12 he 45 min Layover in Johannesburg

[Mountaineer]

United Airlines tickets you from DC to Windhoek on one ticket. It is not a split ticket.

 

[M McDindi]

Last 3 trips thru JNB in the last 18 months via Delta/SA Airlink, the SA Airlink agent, checked us in for the SA Airlink flt then we had to go over the the separate window and get in the queue to pay the extra fees. It was that window that actually printed our boarding pass.

Coming back from WDH last Jun and all other several dozen trips I've made there, you check in, your luggage is tagged and set behind the counter. You will be given the baggage routing tag to take with you to the NAMPOL office, clear your rifle out of Namibia. The NAMPOL will stamp the routing tags and you'll put it on your rifle case and carry it back to the check-in desk. On the way, back you'll stop at separate window again to pay the rifle transit fee and any overweight bag fees.

From there, you go back to the check-in queue, (you'll have head of the line privilege) show your payment receipt and they will issue your boarding passes.

Yes, both JNB and the WDH fee offices take CC's.

Side note regarding ammo - From the US to JNB is is possible for the locked ammo box to be inside a regular checked bag. I say POSSIBLE because I've done it with several and those same airlines have also required me to take it out. I was not charged an extra fee. On all of the occasions I was allowed to leave it in my checked luggage AND that bag was checked thru, it went all the way thru, with ONE exception.

In 2019, first trip to Bots. Luggage, with ammo case inside, and rifles checked all the way to Gabs. Delta/Air Botswana. When we checked in with Air Botswana the next morning, they had us go down into the luggage transfer area and remove our ammo cases from the checked bag. They did tag it to Gabs and it pitched up just fine there.

On the June 22 trip to Namibia, my friend who checked all the way to WDH had his ammo in his checked bag and it went all the way thru. I claimed in JNB and when I re-checked the bag and rifles the next morning, I had to take the ammo case out a the check in desk. Same deal, they just tagged it and no extra charge.

In 2020, I flew to Bots twice on Qatar Air. Going over, ammo was in checked bags all the way. Coming home, Air Bots checked our luggage and rifles all the way home with some left over ammo in the case, checked separately but would only give us boarding passes to JNB. When we checked in with the Qatar Air desk, they wanted to charge me some crazy extra fee for the ammo (something over several hundred USD for 50 rds of 30-06. I told them keep it, I wasn't going to pay the fee and as such now they would be in violation of RSA firearms laws by being in possession of loaded ammo that they had no permit/license to possess. Told me "you must pay the fee". I told them was only required to pay the fee IF I wanted to bring it back. At what you're charging me, I don't want to bring it back, you deal with it. They put it on the flt at no cost and it did pitch up in Boston where we entered the US and cleared Immigration and Customs.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

I guess the one benefit of having to take the ammo case out of the checked bag is that it lowers the weight of the checked bag by 10-11 lbs.

 

[James.Grage]

My last trip to Namibia through joberg.

We had to claim our luggage and re check the next morning. So a SA520 is in order.

we did not take the early flight out of joberg however the 10AM flight.

many motels are close by, however i stay at the city lodge and after breakfast walk over and check in for my morning flight.

I have done the SA520 my self and i have used a service. Use what is best for you. I find that if it is the busy season for hunters you may want to use a service.

One thing is you have your bags check all the way through, what ever you pack probably will be missing.

 

[rookhawk]

I’ll be flying to Windhoek this summer from the US east coast. Both New York and DC options have layovers in either Johannesburg or Cape Town for 12 and 15 hours respectively. I’ll have guns. Has anyone had experiences leaving guns with the airlines for that long?

I wouldn't advise leaving Jo'Burg airport whatsoever. There is a lounge you can loiter at for the time between flights in the terminal. Can't remember the name of it, Maharba? Whatever it is, you can use a Priority Pass card to get in, or you can pay $50-$100 for a one time access.

 

[gillettehunter]

One other thing to be aware of. When you pay for the extra rifle carriage fee at Airlink you better hope that their credit card machine works. On one of my hunts a few yrs ago in Port Elizabeth it wasn't working. Then they wouldn't take US $. Had to go exchange $ for rand to pay the fee. I was running low on my time before my flight when I finished that goat rope.
Be sure and keep your receipts handy that you get for paying the extra rifle carriage fee. Last trip, again Port Elizabeth, they called me to the front of the plane and tried to tell me that I hadn't paid the rifle carriage fee. I was able to show them my receipt and had no more hassels.
Bruce

 

[CJW]

I would also advise collecting your luggage for a 12 hr layover if you intend to leave the airport. Lots of sticky fingers in baggage handling.