May 24th we wake up at 2:00 AM , out the door at 3:00. a 1.5 hour drive to Flint Bishop airport Mi.
At the time of booking flights, American airlines had 3 daily flights to Chicago. Patrick at PWP travel booked the mid day Flint departure for a 19:45 Qatar connection at OHare. Months earlier American cut the mid day flight so we moved to the early morning departure. Leaving a 10 hour layover in Chicago. American would not refund my money to allow me to move to a Detroit departure, the whole trip including the Qatar air portion would have to be re booked. At a substantial price increase and loosing our chosen seats. we were stuck with a long layover at the start of our trip.
Patrick suggested a day room at the airport Hilton to spend the 10 hours. Day rooms are less money since you check out by 6:00 PM allowing normal stays to be booked also.
We are at the American counter in Flint early and the 2 employees could not have been more friendly or helpful. They asked if the ammo weighed less than 11 pounds and did not ask to see it or weigh it. then asked if the rifles were unloaded and added the card inside and told me to lock the Pelican V700 and V800 cases. They said every thing is checked all the way through to Harare. I thought wow that is great, I thought I had to collect the rifles in Chicago and re check them into Qatar air.
At Chicago I'm still Leary so ask several American employees about my rifle cases, they check my claim stubs and confirm they are checked through.
The day room in Chicago was worth every nickel. instead sitting at a gate for 10 hours at the start of the trip.
At 4:00 PM a rep from Qatar air calls me asking where am I ? they have my rifle cases. I was supposed to pick them up after all and re check them. YOU MUST Re Claim rifles when changing companies.
I met the friendly Qatar airline woman and we checked them back into Qatar through security and TSA. Of course now I'm back at the ticket counter and they are slammed. It seems everyone is traveling home to their home countries through Chicago on that flight.
As a result we don't have long before boarding so all is well. We booked an isle and window seat hoping no one would book the middle. We are about seal the hatch and taxi when they move a tiny young woman between my wife and I. We give her the isle seat and she is happy. There were perhaps 20 empty middle seats open so we could have resisted but did not. The seats are very spacious and service was great. 13 hour flight to Doha.
When we arrive in Doha we are met with a sign with our names at the gate. She confirms we are still traveling with our rifles, shows us to the Doha hotel and confirms our departure gate. We have another 10 hr layover, so do a little shopping, the airport does not seem as full as OHare was, take a nap and a shower. Leave the room at 12:00 midnight for a 2:25 AM departure.
We are met with a huge throng of humanity. The airport is now bursting at the seams. Apparently, 10:30PM - 2:00 AM one of two peak times at Doha, 5:30 through 8:00 being the other. (note to self, try to avoid this time on future travels). The bus to the plane takes many busses to get all passengers at gate to the plane on the tarmac. I do not like this system at all. I'm sure Doha can move more people in 24hrs this way but its not my favorite system for such a modern airport. Landed in Lusaka Zambia at 08:45. 1.5 hour drop and pickup of passengers.
We are met at the Harare gate by a Dalton and York person named Simon. he and his sidekick will carry our bags and walk us to the office for firearms and paperwork needed. then they get us a bus instead of walking over to the private portion of the airport where we are met by our private pilot standing by his Cessna 110. and away we go for a :55 flight to camp in the Chewore South concession
