Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Africa Delta to Joburg Flights

Flying Delta, Atlanta/JoBurg. Have you flown PREMIUM Economy compared to REGULAR economy?

Is it worth the cost to upgrade?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

When I took that flight it was a huge difference in the cost, not worth to me at the time. Try and book the bulk seats, plenty of leg room and extra space.

If you go premium economy and are lucky enough to grab the seats on the bulkhead, you will gain substantial legroom, no doubt. Other than that you gain some, but not much IMO.

How much is it the upgrade? It’s not a huge difference in space but it’s noticeable. It’s nice to have on a flight that long

IIRC the last time I went it was about $200 each way. If I go back to Namibia I will avoid JB altogether.

That would be my goal also, unless I was hunting in SA Which I do not foresee happening, unless I can find a free range hunt that I am comfortable with.

I have done the upgrade twice. I like the extra space.

Flew Premium economy last year to ATL-JBN. Definitely worth the extra room. A little over $200 round trip IIRC.

I will never fly into Atlanta again. There's better ways to get to Africa.

Oopsey bad experience? Well I will not go to middle east, as no fly west from San Antonio when going East is easier and faster.

ATL is busy, so easier with Global entry to clear Customs. Clearing guns with CBP is very easy, if you have your 4457s.

I prefer non-stop ATL-JNB as it’s a short hop home.

The line for Global Entry was 3 times the others. Black customs guys treated us like hate crime victims. They stole chit out of my luggage, didn't resecure it... No thanks. a 20+ hour flight and then to be treated like that.

I would have to do a two day itinerary through Europe to go back.

I will avoid Atlanta like the plague. Racist to the max. Oh, and by the way, Delta and their partners have not managed to load me with my luggage the last 3 times I flew with them. My last trip was on Emirates through Dubai. Pleasant experience.

Due to several bad experiences with both Delta and SAA. I would swim before flying with either. Luckily there are much more pleasant ways with Emirates or Qatar Airways.....

I flew Delta premium economy three times, believe for $200 extra. I’m 6’2” and needed the extra legroom. Would do again.

I couldn’t find the quotes for my travel from Denver, but here is my son’s info for round trip travel from New Orleans to Jo’burg through Atlanta on Delta. This confirms the $200 or so for comfort plus each way

$2449 Main Cabin

$2849 Comfort Plus

$5429 Premium Select

If you book early enough there some comfort coach seats available at a reasonable price. More leg room, better seating and more. MTG

These quotes were last fall for travel in June of this year.

Yes these are about the same as I booked. Going Premium Select-

Thanks for posting. Keep fingers crossed we all get to go and feel good about that choice.

We went with Premium Select as well. That’s a long flight.

Indeed, I hope we all get to go! Best wishes to you

Just booked on Delta with a Comfort + seat round trip for less than $2,000.

I assume that is straight from ATL with no connection from elsewhere in the U.S.?

I upgraded and it was awesome call Gracey travel in Boerne Tx then relax and know that it has been taken care of.

Yes. I live in a small town outside of Atlanta.

My younger brother and myself also booked the comfort plus for our June flight. El Paso to Atlanta then Johannesburg to overnight then Maun.

JG,

Barring transit thru Joberg, what route would you consider on your next trip? IIRC, from previous research, alternative routes require a metric chit ton of permitting for firearms.

I believe I would have to use Emirates or Qatar airlines. It's a little longer time wise, but not having to deal with SAPS, overnight, etc would be worth it to me. From what I've seen, it's significantly cheaper than Delta too. I'd use Steve @ Travel With Guns or Travel Express in Montana to book flights, and they'd do whatever firearm work as well.

Flew Delta in September 2018 from New Orleans to ATL to Joberg. We chose the comfort plus economy which was $2-300 upcharge over regular economy IIRC. Total was around $2200-2300 with the flight cancellation insurance. We did get hassled and talked to like trash coming back into ATL. It was as if we were bothering them to do their jobs. Overall flight wasn't too bad. Was a little uncomfortable for a 300lb guy in a plane seat for 16-17hrs and it was a little stuffy but otherwise not too bad. I couldn't sleep on the plane to save my life. I wouldn't do it again unless I could afford to fly 1st/business class.

The buddy I went with has a friend that has been to RSA 13 times. He highly recommended us avoid stopping in Europe if we were taking our own guns so that's why we chose the straight flight from ATL to Joberg.

One thing I will recommend is thorough planning. We left NOLA at 3:30pm then left ATL at 6:45pm IIRC. By the time we arrived in Joberg, got our bags and guns and got to camp it was midnight the next day. Showered and got in bed close to 1am then alarm was going off at 4:30am. So I was awake for about 43hrs then slept 3hrs or so and was getting up to start the hunt. This kind of set the pace for what ended up being a very exhausting trip for me but we did end up with a very successful hunt. We should have left NOLA in the am or got a room in Joberg and then made it to camp the next day. Guess we live and learn. Good luck on your trip and safe travels.

Ohh and we used Henry with rifle permits for transporting our rifles. This made things a breeze arriving in SA.