Luggage pilfered in JNB airport

[BRICKBURN]

My first thought for splitting the ticket on flight booking back from Zimbabwe, . ? Embargo for Americans taking firearms to Zimbabwe.

SCI:
Tips on Flying to Zimbabwe and the Firearms Embargo
An embargo on firearms to Zimbabwe by the European Union, the UK and Canada has been in effect
since 2004 due to the political situation in that country. The embargo includes firearms and ammunition
for hunting purposes. No European airline will carry firearms to Zimbabwe, and The Netherlands will not issue transit permits for firearms going to Zimbabwe.
If you are flying from Canada, the UK or a European Union country, or you are connecting to a flight in
Europe to Africa, you MUST have your tickets booked on separate itineraries. One itinerary should show Johannesburg, South Africa, or other destination in Africa as your final destination. The second itinerary is for your onward flight to Zimbabwe.

Sucks that you gear was pilfered.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My checked bag is a beat up soft bag with backpack shoulder straps that zip inside. That bag is getting a bit ratty but very well made. It looks like something belonging to a poor college kid not a rich safari hunter. No one has ever opened it as far as I know. I am convinced traveling with designer luggage is just asking to get ripped off ( + a waste of money).

 

[Hogpatrol]

Have never had anything stolen in ten trips to RSA with multiple flights to other destinations out of Tambo. I believe it's not a good idea to put anything valuable in a standard, non gun case, checked bag on any flight, domestic or international.

 

[Philip Glass]

Emirates, Ethiopian, Kenya, Qatar. Not sure about layover times, but they all beat the going through JNB.

It is nice to go on Qatar direct to Harare skipping JNB!
I think people make way too much of travel horror stories and get themselves all worked up. 20 million people pass through JNB annually. There are bound to be problems.

 

[Philip Glass]

My last two trips home from Zimbabwe in both Bulawayo and Harare (‘22 and ‘24 ) I was able to check my bags all the way to St Louis thus being a transfer passenger in JNB. My travel agent told me booking my trip, which included four Airlink flights , all on one ticket could potentially cost considerably more but didn’t say how much.
I’m trying to find flights to Harare w/o JNB and without long layovers- not having much luck
I went on one safari without my guns and had no checked bag and it was really nice. But I want to take my rifles so you have to check a bag. I can do my safari from my carry on.
Just as a side note I had dinner at Africa Sky with a gentleman heading to Mozambique. TSA in Atlanta would not let him take his two scopes in carry on. He was able to return to Delta check in and retrieve his bag and pack his scopes. When he got to JNB and unpacked his scopes were gone! It’s a crap shoot

Best bet is Qatar. That is the only non JNB itinerary I've taken. Next year I'll be taking my group in August and we will likely go Delta and do the JNB "gun hustle" as I call it. Unless Qatar has another crazy business class offer like Patrick got us last year.
So sounds like the guy heading to Moz made a big mistake by not keeping his scopes on his rifles! He tried the carry on and they said no so he put them in the suitcase?
I tell people all the time keep scopes on and bolt in gun but some just don't listen.

 

[Lowballoffersonly]

I lost a rangefinder to an airlink/ delta connection out of Kimberley/JNB back to the states in September. Frustrating but a lesson was learned.

 

[Bearkat]

Really sorry about that. I hate a thief. Unfortunately Joburg is full of them. My daughter had thiusands of dollars in camera equipment stolen out of her bag when United forced her to gate check it in Newark. We need to start flying through Cape Town.

 

[Brian]

I recently returned from two safaris conducted in South Africa hosted by Derian Koekemoer on his concession bordering Krueger National Park and in Zimbabwe with York Mare in the Sengwa research area. Both safaris were excellent an I harvested some amazing animals. I will file a separate hunt report on each but this post is about my gear being stolen from my checked bag at the JNB airport.
For reasons I still don’t fully understand my airline tickets were not purchased on one itinerary- meaning when I left Harare they would not let me check my bags directly to the US. I’ve always been able to check all the way home but not this time. I guess I should have caught this but I didn’t. The guy at the check in counter told me to put my ammo case in my checked bag. So now that I was no longer a transfer passenger I had to collect my bags and go through all the JNB BS checking rifles at the SAP office , checking in with Delta, checking firearms again and then waiting in very long lines at immigration and security before I could actually hit the lounge. But before all that happened my bag was not on the carousel. The bag attendant said if it contained ammo it would be at the SAPS office. I was going there anyway so no big deal- except it wasn’t there. Long walk to the Airlink office to begin the search- they had no clue until I showed them the air tag location. A few more calls and they said they found it and it would be delivered to the SAPS office.
an hour and a half later it finally showed up. I was so happy to get it I didn’t inspect
The contents- big mistake. When I got home the next day my Kuiu hunting jacket and shirts were missing. I guess it could have been worse- my Murray rifle case was still there as were my Courtney boots but it really annoyed me- at myself for not checking my bags directly on the spot and for not checking my tickets to allow direct shipment back to US without the JNB lunacy.
So just a heads up to you guys that may have inter and intra air connections on your safari. Even if you use a travel agent- which I always do- don’t take anything for granted. This could have all been avoided if I would have paid more attention to the flight details. Everything on one ticket and you’re good to go

godwincp,
Me too! This year the Tambo staff stole my spare scope and wreaked my gun case when I arrived and then the gun inspectors worked me pretty hard for a bribe when I was leaving for home.
My wife and I have been to South Africa many times spending a total of one year there , we love that country and see it changing for the traveller and the citizens.

My take is that the black South Africans are getting very discouraged with all the BS and corruption in the country and some are developing a "smash and grab" type of life style. Just my opinion of course. No offence meant to anyone.

 

[forshoes]

Monday, returning from O.R. Tambo on Delta, had my camera and binoculars taken from my rifle case. They opened four master padlocks, with two different keys, then closed them again! Locked the case in the firearms check in room and when we opened it at Atlanta they were gone. I figured the four padlocks on a Pelican Gun Vault 770 would be safe enough..

I figure it was the SAPS as they had seen what was in the case when I gave back the rifle permit. The rifle would have been a lot harder to walk out of the airport with.

 

[Brian]

They are out of control.

 

[Brian]

Is There any way we can get help preventing this theft from happening?

I have always taken care of my own firearm paperwork just to save a buck.
Agencies like Gracy Travel are highly recommended, do they also help in preventing theft at Tambo airport ?
I wonder if there is some agency that provides a theft prevention service at Tambo.
There must be some way of mitigating this.

Does it make a difference what kind of case or locks that one uses ?
Does anyone here have any insight or suggestions. It seems like this is about a theft group or "ring" involving several levels of "inspectors" at the airport.

The Travelling Hunter business is a billion dollar industry in RSA and this Tambo theft problem is probably much bigger that a few isolated incidents. Any thoughts?

We travelling hunters spend millions of dollars in South Africa, and some times I thing we are just viewed as prey in some places.
My wife and family love South Africa and have visited there many times. We hunt for a week or so and then travel for several weeks. In all, my wife and I have spent about a year in South Africa.

I am planning tho go back next year but am still pissed off about this theft issue at Tambo
.
I would like to hear from you. Brian

 

[Brian]

Here is an article that I just now got from Goggle, There are a lot of posts about the "rampant" theft at OR Tambo.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g312578-i9273-k6190575-o70-Airport_Baggage_Theft_is_Brazen_and_Rampant-Johannesburg_Greater_Johannesburg_Gauteng.html

 

[Hogpatrol]

Here is an article that I just now got from Goggle, There are a lot of posts about the "rampant" theft at OR Tambo.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowTopic-g312578-i9273-k6190575-o70-Airport_Baggage_Theft_is_Brazen_and_Rampant-Johannesburg_Greater_Johannesburg_Gauteng.html

That link refers to the problem twelve years ago at SAA which is no longer doing US routes. Other than rifles in rifle cases, the solution is to not put anything of value in a checked bag, but in a carry-on.

 

[Brian]

I guess the best solution is to just not pack anything of value in the rifle case or any check-in luggage, simple.

 

[Brian]

Hogpatrol.

Oops, I didn't realize that it was so outdated, 12 years ago. Thanks for the post. Brian

 

[Sarg]

When we returned from Johanasburg last month while we were waiting for some friends around the luggage carousel in Atlanta I noticed a good 20 to 30% of the bags coming across were soft bags, have they relaxed this a bit. My favorite bag is an old military flight bag and I would like to use it again.

Oh sorry missed this, yes it was for a short time & as stated, they wanted no loose straps & one hard side, as I remember the wrapping guys put a hard cardboard on one side & of course the plastic held all the straps in, never a bad idea, but some bugger is sure to want a Official look see in your bag before you actually get to home country.

Not on my few flights so wrapped thank goodness !

 

[Hunt anything]

Oh sorry missed this, yes it was for a short time & as stated, they wanted no loose straps & one hard side, as I remember the wrapping guys put a hard cardboard on one side & of course the plastic held all the straps in, never a bad idea, but some bugger is sure to want a Official look see in your bag before you actually get to home country.

Not on my few flights so wrapped thank goodness !

My old flight bag has a flat bottom, thinking about just attaching a 1/8” piece of paneling to the bottom.

 

[Sarg]

My old flight bag has a flat bottom, thinking about just attaching a 1/8” piece of paneling to the bottom.

I’m not sure that those rules are still in effect bud, just check, rules change a lot especially in Africa ?

 

[Sabre]

I recently returned from two safaris conducted in South Africa hosted by Derian Koekemoer on his concession bordering Krueger National Park and in Zimbabwe with York Mare in the Sengwa research area. Both safaris were excellent an I harvested some amazing animals. I will file a separate hunt report on each but this post is about my gear being stolen from my checked bag at the JNB airport.
For reasons I still don’t fully understand my airline tickets were not purchased on one itinerary- meaning when I left Harare they would not let me check my bags directly to the US. I’ve always been able to check all the way home but not this time. I guess I should have caught this but I didn’t. The guy at the check in counter told me to put my ammo case in my checked bag. So now that I was no longer a transfer passenger I had to collect my bags and go through all the JNB BS checking rifles at the SAP office , checking in with Delta, checking firearms again and then waiting in very long lines at immigration and security before I could actually hit the lounge. But before all that happened my bag was not on the carousel. The bag attendant said if it contained ammo it would be at the SAPS office. I was going there anyway so no big deal- except it wasn’t there. Long walk to the Airlink office to begin the search- they had no clue until I showed them the air tag location. A few more calls and they said they found it and it would be delivered to the SAPS office.
an hour and a half later it finally showed up. I was so happy to get it I didn’t inspect
The contents- big mistake. When I got home the next day my Kuiu hunting jacket and shirts were missing. I guess it could have been worse- my Murray rifle case was still there as were my Courtney boots but it really annoyed me- at myself for not checking my bags directly on the spot and for not checking my tickets to allow direct shipment back to US without the JNB lunacy.
So just a heads up to you guys that may have inter and intra air connections on your safari. Even if you use a travel agent- which I always do- don’t take anything for granted. This could have all been avoided if I would have paid more attention to the flight details. Everything on one ticket and you’re good to go

I haven't read all the replies yet, but my first thought was one I saw someone else say pretty quickly.

Don't beat yourself up too much about not checking on the spot, because I don't think it would have helped much. The odds you would have recovered the items were probably slim anyway.

It is incredibly frustrating and it shouldn't be that way, and the person who did it to you is a piece of sh*t. But, don't blame yourself for someone else lacking morals and decency.

 

[Whit]

I lost a rangefinder to an airlink/ delta connection out of Kimberley/JNB back to the states in September. Frustrating but a lesson was learned.

I lost a high-grade Italian pocketknife flying out of Cape Town in October '23. Placed the knife in an unsecured external pocket, instead of buried deep in my spare shoes, or something. Lesson learned.