If you are planning to fly Emirates, you should read this rather lengthy piece. Twice maybe. We arranged Emirates tickets from Salt Lale City (SLC) to SEA than on to Dubai and finally JNB. We were told to check firearms on to JNB if possible. No problem says the ladies at Alaska Air (A code share partner of Emirates, and their only rep in Salt Lake. In fact, this flight has an Emirates symbol on the flight number even though out of SLC) A quick check, a look at the Emirates Pre authorization for firearms and ammo completed correctly and issued from their main office; guns checked to Jo'burg and we are off. Or are we? We arrive in Seattle, walk and take train to gait, and rest. But on attempting to board, something flags me down. No! we must leave, walk to train, return to main terminal and ticketing, wait in ticket line, they off load out suitcases and guns, but takes two tries, man says "there is a lot of luggage to go thru". Since no one at Emirates counter knows a tampon from a 375 h&h cartridge, they go find their expert. And she is. Peanut sized, she is friendly and competent. She weighs ammo, checks guns thru to JNB, takes us to TSA where this is repeated, and gives us back our guns to recheck. We run and hop train and just make our flight. I am last one in the door. But at least it is done, isn't it? Isn't it! No! In Dubai, as I prepared to board. I am pulled aside. I go back and weigh and measure ammo and look at rifles. I am fined for the second time as my partner's rifle case weighs 14.5kg (31.9 pounds) why me? why 32 pounds. (three fines in total). Hell, I get on last, but at least I am on. Yet there is more: during a two hour fiasco of lost rifle in JNB with SAPS (appropriately named I add) my rifle would still be lost if not for Henry Durrheim agent Charles meeting us as arranged and relentlessly bird dogging my rifle in an airport not yet awake at the 530AM arrival time of Emirates from Dubai. Since we hunted a few days in RSA, we were forced to return to OR Sambo International for our departure. Same 2 hour fiasco. Then on to Maputo.....three times. At arrival, off to hotel for short night, then back to airport in early am, again upon return from hunt. At our second visit, on way from hotel and to the continuation of our flight, utter confusion. No one, and I repeat NO ONE in Moz had ever seen a firearm. Regardless of what others on this site tell you, they did not go to Mozambique..............they picked up a secretary and went to Nassau or to the big island, not to Mozambique. No, Beekers, as residents are or should be called, went thru 3 loose leaf black notebooks trying to find what to do. They removed the rifles from their cases and rotated them in the air several times. Convinced they could not be eaten, we were told to lock them up again. The boss, painfully counted out each cartridge in the box, unaware that there are 20. He pulled one 8x57 round out and asked me "will this kill someone".? "I certainly hope not, I replied..." but at that moment, that very moment, a suitable test case seemed to arise that would lay to rest my main antagonist and his foolish question at a single stroke. He asked me to copy the SAPS form for him.....at 530 AM in the Maputo airport! But I fooled him by having several copies ready. After 2 hours and one fine (1000Metical ($13)) we were on the flight. Lichinga was a one hour fiasco during which the agent at the desk dropped his loaded automatic pistol onto the concrete floor! Fortunately, this "secret agent" quality guard had loaded the wrong ammo, or it might have gone off. Going back thru the airports in reverse order meant 14 total airports and 14 problems..........5 of which were big ones...and yes..........they got us on the way back in Dubai, Seattle, and, surprisingly, SLC where our bags were lost and simply did not arrive. We filed lost baggage claims and drove the 5 hours home to Idaho.
Do you sense any frustration here?? Not from cool and always calm FWB. But a lesser mortal may have winced a time or two.
Travel with Emirates Air again: Maybe....they were actually all cordial people
Travel Emirates with a firearm? never, NEVER, Hell no
In fact, I will never again take a firearm to Africa. (sorry Gert, but we must find another way) This entailed about 75 man hours that could be used for something else. Forget it. Never, ever do it. "Have Gun, Will Travel" no longer reads the card of this man...
And as my own rifle and reloads was always a large part of my hunting, I may never again travel to Africa. Must see how much frustration burns off over the next few months.
DO NOT TRAVEL EMIRATES AIR WITH A RIFLE. YOU WILL BE HASSLED, YOU WILL BE FINED, YOUR LUGGAGE WILL BE KEPT (LOST) FOR SOME OR ALL OF YOUR HUNT. AVOID THEM.
sept 1st to Sept 23, 2016 trip to Africa SLC-SEA-DBX-JNB (LAM: JNB-MAPUTO-LICHINGA)
Flatwater Bill
www.africahunting.com
