USA to Windhoek Flights and…

[Philip Glass]

Watching this conversation as I have hunt in Namibia in June. Will take another flight to Katima Mulilo in the Caprivi Strip. Has anyone gone to Katima Mulilo from Joberg or other country
Don

Yes.

 

[slam8031]

I had read the many stories of short layover problems in Addis. I elected to use my outfitters rifle instead of creating a problem of my own doing while traveling through Addis.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

How long and what time of day is layover? Being able to stay one carrier without needing to recheck guns sounds like a nice option. I do like the overnight in South Africa though. It helps with adjustment to African time. Is layover in Germany long enough to justify getting a hotel room?

My Lufthansa flight from Houston arrives FRA around 0830. The flight from FRA to WDH departs around 2200 and arrived in WDH 0830 the next morning. So I reserved a day room at the "My Cloud" transit hotel. It's a bit pricey at 274 euros. I am still debating on whether to keep this reservation, as I am likely to sleep on the flight from IAH to FRA and would rather not sleep during the day in Germany.

The hotel is located in the transit zone in the non-Schengen area and is only accessible if at least one flight comes from or flies to a non-Schengen country.

Check-in and check-out is only possible between 08:00 to 22:00. Please use our possibility to check in online to save time on your day of arrival: https://app.hotelbird.com/?hotel=2653.

 

[wesheltonj]

My Lufthansa flight from Houston arrives FRA around 0830. The flight from FRA to WDH departs around 2200 and arrived in WDH 0830 the next morning. So I reserved a day room at the "My Cloud" transit hotel. It's a bit pricey at 274 euros. I am still debating on whether to keep this reservation, as I am likely to sleep on the flight from IAH to FRA and would rather not sleep during the day in Germany.

The hotel is located in the transit zone in the non-Schengen area and is only accessible if at least one flight comes from or flies to a non-Schengen country.

Check-in and check-out is only possible between 08:00 to 22:00. Please use our possibility to check in online to save time on your day of arrival: https://app.hotelbird.com/?hotel=2653.

With that kind of time, you could easily make a day trip to most places in the west and southwest parts of Germany. ICE trains are fast and easy, but do need a seat reservation.

 

[Bandera]

What carrier is flying from LHR to Windhoek?

Ethiopian and Lufthansa both have routes out of LHR. With another stop before WDH.

 

[Doug3006]

How long and what time of day is layover? Being able to stay one carrier without needing to recheck guns sounds like a nice option. I do like the overnight in South Africa though. It helps with adjustment to African time. Is layover in Germany long enough to justify getting a hotel room?

We land In FRA at 7:20am and depart for WDH at 9:55pm. So a 14.5 hour layover.

 

[Bandera]

The one advantage to a stop in Frankfurt is that one of the guys going on the trip has in-laws in Frankfurt. Free place to stay. Not that I do much sleeping on a long layover. It is usually hey let’s go do something. See the place. You know borrow a police car or something.

 

[Doug3006]

@Jeff505 and I took the FRA to WDH route in 2009 on our first safari. Delta from STL to FRA via ATL and then Air Namibia from FRA to WDH. To kill a long layover, we went into town and visited the Seckenberg Natural History Museum. It’s a great museum with an extensive collection of taxidermied animals, some that are now extinct. Like a Dodo, Passenger Pigeon and a Thylacine (a carnivorous marsupial from Australia.) If you have the time it’s worth a visit.

​

Home · Senckenberg Naturmuseum Frankfurt

 

[YancyW]

@Jeff505 and I took the FRA to WDH route in 2009 on our first safari. Delta from STL to FRA via ATL and then Air Namibia from FRA to WDH. To kill a long layover, we went into town and visited the Seckenberg Natural History Museum. It’s a great museum with an extensive collection of taxidermied animals, some that are now extinct. Like a Dodo, Passenger Pigeon and a Thylacine (a carnivorous marsupial from Australia.) If you have the time it’s worth a visit.

​

Home · Senckenberg Naturmuseum Frankfurt

We that direct flight from STL to Frankfurt now, I have looked at using it for a trip to Namibia, could be nice.

 

[Rick HOlbert]

Looking for real world info on flights to Windhoek and travel routes.
My prefered airline is Delta. On Delta I have a short hop to ATL then most anywhere direct, except Windhoek, have a stop over in JNB.
The JNB route means I collect firearms and recheck on next flight. Also requires two import permits.

Other routes with different airlines include stop overs at LRH or Frankfurt.

Frankfurt looks to be a direct route to Windhoek. Does anybody know if rifles are checked through to WDH? Or do they need to collected and rechecked?

Any info on the London route?

Good day sir, I've used Lufthansa several times and it is a direct flight from Frankfurt to Windhoek. My gun case is checked through to Namibia and the next time I see it is at the gun room on arrival. Stay away from London!!

 

[kfreeze]

Have flown Ethiopian 4 x IAD to Windhoek. I agree with Surgeon 1 on the ease of firearms clearance. The flight to WDH from Addis will not leave without you. Have flown coach and business. All w/o issue. Using them again in August. Go Jennifer at Travel Express!

That flight from Chicago to Addis left Addis without me and my cousin after we departed Chicago 40 min late with a 35 min layover in Addis.

 

[Don Hinton]

Philip Glass
Can you expand on your yes comment
Don

 

[JINKLE]

I will be flying to Namibia in May starting in Dallas. Travel Express has me on DFW > Newark > Johannesburg > Windhoek on United Airlines with an overnight at Africa Sky.

 

[3chunter]

I will be flying to Namibia in May starting in Dallas. Travel Express has me on DFW > Newark > Johannesburg > Windhoek on United Airlines with an overnight at Africa Sky.

I took Charlotte-Newark-jburg-Namibia late July 2024. Overnight in jburg. All was good except the flight back to USA had a medical emergency and I ended up being on same plane for almost 23 hours. Got 1/3 way back almost and had to turn around and up to Lisbon.

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

... I am trying to find out if it's possible to do this ahead of time, so I don't have to go outside of the secured part of the airport to get to the ticket counter, and then go back through security. I have a 5 hour connection in Houston, so plenty of time to do it though.

As far as Lufthansa has advised, the weapons handling fee is payable upon check in only. However you can go to your departure gate (airside) when you reach your first Lufthansa flight rather than going to the ticket counter (landside) and back through security. We like that extra padding in Houston "just in case" but it shouldn't be needed.

To the OP's question, on a single ticket using only United and Lufthansa guns *should* check through. There are too many ifs and buts to list (different carriers, layovers, cities, etc etc etc), but in general you should be OK.

As to @Philip Glass 's advice above - we also find it VERY nice to have a chance to stop for a night, get some REAL rest in a hotel in Joburg and then continue onward. But we're always happy to to discuss the pros and cons with our clients.