Advise on the Flight to Johannesburg from Atlanta

[hunterhanna]

I wonder if they will have the Dreamliner in service by next year

what is it?

 

[BWH]

Isn't that the new 787, that has the batteries explode during flight???? If so, I'll pass!!!!

 

[BnC 04]

Isn't that the new 787, that has the batteries explode during flight???? If so, I'll pass!!!!

Ya, I'm paranoid of flying the way it is and now we have batteries exploding...I think I will pass as well on that one:nope:

 

[BRICKBURN]

Ya, I'm paranoid of flying the way it is and now we have batteries exploding...I think I will pass as well on that one:nope:

Couple little glitches and you won't get on. You'll be able to go for a jog on that baby when they can keep it in the air.

 

[Rob404]

Isn't that the new 787, that has the batteries explode during flight???? If so, I'll pass!!!!

Come on where your sense of adventure??

 

[Upton O. Good]

Nice that this thread came up, I'll be booking a flight to Zim in the next few weeks for later in the year. I've flown to JNB on SAA through Dulles, Dakar, then to JNB. I don't have any real complaints, flight was just long. I was surprised that the SAA food was as good as it was, much better than anything I've had on other airlines in a long time, not great, mind you but better. I have also flown in Airbus 340's and Boeing 747's, I'll take the Boeing plane ANY day over Airbus. The difference was like the feeling of riding in a Ford Pinto and a new Caddy. For that reason I'm going to fly through Atlanta to JNB on Delta.

 

[huntsolo101]

No matter how rough or smooth the 14.5 hours is, you will be so excited and pumped it wont matter....much,

14.5 hours??? My ticket says 16 hrs . Is 14.5 a typo ? I have always had to stop in Dakar. That flight took 18 hrs. Even if its 16 like the ticket says I will be a happy happy guy. 14.5 might make me go twice a year. Lol

 

[BWH]

Yeah.... Depending upon tailwinds, time of year, etc..... I hear it scoots in about 1 hr faster than allotted for.

 

[BnC 04]

14.5 hours??? My ticket says 16 hrs . Is 14.5 a typo ? I have always had to stop in Dakar. That flight took 18 hrs. Even if its 16 like the ticket says I will be a happy happy guy. 14.5 might make me go twice a year. Lol

It was 14.5 over and 16 back. To be honest it wasn't near the pain that I thought it was gonna be. Slept for about 4 hours and watched every movie offered...Plus they had Texas Holdem' to play, I was good to go!

 

[hunting]

Delta and only Delta.

 

[Cliffy]

Dreamliner???? That's the only Boeing I have reservations about. It will be a while before it gets in service real good. I'd want 2 years of history before I charge off over the water on a 15 hr flight in one. Did you know that it was the only airliner Boeing ever built that when they tested the wing to failure it broke at about 94% of designed load. Boeings ALWAYS went well beyond design load before breaking. That caused a big delay as they designed a patch to make the wing stronger (Composite material wing, a first for Boeing, the composite rudder attachment on the Airbus is what failed in NYC years ago), plastics the future of aviation????

 

[Custom]

My son and I just returned from our first safari and we took the Delta flight from ATL to Joberg. We flew coach and it wasn't that bad. Loaded up the iPad with movies, plenty of food and, as was said earlier, the booze is free. We slept a little, although I'm not good at that on planes, either. The good thing about that flight, though, rather than stopping in Dakar, is that you don't have to get the yellow fever vaccine. If you already have it, no biggie, but we didn't. All in all, for a 15-16 our flight, it passed more quickly than I feared.

 

[Warbird782]

I just returned a month ago from RSA. We took the Dulles-Dakar-Joburg route. SAA was a great airline and they took good care of us BUT I will go through Atlanta the next go around. I would pop a sleep aid right after dinner and I was good to go. The flight is long enough without stopping in Dakar. Go through Atlanta!

 

[Uintaelkhunter]

Dreamliner???? That's the only Boeing I have reservations about. It will be a while before it gets in service real good. I'd want 2 years of history before I charge off over the water on a 15 hr flight in one. Did you know that it was the only airliner Boeing ever built that when they tested the wing to failure it broke at about 94% of designed load. Boeings ALWAYS went well beyond design load before breaking. That caused a big delay as they designed a patch to make the wing stronger (Composite material wing, a first for Boeing, the composite rudder attachment on the Airbus is what failed in NYC years ago), plastics the future of aviation????

agreed wait 4 yrs that plane has to many things wrong with it. I could go on pages deep about design problems. First composite plane first passenger plane to not have a main hydronic flight
Control system first in the new eng design of secondary flight controls to be half the load as the first. Boeing has always had there backup controls double the load limit like there primary system unlike airbus now they have droped there standards also gone with the cheapest contractors to build them which means most of the parts are coming from third world Contries that are just beginning to understand what they are making
I worked on the Dreamliner as with many other planes boeing airbus military ect.

 

[hunterhanna]

I just found a cooool way to occupy some of the travel time........they have a game controller that plugs into a smartphone and you can download games on your phone and use earbuds!!!!!!! For all you gamers out there!!!!!!!!

 

[Rob404]

I checked flights from Minneapolis to Atlanta to j-Burg and it was 400.00 higher than Minneapolis to O hare to Frankfort to J-Burg,,,,flight time is about the same the layover is about 7hrs in Frankfort ,,enough time for some German Beer and a Good Meal

 

[postoak]

Going over via Europe is okay but returning that way is NOT. I woke up at 5:45 AM at my East Cape lodge, and we left for Port Elizabeth at 8:30 AM. Flight back to JNB arrived at 1:30 PM. I got shuttled back to Africasky Guest House and hung around in the lobby and ate dinner there then took the shuttle back to the airport at 8:30 PM. Our flight to Amsterdam left at 11:30 PM. We arrived in Amsterdam at around 10:30 AM. Then had to wait there until 1:05 PM for the flight to Atlanta. This arrived at 10:30 PM (Africa time). Next a trip back to Houston that began at 1:00 AM and touched down at 2:20 AM. Back at the house around 3:00 AM so total elapsed time from when I woke up was almost 48 hours.

 

[Mtgoat]

postoak,
You just have to pick your poison. I didn't make my decision to go to Africa until after SCI this year, which in the realm of flying to Africa qualifies as a last minute decision. I had extreme difficulty in making flight arrangements for Denver - Windhoek. The only way I could get there ended up being via London Heathrow, and I had to make my hunt one day shorter than I had wanted. The outbound leg is scheduled to take 48 hours from departure in Denver until arrival in Windhoek. That doesn't count the ground travel. I have a 15 hour layover at Heathrow. The return is 40 hours (layovers are more reasonable). Because I am going through Heathrow, taking my own rifle is not an option. It's not ideal, and there is a lot that I could complain about, but, hey, at least I going to get to have my first safari.

 

[Mtgoat]

I checked flights from Minneapolis to Atlanta to j-Burg and it was 400.00 higher than Minneapolis to O hare to Frankfort to J-Burg,,,,flight time is about the same the layover is about 7hrs in Frankfort ,,enough time for some German Beer and a Good Meal

Rob44,
I've been through Frankfurt many times. I do not believe that it is possible to get a good meal within the secured area of the airport. I've got a 15 hour layover next month in London Heathrow. I plan to hang out in the Star Alliance lounge. My wife plans to go (window) shopping in the duty free area. Incidentally, in general, duty free shops do not represent bargains. You have to be very careful if you do shop there.

You might be able to treat yourself with a day pass to one of the Lufthansa lounges. I do not know if Lufthansa sells single day passes to their lounges like United does in the US. I'll be glad to check if you would like.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I checked flights from Minneapolis to Atlanta to j-Burg and it was 400.00 higher than Minneapolis to O hare to Frankfort to J-Burg,,,,flight time is about the same the layover is about 7hrs in Frankfort ,,enough time for some German Beer and a Good Meal

Rob,

I just got done with LAX-Franfurt-Jo'burg on the way out. It's fairly brutal, but for $400 I'd do it. You can drop off carry on bags if you like outside the secure area and then go into the city on the trains. If you do a search around here you'll see a recommendation for Adolph Wagner's restaurant.

Ultimately we didn't do that as it was quite cold, windy and raining. So we turned back to the airport. There are some decent places to eat there too. The layover though is a bit brutal. It may not be such a bad thing to get one of the day rooms there available for a nap. I wouldn't sleep the whole day but just a couple of few hours. Then do your best to sleep on the flight to Jo'burg.