay and hunt since they are there...happy problems I suppose!

Vagabond. I hear ya on the being tall. I'm 6'2". I had an aisle seat in coach and found I had pretty good leg room, but the fold out seat/beds in business class did look awful nice. LOL

I took my dad on my trip and he asked what business class cost. I looke at him and said "the cost of this whole trip." HaHaHa

Oh, and don't know if you are aware, but currently Delta from Atlanta to J-burg (and the return flight) are non-stop!!! Missed out on the whole refueling in Dakar experience.

I saw that prices right around World Cup are over double the normal time. But the outfitter I hunted with is booked solid for 2010 so doesn't look like it hurt his business any.

I have never even been asked about my bags flying BE, Also if you are a Medallion Member you do not pay bag fees. I took two Tuffpaks that route in 08 and was not charged or like said above no one even asked. Mike

I just got back, I too flew Delta and used my AMEX points to buy business class tickets (well worth it since I never use points for anything I would ordinarily buy, and I would not spend 37K on four airline tickets).
I took 2 Americase 3 gun cases with 4 rifles and 1 shotgun. You are allowed 3 firearms per license and one license per traveler so I needed two licenses one in my name and one in my wife's name. Weight and dimensions were no problem. I did have to pay overweight charges on the flight from Joburg to Polokwane, but otherwise no extra charges on Delta.
I highly recommend VIP Meet and Assist. They charge $75 to handle each license, meet you at the Joburg airport walk into the customs office, get you to the front of the line, and get you out in half the time it normally takes. I felt like the service was worth twice what I paid. The main thing is you know your paperwork is right before you get there because you fill it out according to their website directions and send it to them. They handle it from there. http://www.vipgunpermits.com/checklist.htm

The conventional wisdom seems to be that meet-and-assist services are essential in order to get thru the Jo'burg airport w/o any problems. In one of his books, however, Peter Flack opined that such services are essentially a waste of money....if you can read simple English and follow the straightforward directions for filling out the firearms import documents, getting your guns into SA is no problem.

I long suspected that African booking agents universally recommend meet-and-assist services because they get a kick-back. For that reason, and based on Flack's assurances, I declined to use any such service when I flew into Jo'burg in March of this year. My buddy and I got through immigration, with our rifle permits approved, in about twenty minutes.
We treated ourselves to an excellent dinner that evening with the money we saved.

I freely admit that my experience may have been exceptional, and that I just got lucky. However, I remain dubious about the need to hire a meet-and-assist service.

Heeler:
The first time I checked BE class tix the fare and taxes were over $8800. They offered a discounted class of BE at $4477 and I grabbed it. About a $3000 bump, but as I said the wife insisted! I haven't yet attained Medallion membership, but there is enough miles in this ticket to get me there, and miles enough for a free domestic ticket to boot!

I did know about the non-stop route and the new 777 interior - looks very comfortable! I have a friend that is a Capt for Delta and he used to fly the Atl-Joberg route, but they use only the 777 (for range) now and he's 757 or 767 (I forget which), so it's not available. And I did try to get some upgrade thru him, but he says it's much tougher now to do that sort of thing. Maybe if he was the Capt...

I haven't flown much in years, and haven't been in the front cabin for anything but short hops. My old employer was a "coach" type company! Once in a while I could smooze a flight attendant into moving me into the front "because of my height" (my wife always said it was because I was flirting, but I figured I was being "friendly"!) If I talked my way up front now, it would be because I remind them of their Grandpa or Old St Nick! Oh, well...
My PH says the World Cup has made his year as well. That's why he encouraged me to take the first dates because the hunting pressure is sure to be high next year.

LANDandTIMBER: Thanks, I think it'll be fine based on what you and others have said here. Thanks again. I'll be Medallion Qualified after this flight!

MGILLC and Tuco: I have the "meet and assist" provided by the PH (not the same thing I'm sure) and he's answered my questions about the 520/Invitation's etc - I've even prepared them on my computer! He's reviewed them already and says they're good. If things don't go well, I suppose I will use a service next time.

Not that I used them, but "Cabela's Outdoor Adventures strongly suggest you hire a transition service to assist you with clearing your firearms." That's one opinion. Some place I read that you were DISCOURAGED from using this kind of service... I'll see if I can find the link to it. Did anyone else see that as well? That's why I asked my PH about it, and he said there'd be no issues.

$75 is certainly reasonable if it takes hours - maybe I should ask the question in a new thread? Would be interesting to see what the general experience has been at JoBerg with SAPS clearance. Jump in if you have input!

Thanks for all the input!

"Can't hardly wait" Steve

[quote=Vagabond]"Cabela's Outdoor Adventures strongly suggest you hire a transition service to assist you with clearing your firearms." /quote]

As it happens, my buddy and I used Cabela's Outdoor Adventures for our March '09 RSA safari (the one referenced in my previous post). As you said, Cabela's continually put the squeeze on us to use a "transition service" (i.e., meet-and-assist) but, for the reasons noted, I declined. Maybe it's just my cynicism, but I get very tired of eveyone, even Cabela's, constantly trying to "upsale" me by peddling features and services that I don't need, irrespective of their purportedly modest cost.

In fairness, however, I travel quite a bit internationally, often to Third World contries, so I'm accustomed to dealing with disorganized and/or inept and/or corrupt government bureaucrats. For that reason, I figured that getting my rifle into RSA certainly couldn't be any worse than simply getting into, or out of, some of the other places I've been. And, despite the fact that no meet-and-assist services were available in the squalid places I've visited, I got by fine on my own. Thus, I was confident of my ability to do so in RSA without a meet-and-assist service.

vagabond, how did you find that priced BE ticket? I just spent over $7k to go to Tanzania in Aug.

I have been going to Africa since early 90's before the services. I prefer the services and do not mind paying $75 for it. Makes no sense to me spending 20-50k for a hunt and not want to pay $75. Or maybe I am just lazy.

In 08 the guy doing are permits was able to bribe the counter guy and get me an my family first class from joburg to windhoek for $100 per person. Just to get out of the plane first is worth $100 to me.

LANDandTIMBER:
Delta.com FLL to JNB, Class i fare - it's up a little now, but I got in early (September) when you could pick a flight without a long layover in ATL. No lie, it's there now. Where you coming from?

$20-50K huh, well, I am getting there, my original budget was about half what it is now and I seem to justify growing it like a cash crop! You can't take it with you, and since I am gonna refuse to comply with the Health Care penalty if enacted, they can't get what I don't have!

I can fly from either TPA or MCO. I do not need the JNB rounte right now, but wish I did at thoose prices. Wife and son want to make there third trip most likely in 2011. Going back to Tanzania next year without them. Tanzania is expensive. So was Namibia and RSA when I have to pay for three people and no one wants to ride in the back of the plane. Plus both times with the family we stayed 21-30 days. too long a flight to stay just a week. Mike

Top case in my experience (about12 to 15 african flights yearly) are the SKB double layer cases. You shouldn't get charged for extra length on them.