is it worth 15 extra hours to fly Qatar vs Delta?

[rookhawk]

Emirates is by far the best airlines I have flown. Both Emirates and Qatar have a rigid system on ensuring your firearms leave when you do.

I’m just not a fan of the Doha airport departure gate system.
But im not a fan of JFK, Dulles or Atlanta either

So back to the ship idea

I’m also not a fan of Doha connections at this present moment because I think there is a risk of war / missile strike. A high one? No. But about as much risk as visiting Belarus right now. Both countries as examples are harboring adjutants in ongoing wars. (Israel-Palestine in the former, Russia-Ukraine in the latter)

Most people won’t think it’s a risk at all, but I’m a risk averse kinda fella so just pointing out I prefer to where I don’t think my travel will be interrupted. Dubai is about as stable a country as one can find at present, so I favor that layover.

If your destination is other than JHB, I want to point out the weakest link in the chain is the unreliable, perpetually bankrupt, and frequently changing carriers that get you from JHB to the surrounding country of your choice. They break down. They change brands. They change gun rules. I try to avoid regional carriers for last-leg portions of a trip if at all possible. (E.g. Air Zimbabwe, Mango, SAA Airlink, etc.)

 

[Nevada Wapati]

As someone who just took a long route through Europe on Atlantic Air in Upper Class, I say no. The service was great but the extra time was not worth it.
Next time I'll be flying Delta again. Even if it means I'm in Premium Economy instead of Business Class

 

[IA1865]

I did it in January, flew Q Suites DFW-DOH-JNB. Took some walks up and down the plane to stretch my legs and I'd say the Qatar economy seemed to be nicer than delta, but not enough to warrant the incremental travel time. It was pretty easy to fly with rifles as long as you have your forms properly filled out. Keep them printed and in an outside pocket of your carry-on as you'll be showing them a lot.

I really enjoyed flying through Doha, and the Al Mourjan business lounge is incredible. Service in business class was top notch, but even still - the novelty really wears off about 10 hours into the home flight and you'll just want to be home.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Not only does Turkish still carry trophies, they’re a damn good airline. Not quite Emirates or Qatar, but pretty close. And…. Istanbul is absolutely worth a day or two to visit. If you go that way, I can connect you with an outstanding guide service who is especially hunter friendly.

Would definitely appreciate the contact via a PM. I’m traveling light this trip, no firearm and if I can get the girlfriend to pack light enough, no checked bags

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

You can’t go wrong with sightseeing in either place. If you take Turkish, in case you are unaware, security at IST takes a very long time and it’s a long way from the city center, plan accordingly.

How long of a layover would you recommend at IST? I was told anything over 7hours they include a city free tour with your ticket.

 

[wesheltonj]

How long of a layover would you recommend at IST? I was told anything over 7hours they include a city free tour with your ticket.

Sir, I would make it at least two full days. Traffic in the old town area is awful. There are so many sights in the old town to see which is on the European side. Not much to see on the Asia side. The food is fantastic and reasonable. A must try is Arch Bistro.

You need to plan for a lot of time getting to and through the Airport. It’s better than an hour from Istanbul proper. Your vehicle goes thru security, you go thru security to enter the terminal building, then security again to the gates and last security at the gate. Uber works, but expect a wait to get your ride, because of traffic.

 

[DLSJR]

Sir, I would make it at least two full days. Traffic in the old town area is awful. There are so many sights in the old town to see which is on the European side. Not much to see on the Asia side. The food is fantastic and reasonable. A must try is Arch Bistro.

You need to plan for a lot of time getting to and through the Airport. It’s better than an hour from Istanbul proper. Your vehicle goes thru security, you go thru security to enter the terminal building, then security again to the gates and last security at the gate. Uber works , but expect a wait to get your ride, because if traffic.

Bingo! He’s absolutely correct. I’d stay overnight and get a hotel on the Bosporus on European side. It’s worth it.

 

[DLSJR]

Would definitely appreciate the contact via a PM. I’m traveling light this trip, no firearm and if I can get the girlfriend to pack light enough, no checked bags

PM sent. The guy I sent is excellent, speaks perfect English and they’re hunters themselves.

 

[xbr897]

looking at next April to SA, I will have to fly out of Sioux Falls, SD on American Airlines to Fort Worth in order to fly Qatar and the flight to Joburg will be 37 hours not counting the time from SD. If I fly Delta thru Atlanta the flight will be 22 hours plus the flight time from SD. the price is only 300.00 less on Qatar than Delta (flying economy, possible to upgrade to comfort plus on both airlines), so is it worth the extra 15 hours on Qatar? The nice thing about Delta is I can get a direct flight from SD to Atlanta if I don't mind leaving at 5:30 am, for the Qatar flight I will have to fly American Airlines from SD to Fort Worth then get my bags and gun case and then get on Qatar. thoughts? thanks Jim

I know I'm late to this thread, but just wanted to point out that there is no comfort plus on Qatar. They just have economy seats and Biz class seats. At least on Delta you have option for comfort plus at decent buy up prices if you're flight isn't too booked up. For coach, save the time and fly on Delta. If you were flying Q Suites then I personally would enjoy extra time in that setup as its makes the travel a much more enjoyable part of the trip.

 

[Altitude sickness]

you are not spending the extra time in the Q suite. The extra time is inside the airport.

It’s a 13ish hour flight from Chicago to Doha. 16ish hour flight from Atlanta to Joberg

Joberg is farther south