Qatar connection with Airlink

[Areaonereal]

Flying on Qatar and connecting on Airlink all on one ticket thru JNB to Windhoek…anyone aware or with experience know if baggage and rifle is transferred to Airlink without passing thru SAPS.

 

[YancyW]

Flying on Qatar and connecting on Airlink all on one ticket thru JNB to Windhoek…anyone aware or with experience know if baggage and rifle is transferred to Airlink without passing thru SAPS.

No, it will not check all the way through.

 

[Inline6]

You will have to go through SAPS, once check by them you will go to Airlink. Airlink will check your ammo separately at that point (just an FYI) . It is not a difficult process as long as your layover is not to short.

 

[Dee S]

Typically, if the ticket was booked all at the same time, then yes, the luggage should transfer from one flight to the next. The booking agent can connect the two. If you didn't have it done when you purchased the tickets, then you can "usually" have the two connected when you make your first check in at the airport. It could depend on the layover time. But my bow cases and luggage have gone through this before, doing it both ways. With the flights connected at the time of purchase and also at check in at the airport. And I have done this at Windhoek. I made the mistake of not connecting them at the time of purchase one time and at check in, in Windhoek, they gladly made the SA Air flight connect to Delta in JNB. If you are overnighting in JNB, then you will probably have to get your bags before leaving the airport and will have to check them back in when you return. But you can always call the airline and verify, and hopefully get that in an email.
And my experiences are with bows, I have never flown with firearms.

 

[Inline6]

Ours was booked with an agent, firearms have to be checked in at SAPS. That's where they will confirm what you brought and issue you the proper paperwork.

 

[Red Leg]

Ours was booked with an agent, firearms have to be checked in at SAPS. That's where they will confirm what you brought and issue you the proper paperwork.

You will have to go through SAPS, once check by them you will go to Airlink. Airlink will check your ammo separately at that point (just an FYI) . It is not a difficult process as long as your layover is not to short.

Actually no. Airlink has a transfer agreement with Qatar. Checked bags, to include firearms, should transfer without doing the SAPS drill (assuming the transfer fee was paid by your travel agent). I leave on 2 August and have been following this very closely with Gracy, and their clients going to Windhoek and Lusaka have had no issues to date this year.

 

[M McDindi]

Flew QA with SA Airlink to Gaborone Botswana this past June. Tickets booked via Expiedia all the way thru from Boston to Gabs and back, one contiguous ticket.

Going over, luggage, rifle cases and ammo inside checked bag (locked Pelican 1200). All we had to do was get boarding passes for SA Airlink in the transit area in Jberg before going up into the main concourse. Just had to give the SA Airlink our baggage claim tickets and pay 350 Rand, via CC for each rifle case. All came out in Gabs just fine.

Coming back, we checked in with SA Airlink, the agent said we had to take the ammo case out of checked luggage and tag it separately to Jberg and could only check the rifle case to Jberg and have to claim it and recheck with QA. Told him that was not how everything arrived in Bots he didn't care.

Luckily, we had a 5hr layover in JNB and I had a pre-filled out SAPS 520 just in case. Arrived in JNB, cleared ZA Immigration and hit the SAPS office - it was empty. A few minutes later a Sergeant pitched up. I explained the situation to him and he was confused too. Said it all should have been checked directly back to the US.

Fortunately, he didn't go thru the whole 520 bit. He just called a couple of security people and went in the back and came back a couple of minutes later with the rifle cases and ammo box. He just made some entries in a logbook, had us sign the entries and had the security team take us to the QA desk and check-in. They put the tags on the cases and back to SAPS. More entries in the log book and sign and they all went back in the back. Confirmed with the QA agents at the gate the bags were loaded and they confirmed they were.

I did have to pay the extra bag fee for the ammo box - $252 USD. That sucked big time. But, I couldn't just surrender to SAPS so....had to pay it. In hind sight, I SHOULD have just had the piece of checked luggage tag for just JNB, picked it up and then put the ammo box back inside at the QA desk. BIG LESSON LEARNED.

I did actually talk to the QA Ops Manager in JNB face to face before we boarded in the hopes he could sort this out directly with SA Airlink. I also send a detailed email to QA Customer Service when we got home. I did get a response that they were forwarding it to "Senior Management". This was a little less than a month ago and haven't heard any more back.

Heading back to Bots on 1 Aug. Similar route but via Chicago on QA. SA Airlink from JNB to Gabs and then Air Bots back out to JNB. IF similar situation occurs, I still have pre-done SAPS 520's and IF Air Bots requires ammo box out and rifle cases just to JNB, then the reg bag will just be checked to JNB as well.

My hope is since things are just opening back up after being closed for over a year, my situation was just a learning curve issue for the SA Airlink folks.

I understand, your question was specifically about QA and SA Airlink from JNB to Windhoek. All I can say is be prepared for either situation.

 

[Inline6]

Actually no. Airlink has a transfer agreement with Qatar. Checked bags, to include firearms, should transfer without doing the SAPS drill (assuming the transfer fee was paid by your travel agent). I leave on 2 August and have been following this very closely with Gracy, and their clients going to Windhoek and Lusaka have had no issues to date this year.

Our flight to Bloemfontein required it and all fees were paid. Maybe Windhoek is different I don't know. Airlink did not charge for the extra for the ammo box. They did hit me up for over weight which was $80.00. We just flew back last Sunday. Maybe we did something wrong but we had to go to SAPS that was last week.

 

[M McDindi]

Don't confuse ZA domestic connections with international connections. IF you are flying into Jberg with a follow-on domestic connection within ZA, then yes, you have to claim your rifles in Jberg and do the SAPS 520 because you're temporarily importing into ZA.

For an international connection from JNB to another country and NOT overnighting in Jberg or less than a 6hr layover AND you're on a contiguous ticket with your connections and not two seperate, then luggage and rifles SHOULD be able to be checked all the way.

Unfortunately, it seem way too often it's we're left to the mercy of a check-in agent. Even when SHOWN a copy of the actual regulations or a print out directly from the airlines website they just ignore it and do as they please and we're f'd.

Three years ago, I had to pay an extra bag fee with Air Botswana even though the website baggage policy clearly showed 2 pieces were authorized on international flights. Just paid it via CC and when I got home, emailed my CC provider, sent a copy of the website print out AND a direct link to their website and the charges were reversed. Did something similar with the old SAA. Made a ZA domestic connection to Port Elizabeth. Had to take ammo out of checked bag AND pay an extra fee ($90 USD). Did the same thing. Just paid via CC, and contested the charge when I got home and it was taken off.

If I don't hear anything back from QA on my original email or see a refund to my CC after 30-days. I plan on contesting the charge with my CC provider again.

 

[YancyW]

I stand corrected, I apologize for the wrong info. I asked about it several months ago and it wasn't an option for United or Delta, but it sounds like Qatar has an arrangement with Airlink.

 

[M McDindi]

Not having a code share/baggage handling agreement with any carrier once in JNB was one of Delta's issues. I don't know for certain if United currently does or not.

QA actually has current code share and baggage agreements with American Airlines, Jet Blue, SA Airlink and Air Botswana. A good way to check if an airline had a code share/baggage agreement is to actually go to their web site and try to book a ticket. IF they have a code share, those subsidiary carriers, like SA Airlink/Air Bots etc will actually show up on the proposed routing right on their website.

 

[Red Leg]

Our flight to Bloemfontein required it and all fees were paid. Maybe Windhoek is different I don't know. Airlink did not charge for the extra for the ammo box. They did hit me up for over weight which was $80.00. We just flew back last Sunday. Maybe we did something wrong but we had to go to SAPS that was last week.

That is because Bloemfontein is in South Africa. I am not actually entering South Africa. I am transiting JNB in route to Lusaka which is in Zambia. Windhoek is in Namibia.

It is Johannesburg however, and anything can happen. It is why I have been watching this year's previous transits so closely.

 

[thriller]

Flying on Qatar and connecting on Airlink all on one ticket thru JNB to Windhoek…anyone aware or with experience know if baggage and rifle is transferred to Airlink without passing thru SAPS.

Mine checked through on Qatar airlines and then airline. from Dallas to Harare so I think you should be fine checking it through.

 

[slam8031]

I just did the US to jnb and overnighted before heading to Windhoek about a month ago. I had to take the ammo out of the checked luggage (I did know this before hand so it was not a surprise).

 

[Red Leg]

I just did the US to jnb and overnighted before heading to Windhoek about a month ago. I had to take the ammo out of the checked luggage (I did know this before hand so it was not a surprise).

Yes, you overnighted in JNB which means you legally "entered" South Africa and you would have to do immigration, SAPS, and baggage recheck. When transiting, a situation where you are on the ground in JNB for a few hours, one technically never actually enters the country.

 

[Philip Glass]

Should be checked through and no SAPS