A week ago, because of an upcoming trip to AFRICA for a friend and me, I wrote to Gracy Travel about their services. Up until then, I had heard nothing but good about their services. Now, a week after contacting two different members on their staff contact list, I still have not heard SHXXT from them. This really pisses me off. If they are too busy, tell me when they will reply, if they don't want my business, tell me. I'll go somewhere else. Being ignored really irks me. Can you tell? I mean, this is AFRICA ! This isn't flying to Texas or somewhere else in the 50 states. Come on Gracy. Get with it and either live up to your name or get out of the business.
Whew, that rant makes me feel a whole lot better. Can anybody get Gracy on the stick?
I think the problem is you wrote to them.
This is the 21st century. Most such communications are done via calling them on the phone. That way you can interact with them and get the best discussion going.
Also, that ensures the person you "wrote" to is still there, or that another handles your request.
Telephone or email...otherwise book passage on an ocean liner.
Gracy or Travel with Guns? Two different companies.
Steve Turner was my Go-To guy at Gracy. He left and spun off Travel With Guns as a division of Total Travel.
Have you contacted him yet?
http://www.travelwithguns.com/about-us.html
Rolly
Call Gracy travel and ask to speak to Christy, she is there firearms specialist.
I had the same problem. I emailed them quite some time back. Never heard from them. Now I am wheels up July 19th and not sure how it's going to go.
I used Steve at Travel with Guns for my upcoming trip. Everything went well, hopefully the actual travel will be the same.
Call on phone with specifics. Writing is like tire kicking.
Agreed on the writing, yet he should still have some kind of response. If the OP is P.O.ed at Gracy, theres lots of other good ones out there�
( Though Ive always used Gracy and am a loyal fan)
I am a novice traveler and Steve Turner TWG makes things easy. Always returns calls and email. The travel packet he sends gives step by step instructions from your front door and back again. Gun permits layovers what ever is planned out to the second. It has always seemed his services are a bargain.
Rolly
I am not sure about your issues that you are having with Gracy travel. Your posting leaves many important information out in trying to assist you.
Who did you book your airline ticket through, or did you book your self or use another travel company? How will you be letting the airlines know you will be traveling with gun's? That is one reason you book your airline travel with a pro gun travel agency. They do both airline booking and gun permits if they are able to.
Zimbabwe - Tanzania - Mozambique - Zambia - Namibia all require different gun permits. Plus if you stay in one country and then fly the next day to another country you will need multiple country gun permits.
Gracy will need some information from you. The best way to work with them is a phone call and then follow up by e mail.
They would need from you notarized copy's' of your 4457 and your passport information pages. At the very minimum to begin the permit process. They also will need your letter of invite and airline flight information. To see what countries you will need gun permits for.
Your posting does not indicate the route you are taking to Africa or the country you will be going through or to. Will you be flying through any European countries as you will need gun permits for those countries also.
All gun permit takes time to process early, however for some countries you have do the paper work yourself at customs your self. I always go with a filled out firearms copy for the countries that i will be traveling through, located in my carry on, just in case of airline issues or flight delays. Having gun permits pre filled out in triplicate, has made my gun permitting flow easy. Other countries require copies of your passport photo for your gun permit, again i carry about 6 copies along with me at all times.
I have used Gracy 3 times and they have been exceptional in handling airline reservations, gun permits, motel reservations and meet and greet. The only thing i had to do was provide my information in a set period of time. If issues came up They called me or e-mailed me and any issues were taken care of at that time.
However using Gracy travel in South Africa will not help you in Zimbabwe as you will need to do you gun permit in person.
Debbie's e mail is
[email protected] and her Phone number is 800-299-8558 or 210-698-2611
If Debbie is not in ask to speak to Shawn Kennedy or Christy.
A week ago, because of an upcoming trip to AFRICA for a friend and me, I wrote to Gracy Travel about their services. Up until then, I had heard nothing but good about their services. Now, a week after contacting two different members on their staff contact list, I still have not heard SHXXT from them. This really pisses me off. If they are too busy, tell me when they will reply, if they don't want my business, tell me. I'll go somewhere else. Being ignored really irks me. Can you tell? I mean, this is AFRICA ! This isn't flying to Texas or somewhere else in the 50 states. Come on Gracy. Get with it and either live up to your name or get out of the business.
Whew, that rant makes me feel a whole lot better. Can anybody get Gracy on the stick?
Seems like all travel agencies are hit or miss. Gracey set up my first safari and they were great. Emailed them (multiple times) for my next 2 safaris and never heard back from them. I don't bother with them anymore.
Steve Turner has done great work for us. One trip he helped us plan was a fairly complex family (five of us) trip to Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and South Africa. We started the detailed discussions over lunch together, he, my wife and I, FTF in Leon Springs. All went exceedingly well. Call him and have a great trip.
I contacted Gracy via their web page contact list using the e-mail, not snail mail. I am going to SA but do not have specific dates yet. I was planing on using Gracy for the travel direct to SA from the USA but was waiting to hear from them about advice. But......since I haven't heard from either of the two I wrote to ( one had a last name of Gracy, by the way). I am going to go another route.
Ive tried to patronize Gracy twice, but just couldn't get the accommodation that i wanted. I did all the arrangements myself and saved big bucks and got the schedule that i wanted. Many have had great service with Gracy, but I didn't. It is possible to DIY and get great schedules and accommodations.
358winner,
This is slightly off-topic. While it is possible to do the arrangements yourself and have fine trip, the greatest value of a travel agent is when something goes wrong, such as a delayed flight.
Have seen that more than once, and when you're in a foreign country trying to rearrange airline schedules or even just get through gun registration. Some trips go as planned, but when something goes wrong a good travel agent can fix stuff, even in another country.
Yep. Steve at Gracy fixed stuff for us�repeatedly�.
358winner,
This is slightly off-topic. While it is possible to do the arrangements yourself and have fine trip, the greatest value of a travel agent is when something goes wrong, such as a delayed flight.
Have seen that more than once, and when you're in a foreign country trying to rearrange airline schedules or even just get through gun registration. Some trips go as planned, but when something goes wrong a good travel agent can fix stuff, even in another country.
You are totally right. That's why I have friends at Air 2000.
Have also seen and heard of Gracy solve other problems more serious than ours.
A few years ago some friends were hunting in Tanzania, and upon landing in Arusha were watching the baggage carts heading for the terminal while waiting to get off their 747. They didn't see their gun cases on the cart, and the plane was scheduled to head onward to Dar Es Salaam, which would screw up their safari. They'd paid for international service on their cell phones, so called Gracy. The local Gracy rep was in the airport, ready to greet them, and greased everything, delaying the plane until their gun cases were unloaded. That's not supposed to be possible, but it happened, and they are firm believers.
I've only gone to Africa twice. Once I planned it myself (without taking my gun), the second time I let Gracy handle flights, SAPS, lodging, etc. I'm sure they're not perfect, but without a doubt I'd use Gracy again.
I won't speak for their present competence only because I don't know but in '07 when I used them, they were impeccably perfect, redundancy noted and intended.
I won't speak for their present competence only because I don't know but in '07 when I used them, they were impeccably perfect, redundancy noted and intended.
Steve was there at that time. He could get things done that amazed me and saved a safari that was going south rapidly when an outfitter double-booked, and last second travel changes needed to be made.
I'm sure Gracy is still a fine agency, even without Steve.
Guys, I'd use Gracy too but THEY DIDN'T RETURN MY E-MAILS. Duh! Do you think you'd use somebody if they DIDN'T RETURN YOUR E-MAILS? Come on. Give me a break for having tried. My post was to just inform you of what happened and perchance having someone with a contact at Gracy. Now, I have moved on. That ship has sailed with another captain. My regrets to Gracy.
And by the way, I agree with Mule Deer about having professional help on travel like this with firearms. That's why I initially contacted Gracy.
Rolly,
I haven't been on a Gracy-organized trip since 2011, so can't am a little out of the loop. They were great for a dozen years before that, on trips not just to Africa but several other places, including Ireland! Sorry to hear about their lack of response.
I used Gracy for at least ten trips but stopped because their service, which was great at first, fell off considerably. I felt like I was a number rather than a person. For the past four years or so I have used Steve Turner at Travel With Guns and he equals or exceeds the best service I formerly received at Gracy. During that former period Steve was there at Gracy.
Today, no doubt Steve Turner!
Yep. Steve at Gracy fixed stuff for us�repeatedly�.
Same here after my eldest son met a French gal at a Dubai airport pub during layover....
Caused he, my wife and two other son's to miss their flight to Zim. I was meeting them via Kazakhstan. Steve sorted it all out right now and the trip went as planned.
I have used Steve Turner at Travel With Guns and he equals or exceeds the best service I formerly received at Gracy. During that former period Steve was there at Gracy.
Today, no doubt Steve Turner!
I always wondered if that were the same Steve. Good to know! I would follow him through the gates of hell, he did such a good job for us.
Steve did have a major medical issue awhile ago so it was difficult to speak to him. I always ask to speak with him directly. Sometimes successful people are busy and can't respond instantly...which I have noticed is demanded more in this electronic world. I don't view myself as the center of his world and start the planning as far in advance as possible. Going to Africa is not like booking a family trip to Walt Disney World. There is a lot of give and take. That is a good lesson to learn before you confront an official who issues rifle permits. A relaxed attitude and a smile will serve the traveling hunter well. Demanding and frustrated hunters are likely to get a chance to have more of the same.
Send an email to shawnatgracytraveldotcom. Shawn is great.
I used Gracy to go to Zim, through SA this past summer. Not always quick on the emails but they make it easy and will spend the time to explain things.
I really liked getting off my flight in SA and having someone meet me as I walked off the plane and walk my son and I through baggage check, gun permits, and even to the hotel in the airport we were using.
Its a great value, and one less thing to stress about, no way I would not use them when I go back.
Never used Gracy, but i have used Steve Turner, Travel with Guns. If I were fortunate enough to ever go again, I'd use Steve, hands down.
maddog
The E-World is a strange one. 100 years from now people will look back on the way we deal with computers and wonder how anything worked out.
Spam filters and damaged links cause problems that nobody will ever know about. I'd have picked up the phone and called, if no luck with that, moved on.
Steve Turner at Travel with guns was OUTSTANDING! He saved my bacon and got me rerouted while I was literally sitting on a broken airplane 100yds from the terminal talking to him on my cell. I'll never use anybody else
I'm sitting in the Joburg airport at this moment, returning from a fantastic safari. Gracy Travel walked us thru on both arrival and prep for departure, perfectly. I wouldn't think of going to Africa without their aid and planning. As to emails- Call them!!!
I am the U.S. representative for Joof and Marina Lamprecht's Hunters Namibia Safaris. We strongly recommend Steve Turner's Travel With Guns to our clients. All we get from the relationship is happy hunters every time.
RS
Since this thread is amazingly still alive, I thought I would tell you that I still have not heard from Gracy regarding my initial contact with them. Since there was no response from Gracy, I have been using African Odyssey for everything--airline tickets, gun permits, meet and greet, and room reservations in J-Berg. African Odyssey has an office in Florida and J-Berg, they answer their e-mails promptly AND return my phone calls if I can't get them immediately. Thus far, I can readily recommend them.
Gracy did a great job for me, but I'm not naive enough to think they are perfect. None of them are. I had issues with TWG, and just recently African Odyssey in trying to set up my last two trips to Africa. There is a whole thread on TWG's misadventures over on AR forum. They all do great sometimes, and they all screw up sometimes. That's the reality of it all.
Reading this plus other forum threads on using a service while traveling with archery, pistols and rifles.
One need to remember that there are many individuals traveling to hunting destinations around the world.
For some of us we use a service to assist us with our travels. And some elect to not use a service, that's their call. As mentioned in the many postings some have great experiences using the services. Mine have all been very positive. My wife thinks the service is the cat's meow.
I have used and not used services while traveling with my rifles.
Value for Money, i will continue to use the VIP services while traveling in and through South Africa. It is money well spent.
If you do not like the service provider you are currently using, then i suggest that you find a different one for your next trip. Shop around. Some individuals are troublesome and they will have to look good and hard to find someone to handle there requests. I does not pay to be a pain in the A$$.
As laws continually are changing in our country plus foreign countries, one needs to travel a well informed as you can.
Instead of bashing one service vs another give it a rest. There are more customers than any one service can take care of.
Simple courtesy is to ask if they have time to schedule your flights and process your firearm permit. I like to talk on the telephone to see if my trip is scheduled and to select flight times. Plus to see if we have the time to make all the priorities happen. At this time i obtain phone number(s) and get names plus e-mail addresses and then follow up with an e-mail.
Remember to stick with a reputable firearm travel agency company to make your safari memorable.
If you schedule your own airline flights, then look for an outside agency to process your firearm permit. Some have been mentioned on here.