Travel to JNB on Qatar airlines

[Av8or]

I flew on Qatar from Dfw to Jnb on April 30. Return flight on May 14 Jnb to Dfw( connecting flight in Doha on both ) upgraded to business on all flights online. Qatar was great, comfortable, good service, q suites are awesome, great private space. Dfw-Doha and Doha - Dfw had q suites. Doha -Jnb and Jnb-Doha were not q suite but still very nice. Both flights were Airbus 350 , just different configurations. Gun check in process was straight forward but very slow, took about 45 minutes in Dfw and Jnb. Covid test in South Africa was no pblm, we used Ampath in Nelspruit and had results on same day via an app i downloaded to my phone( I have a international plan on Verizon that charges 10$ a day if you use your phone, rolling 24 hours ) printed results , but the agents in Jnb preferred to see my results on my phone. No one in the US asked to see my covid results on return. Us Customs was great on my return and clearing with my rifle was a breeze. I used riflepermits.com for pre approved rifle permit in S Africa and was in and out of Saps office in about 5 minutes, well worth the fee .Overall I would recommend going if you can , travel and covid was not big downer in my opinion. I would use Qatar again, but...it is a long trip , 14-15 hours between Dfw-Doha and 8.5 hours from Doha to Jnb. I will work on a separate hunt report

 

[Av8or]

By the way ...I used Lori at Travel Express and she is awesome, highly recommended

 

[Goose Cracker]

Completely agree on Qatar and Doha. I'd definitely fly that route again.

Rifle check in was slow in DFW and JNB.

 

[Av8or]

Completely agree on Qatar and Doha. I'd definitely fly that route again.

Rifle check in was slow in DFW and JNB.

“SEC “ ”SEC “

 

[Arctic97]

My daughter and I just booked on Qatar, leaving Boise to JNB, July 28th returning August 12th. For $1660 each I felt it was a good value right now. Especially out of Boise, as that always adds cost when you leave from a minor city. Our return is back through DFW, but outbound is via Seattle. I look forward to that flight as it should take us up over the top pretty close to the pole it looks like. Always excited to have a trip on the schedule!

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Booked on Qatar for next Friday May 28th. Business class Houston Doha JNB. Return is same route. Looking forward to this as first time on Qatar. Will let you know how it goes.

 

[Red Leg]

Booked on Qatar for next Friday May 28th. Business class Houston Doha JNB. Return is same route. Looking forward to this as first time on Qatar. Will let you know how it goes.

Right behind you in August.

 

[Milo]

I look forward to that flight as it should take us up over the top pretty close to the pole it looks like. Always excited to have a trip on the schedule!

Just flew this route in early April. Outbound flight from Seattle cuts across southern Greenland, but the return flight is pretty much right over the pole. Interesting how different the routes are but the flight times are almost identical.

 

[Philip Glass]

I flew on Qatar from Dfw to Jnb on April 30. Return flight on May 14 Jnb to Dfw( connecting flight in Doha on both ) upgraded to business on all flights online. Qatar was great, comfortable, good service, q suites are awesome, great private space. Dfw-Doha and Doha - Dfw had q suites. Doha -Jnb and Jnb-Doha were not q suite but still very nice. Both flights were Airbus 350 , just different configurations. Gun check in process was straight forward but very slow, took about 45 minutes in Dfw and Jnb. Covid test in South Africa was no pblm, we used Ampath in Nelspruit and had results on same day via an app i downloaded to my phone( I have a international plan on Verizon that charges 10$ a day if you use your phone, rolling 24 hours ) printed results , but the agents in Jnb preferred to see my results on my phone. No one in the US asked to see my covid results on return. Us Customs was great on my return and clearing with my rifle was a breeze. I used riflepermits.com for pre approved rifle permit in S Africa and was in and out of Saps office in about 5 minutes, well worth the fee .Overall I would recommend going if you can , travel and covid was not big downer in my opinion. I would use Qatar again, but...it is a long trip , 14-15 hours between Dfw-Doha and 8.5 hours from Doha to Jnb. I will work on a separate hunt report

Thanks for the report. Can you tell us what paperwork Qatar asked for when you checked in your rifles?

 

[Av8or]

K

Thanks for the report. Can you tell us what paperwork Qatar asked for when you checked in your rifles?

qatar has a form called , declaration of surrender of firearms, plus 4457 form.

 

[Av8or]

Plus passport , and covid form , and covid test (pcr) results

 

[Goose Cracker]

Exactly my experience with Qatar. Think you can download both forms and fill them out in advance. @Vanguard2279 did that and I think his rifle check in was a little quicker than mine.

 

[Rare Breed]

Interesting. I am booked from ATL to Doha to Jberg 6/30 returning 7/11 and flight with Qatar is still on

 

[Arctic97]

Just flew this route in early April. Outbound flight from Seattle cuts across southern Greenland, but the return flight is pretty much right over the pole. Interesting how different the routes are but the flight times are almost identical.View attachment 402752View attachment 402753

That is interesting....I would have thought that with earth rotation taken into account the flight paths would have been opposite on those 2 legs, but maybe my thinking is backwards....Well, just having something planned is a great feeling, so it's all good.

 

[Tracey Colson]

My daughter and I just booked on Qatar, leaving Boise to JNB, July 28th returning August 12th. For $1660 each I felt it was a good value right now. Especially out of Boise, as that always adds cost when you leave from a minor city. Our return is back through DFW, but outbound is via Seattle. I look forward to that flight as it should take us up over the top pretty close to the pole it looks like. Always excited to have a trip on the schedule!

Just took this flight about a month ago now, it does seem to fly a little further east on the outbound trip, but kind of fun to watch the compass on the flight monitor, pretty much says north, then south.

 

[Gail T]

Qatar Airlines extended their fully refundable tickets offer to entice ticket sales. It worked! Lori Spears was super helpful and found a way to get us into Namibia. Qatar cancelled their DOHA to Windhoek flight, so we fly to OR Tambo and take Airlink Airlines from there to Windhoek. A bit of hassle, but worth it to return to Africa.

 

[Dee S]

Plus passport , and covid form , and covid test (pcr) resultsView attachment 402827

We filled these out before we got on the plane. no one, and I mean no one, knew what it was and never looked twice at them.
You need your passport, your boarding pass, and a print out of your PCR test from the lab, that is it to board the plane. You will need to fill out the entrance form as you enter Johannesburg. They hand them out on the plane before you land or you can print them from the internet.
We just returned Monday, had no issues with COVID related BS, went pretty smoothly.

 

[David AK 53]

Qatar Airlines extended their fully refundable tickets offer to entice ticket sales. It worked! Lori Spears was super helpful and found a way to get us into Namibia. Qatar cancelled their DOHA to Windhoek flight, so we fly to OR Tambo and take Airlink Airlines from there to Windhoek. A bit of hassle, but worth it to return to Africa.

Does Qatar Airlines have a baggage agreement with Airlink or do you have to retrieve luggage and guns and recheck them in JNB?

 

[Hogpatrol]

If traveling within RSA, recheck everything.

Does Qatar Airlines have a baggage agreement with Airlink or do you have to retrieve luggage and guns and recheck them in JNB?

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Does Qatar Airlines have a baggage agreement with Airlink or do you have to retrieve luggage and guns and recheck them in JNB?

Hello from a fellow Alaskan.

I just did this dance a few weeks ago. You have to pick things up and re-check with Airlink. I used Rifle Permits and it was a painless process.

And I also traveled the same route as Milo (plus the 327 air miles Dillingham to Anchorage). Qatar Airways are rock stars; I was very impressed.