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Trip to SA in 2010 on SAA the trip from Dulles/ JFK went nonstop to J-B.The return on SAA stopped at Dakar for fuel and passengers. Guess the prevailing winds are critical.

I definitely agree with Delta Airlines. I am from Texas and have been to Africa several times. Virgin Atlantic was an alright flight besides the fact that there wasn't a direct flight to Joburb. By far Delta flight form Atlanta straight to Joburg was the best option and will be the only way I fly to South Africa.

JNB is a high altitude airport, which means the plane cannot start with a full load of fuel. that's one reason for landing in Dakar. Delta used to land on Isla del Sol but now goes non-stop from Atlanta.

I can't give Delta in Atlanta any attaboys either.
A father son team and I arrived Delta Atlanta from D/FW on July 3. We missed the Joburg flt. because we had to sit in Birmingham and wait out two rainstorms over Atlanta.
July 4 flts. to Joburg only had one seat left and we were flying Business Elite. We set Jr. on with the guns while Sr. and I boarded a flt. to Amsterdam. Upon arrival in Amsterdam we walked down 10 gates and boarded our flt. to Joburg which should have put us only 4 hrs. behind Jr.
Upon arrival in Joburg we find Jr. there but Delta never sent out guns. The next day we flew Joburg to Vic Falls with no guns. A day later we go to Vic Falls to collect the guns but SAA sent them to Livingstone, Zambia at the other end of the Vic Falls bridge and of course we had no permits for Zambia.
We spent the rest of the day wheeling and dealing to get the guns and finally got on with our buffalo hunt. By that time two of us had killed our buffalo with a borrowed camp 375 H&H.
In Atlanta, the morning of July 4 and at the airport, Delta assured us they were looking at our baggage tag numbers on our three cases and would put them on that evenings Joburg flt.
What a giant screw up by both Delta and SAA. Oh...we used part of our 3.5 million Delta miles to fly them Business Elite. They have never bothered to reply to our letter of complaint.
At least they did not screw up the return from Namibia.
It is a big crap shoot any way you do it these days. Flying and flying with firearms is the pits today and I doubt it will get better.

Boy, flew SAA yast year with no problems at all....looking forward to doing it again.

COOL info Indy... I didn't know that was the reasoning!