New policy for Qatar started as of March 2025 for firearms?

[RFS3]

I flew Qatar back in October and everything went smoothly. Now they’re telling me since they charter American to get me from San Antonio to Dallas. They said I can not travel with firearms since not all the flights are on Qatar airways.

Anyone have an feedback on this

 

[JimP]

There was a recent discussion on this a month or two ago that you should be able to find in a search.

However, this is where a travel agent such as Travel Express or Gracy will be well worth the little that you pay them for your flight.

 

[Russ16]

Any time I have domestic connection to an international flight I book the domestic portion on a separate itenrary. I often go up the night before and then just leave from wherever the international flights start.

I’ve had too many times where because of codeshare or other reasons that domestic to international transfer got screwed up.

 

[coreydb]

JimP is spot on. Travel agencies know their business. If you are planning your own itinerary, contact the airlines you intend to fly for their gun policies.

 

[RFS3]

JimP is spot on. Travel agencies know their business. If you are planning your own itinerary, contact the airlines you intend to fly for their gun policies.

I was curious if anyone has came into the issue and if it was resolved. Currently that is directly from Qatar with what I posted. If your first flight was not operated by Qatar airways you cannot fly with a gun. They said the policy was put into place March 2025. When I went in October I did not have any issues.


Otherwise I am just going to go with delta straight across.

 

[JimP]

I'd go with Delta and not have that extra 8 hour flight.

 

[Scott CWO]

I was curious if anyone has came into the issue and if it was resolved. Currently that is directly from Qatar with what I posted. If your first flight was not operated by Qatar airways you cannot fly with a gun. They said the policy was put into place March 2025. When I went in October I did not have any issues.


Otherwise I am just going to go with delta straight across.

You can absolutely do it if you claim baggage in DFW and recheck it at DFW. Book one ticket to DFW and a separate ticket with a few hours of layover before checking in with Qatar or use a travel agent like Gracy.

 

[shootist~]

Yep. American will not transfer firearms to another airline. I did Qatar once and Delta once. Delta (less hours) wins even though Qatar Business Class service was superior (by far).

 

[Mekaniks]

I believe it is the lack of agreement between the American and Qatar to transfer firearms and not a change in Qatars firearms baggage policy. @TRAVEL EXPRESS will know for sure

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Like Scott said. You have to book it two different tickets. SA to DFW or IAH.
Then claim bags and guns. Recheck on another ticket. DFW JNB.
Had a friend do this last year that that flew out of DFW and Me out of IAH. We met in Doha for flight to JNB

 

[wesheltonj]

I flew Qatar back in October and everything went smoothly. Now they’re telling me since they charter American to get me from San Antonio to Dallas. They said I can not travel with firearms since not all the flights are on Qatar airways.

Anyone have an feedback on this

If the AA flight is a code share with Qatar, you will be unable to book that yourself. I ran into that exact problem with an Airlink flight that was a code share. (1) you will have to book a different AA flight that’s not a code share with Qatar (2) book two separate tickets or (3) use an agent to do it. Apparently, Qatar does not enforce that rule when an agent books tickets. I had my tickets booked myself and denied approval. Made a call to Gracy and they were able to get the approval. Call Nicole at Gracy if you need help.

 

[RFS3]

Thank you all very much for the input. I just went ahead and booked through delta. I didn’t want to take a chance with my rifles. Plus It shaved 10 hours off my travel time.

 

[Wildwillalaska]

Well HELL, it what I thought when I first read this...as I am in almost the same boat. I am flying Qatar to Johannesburg in mid-May. Their website says to call 96 hours ahead of departure to get pre-auth for firearms or dangerous items. So seeing this thread and feeling dread, I called them.

I did not receive a totally consistent response, but I may end up in a slightly different situation too, since I booked the trip through Alaska Air. I live in Soldotna, so have to fly out of Anchorage. Unless I am flying Delta, my initial leg with almost always with Alaska Air, and we fly with them often throughout the year. They are super easy on firearms and ammo, so love to use them when I can. (Note for Domestic Alaska flights flights, we can fly with up to 50lbs of ammunition per passenger, in factory boxes or non-crushable containers...way easier then trying to ship it up).

I had a choice of booking through Qatar with an Alaska flight between Anchorage and Seattle on each end of the trip, or booking directly with Qatar with the exact same flights, so a mixed itinerary regardless. It was a couple hundred dollars more directly through Qatar, so I booked it through Alaska hoping I would get bonus miles on my elite status. So my actual booking is through Alaska Air, but all international flights with Qatar.

So I called Qatar asking about pre-approval for my firearm, letting them know I had the forms all prepared and ready. Also asked (having read above) if I should only check my rifle through Seattle so I can recheck it with Qatar after landing, even re-do the TSA portion if necessary.

Was told I do not need pre-approval through them at all. Alaska Air will handle checking in the firearm and transfer all information and such along to them. That I did not need to check just to Seattle, that I could and should check it all the way to Joburg.

Certainly liked this answer better than so sorry, cannot accommodate your rifle, but also not overly relieved by the inconsistency in the answer. I almost asked what the policy would have been for this exact same itinerary if I had booked with through them vs. Alaska Air. Would seem strange that the exact same flights with the same airlines, but booked with one vs. the other could have opposite outcomes, but who am I to say.

 

[wesheltonj]

Well HELL, it what I thought when I first read this...as I am in almost the same boat. I am flying Qatar to Johannesburg in mid-May. Their website says to call 96 hours ahead of departure to get pre-auth for firearms or dangerous items. So seeing this thread and feeling dread, I called them.

I did not receive a totally consistent response, but I may end up in a slightly different situation too, since I booked the trip through Alaska Air. I live in Soldotna, so have to fly out of Anchorage. Unless I am flying Delta, my initial leg with almost always with Alaska Air, and we fly with them often throughout the year. They are super easy on firearms and ammo, so love to use them when I can. (Note for Domestic Alaska flights flights, we can fly with up to 50lbs of ammunition per passenger, in factory boxes or non-crushable containers...way easier then trying to ship it up).

I had a choice of booking through Qatar with an Alaska flight between Anchorage and Seattle on each end of the trip, or booking directly with Qatar with the exact same flights, so a mixed itinerary regardless. It was a couple hundred dollars more directly through Qatar, so I booked it through Alaska hoping I would get bonus miles on my elite status. So my actual booking is through Alaska Air, but all international flights with Qatar.

So I called Qatar asking about pre-approval for my firearm, letting them know I had the forms all prepared and ready. Also asked (having read above) if I should only check my rifle through Seattle so I can recheck it with Qatar after landing, even re-do the TSA portion if necessary.

Was told I do not need pre-approval through them at all. Alaska Air will handle checking in the firearm and transfer all information and such along to them. That I did not need to check just to Seattle, that I could and should check it all the way to Joburg.

Certainly liked this answer better than so sorry, cannot accommodate your rifle, but also not overly relieved by the inconsistency in the answer. I almost asked what the policy would have been for this exact same itinerary if I had booked with through them vs. Alaska Air. Would seem strange that the exact same flights with the same airlines, but booked with one vs. the other could have opposite outcomes, but who am I to say.

I sent my paper work to Qatar in Qatar, would call Qatar CS, alway told gun was in the system. I asked for written confirmation and was told to use the chat. I used the chat, the chat representatives are in Qatar and they are the ones that told me denied. Gracy made a call and approved. This trip I used Nicole at Gracy.

 

[RFS3]

Thank you all very much for the input. I just went ahead and booked through delta. I didn’t want to take a chance with my rifles. Plus It shaved 10 hours off my travel time.

Also Qatar was hell bent I could not take my guns since my first flight was with American although I booked directly through Qatar. Then they said if I have everything I need for American to check the guns. That if I sent it to them they would escalate the situation and then it’s up to their discretion. This was a course of over 4 hours of conversations with Qatar.

I love their service but I am just not going to take a chance.

My double rifle needs to be there on my Cape buffalo hunt.

 

[Franco]

I am, by no means a conspiracy theorist, but with airlines refusing to ship certain species of trophies, and increasing difficulties with firearms - it does make one wonder if the anti-hunters aren't pressuring airline management.

 

[Franco]

Flying to Mozambique in June. Emirates DFW - DXB - JNB, then Airlink to Tete. Emirates has never been an issue, Airlink is another story. Emirates has never balked at 3 rifles and allows 5 kilos of ammo in a checked bag, Airlink requires the ammo to be in a separate, solid, locked container - and then weighs the container.

Hopefully all will go smoothly.

 

[Scott CWO]

Thank you all very much for the input. I just went ahead and booked through delta. I didn’t want to take a chance with my rifles. Plus It shaved 10 hours off my travel time.

Also Qatar was hell bent I could not take my guns since my first flight was with American although I booked directly through Qatar. Then they said if I have everything I need for American to check the guns. That if I sent it to them they would escalate the situation and then it’s up to their discretion. This was a course of over 4 hours of conversations with Qatar.

I love their service but I am just not going to take a chance.

My double rifle needs to be there on my Cape buffalo hunt.

I flew AA to Dallas. It’s primarily an AA policy that they don’t transfer firearms so Qatar is mixed up in that issue.

 

[375Fox]

I just flew a few days ago. No new policy that I know of. I claimed by rifles and ammo in Dallas from American and rechecked directly on Qatar. The same as I did last July in Chicago. I booked through travel agency and was on one ticket both trips. Make sure you have several hours to recheck at Qatar counter. They are very slow with firearms.

 

[yhc]

Well HELL, it what I thought when I first read this...as I am in almost the same boat. I am flying Qatar to Johannesburg in mid-May. Their website says to call 96 hours ahead of departure to get pre-auth for firearms or dangerous items. So seeing this thread and feeling dread, I called them.

I did not receive a totally consistent response, but I may end up in a slightly different situation too, since I booked the trip through Alaska Air. I live in Soldotna, so have to fly out of Anchorage. Unless I am flying Delta, my initial leg with almost always with Alaska Air, and we fly with them often throughout the year. They are super easy on firearms and ammo, so love to use them when I can. (Note for Domestic Alaska flights flights, we can fly with up to 50lbs of ammunition per passenger, in factory boxes or non-crushable containers...way easier then trying to ship it up).

I had a choice of booking through Qatar with an Alaska flight between Anchorage and Seattle on each end of the trip, or booking directly with Qatar with the exact same flights, so a mixed itinerary regardless. It was a couple hundred dollars more directly through Qatar, so I booked it through Alaska hoping I would get bonus miles on my elite status. So my actual booking is through Alaska Air, but all international flights with Qatar.

So I called Qatar asking about pre-approval for my firearm, letting them know I had the forms all prepared and ready. Also asked (having read above) if I should only check my rifle through Seattle so I can recheck it with Qatar after landing, even re-do the TSA portion if necessary.

Was told I do not need pre-approval through them at all. Alaska Air will handle checking in the firearm and transfer all information and such along to them. That I did not need to check just to Seattle, that I could and should check it all the way to Joburg.

Certainly liked this answer better than so sorry, cannot accommodate your rifle, but also not overly relieved by the inconsistency in the answer. I almost asked what the policy would have been for this exact same itinerary if I had booked with through them vs. Alaska Air. Would seem strange that the exact same flights with the same airlines, but booked with one vs. the other could have opposite outcomes, but who am I to say.

Will, I will be flying the same route from Anchorage to JNB via Alaska Airlines and Qatar Airways in May as well. I contacted Qatar Airways (specialservices@us.qatarairways.com) and informed them of my plans to fly with my firearms. Now they are fully aware and it shows up on my Qatar itinerary that I will be traveling with firearms.

I strongly recommend you contact specialservices@us.qatarairways.com to coordinate within the next week or so.