New Member planning first Safari

[WAB]

Anyone have Lori’s contact info? Does she attend DSC?

 

[Badger Matt]

Another vote for Travel With Guns. Used them twice with no complaints.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Welcome to AH.

Would love to hear more on your NZ Red Stag and Tahr hunt. I'm doing that same hunt in April.

As far as flying JFK direct to JNB, I did that flight last July. Good flight on SAA, but it departs JFK around 11 am, so it's impossible to fly in that same morning from the midwest. I started in Houston and flew into JFK the day before and had to overnight. SAA offers a direct flight from Wash DC (IAD) that departs around 5pm, so you can fly in same day.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Anyone have Lori’s contact info? Does she attend DSC?

Here is Lori @Travel Express info:

Lori Spears & Jennifer Ginn
TRAVEL EXPRESS - AfricaHunting.com Exclusive Travel Specialists
"Don't buy your tickets without calling us first!"
(800) 808-4868 -- (406) 363-0883
Lori - team@travelexpressagency.com / Jennifer - team@travelexpressagency.com
www.TravelExpressAgency.com


Yes Lori and Jennifer will be at both DSC and SCI
* Dallas Safari Club * January 17-20, 2019, * Booth #1016
* Safari Club International * January 9-12, 2019, * Booth #1191

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Lori will also be joining us at our AH Get Together in Dallas, see: https://www.africahunting.com/threa...dallas-safari-club-dsc-convention-2019.45668/.

 

[WAB]

Here is Lori @Travel Express info:

Lori Spears & Jennifer Ginn
TRAVEL EXPRESS - AfricaHunting.com Exclusive Travel Specialists
"Don't buy your tickets without calling us first!"
(800) 808-4868 -- (406) 363-0883
Lori - team@travelexpressagency.com / Jennifer - team@travelexpressagency.com
www.TravelExpressAgency.com


Yes Lori and Jennifer will be at both DSC and SCI
* Dallas Safari Club * January 17-20, 2019, * Booth #1016
* Safari Club International * January 9-12, 2019, * Booth #1191

Thanks Jerome!

 

[Rock375]

I used Troy and Lori for my last African hunt to Namibia and couldn’t have been happier. Great hunt and excellent travel experience. You can’t go wrong using there services

 

[johnvdw]

Howdy All,

Finally joined AH after a couple months of reading and sorting through forums. I am in the works of planning my first Safari with my father.

I’ve had the opportunity to hunt NZ and harvested a fine Stag and Tahr and currenqtly returning from Colorado where I joined my dad on an awesome Mountain Lion hunt. He harvested a fine Tom.

Our Safari has been booked for June in SA for 6 plains game animals and needless to say I’m excited. I was hooked up with an outfitter through my taxidermist.

First question I have as I am trying to book a flight is:

How hard is it to transport firearms through London, Germany, or Qatar on a connection flight? I’m to the point where I’m lookin to book a direct flight from JFK to Johannesburg and not mess with it, but I know a good bundle could be saved going through the other countries.

I’m concerned with our firearms arriving with us in SA and don’t want to have them delayed or not put on the plane for some reason. I can do without clothes, guns are a different story.

Some guidance on this topic and stories of experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the info.

Keep your powder dry,
FN

Welcome Sycamore59. You will have a great time in SA

 

[Sycamore59]

Welcome to AH.

Would love to hear more on your NZ Red Stag and Tahr hunt. I'm doing that same hunt in April.

As far as flying JFK direct to JNB, I did that flight last July. Good flight on SAA, but it departs JFK around 11 am, so it's impossible to fly in that same morning from the midwest. I started in Houston and flew into JFK the day before and had to overnight. SAA offers a direct flight from Wash DC (IAD) that departs around 5pm, so you can fly in same day.

That’s what I’ve noticed. I ended up purchasing the direct flight from JFK to Johannesburg leaving at 11 am. Workin on flights there to either overnight it, or might just drive to JFK and save a little money that way. And I’ll message ya Ruger.

 

[Sycamore59]

Welcome Sycamore59 to AH! Oh I’m jealous of your dad’s mountain lion! May I ask who you went with and did they do a good job?

Me I use Lori at Travel Express and Henry at Rifle Permits. They’ve both helped me a lot. I can’t say enough good things.

For my old bones the single flight as straight as possible in the shortest amount of time (still too long!) is the way to go. Reduces the number of people who don’t care how they handle your stuff nor whether it arrives or not. The risk is high enough only using one carrier. JMO.

You and your dad are going to have an awesome time! Just remember once is not enough!

Ridge,

Our mountain lion hunt was booked with Cattrack Outfitters out of Collbran, CO. Fred Wallace is very good at what he does and has great assistance from his son and a helper. I’ll message more on that.

And I have the same feeling getting straight there and not worrying as much about our rifles.

 

[fin003]

Welcome to AH Sycamore59!

 

[Global Rescue]

Welcome to AH Sycamore59! Nice to have you on the site and we look forward to you sharing your stories!

 

[Philip Glass]

If you fly Qatar air, you need to do the following things:

1. On each flight, have the ticket agent at your first flight print separate bag tags for the rifles, and mark your copy so you know which one is for your rifle.

2. Have all paperwork for all countries in a file on your carry on, including your 4457.

3. At the gate, Qatar air will present you with a firearms transport form that is their own, and no one at Qatar air seemed to know what to do with it. On the way over, I was given the form and told to fill it out. I did. I was then told to follow a uniformed employee down to baggage claim. We got there, and there were three people standing there waiting for me. The all asked "where is the weapon?" I told them that it had been checked through, and that they had it. This caused incredible confusion because I did not have my checked rifle in my possession. They sent me back to the gate, but I found that was outside security, there was a long line, and my flight had been boarding for 20 minutes. I think I was the last one seated.

On the way back, the form was presented again, but I was not allowed to fill it out. The nice young woman claimed that to complete the form she needed my license to own a weapon. This was weird as hell because I could not communicate effectively that there was no requirement for a U.S. citizen to have a license (I should have just shown her my 4457). The other issue is that there was nothing on the Qatar air form that had anything to do with firearm ownership. It was simply your name, gun make, model, and serial number. I was told that the form was to tell the pilot that there was a "weapon" on board.
She took my passport and disappeared for 45 minutes because they had to find the weapon. She came back with boarding passes and claim checks, but we were waylaid again at the gate for 20 minutes for some reason. Again, last person seated, minutes before takeoff.

People were nice, and did get everything onboard, but it was nerve wracking and I was convinced that they were about to leave without us, or my rifle. They also cut my travel padlock on the bag with the ammunition, which pissed me off.

I think that the problem stemmed from two baggage claim tags with the same number, and not different numbers that could be ID'd immediately in their system. The other problem was that the gate agent on my first American flight checked the rifle all the way to Johannesburg, and they should have checked it to Philadelphia only for hand transfer to Qatar air. It messed up their process.

South Africa Air was worse, they lost my rifle for 25 hours, and my outfitters "Botswana airport fixer" found it only because he knew another fixer in Johannesburg. We had hand delivered it to the police station after our overnight, signed everything, and they set it in a corner and forgot to put it on the plane. Their excuse was that they did not know who owned it, despite my name and contact info tagged all over the case. Luckily, we were hanging out in Maun for a couple days prior to hunting. I was nice that the entire bar at Okovango river lodge erupted in cheers when it showed up.

I am returning to Botswana next year, and will use camp rifles. No permits, no paperwork, no fees, no tips to fixers for their hard work in finding my stuff, less weight, and I will use the extra space in my baggage to bring supplies for my PH, trackers, drivers, and camp staff. I can do this only because I now have had some experience, and they have Blasers. And yes, I will be flying Qatar air again because the savings made the difference between hunting in 2019 or waiting until 2020.

And let the record reflect that I did my best to play it straight, follow all processes, and never get mad at any person who was trying to sort things out to the best of their ability.

Thanks,

Jeff

Or you could save yourself all this trouble and use a travel agent that specializes in guns! This story plays out over and over on AH: “had so much trouble with my guns I’m using camp guns next time”. For a $200 fee a specialist will make your safari trouble free.
Regards,
Philip

 

[Philip Glass]

Welcome to AH.
It may cost a few extra $$$ but contact a travel agent that specializes in hunters. I used Travel With Guns for both of my safaris and they handled everything beautifully. There are others like Gracy Travel that have great reputations.

$200 is all it costs to use a travel agent! How much is this compared to the total trip?Travel Express, TWG, Gracy all good.

 

[TROPHY SHIPPERS]

Welcome Sycamore59. This forum has a wealth of information from some extremely knowledgeable folks, enjoy!

 

[USAN]

Welcome to this great forum Sycamore59!

 

[Ed Hawkins]

Welcome to AH!

 

[enysse]

Welcome to AH, I'm going through the same flight considerations for my next trip.