Delta or Qatar?

[Robmill70]

Have you considered Emirates? I’ve flown the others too, my favorite is Emirates.

 

[Docbar]

Have you considered Emirates? I’ve flown the others too, my favorite is Emirates.

Yes, but the layover is significantly longer.

 

[SStomcat]

I have flown Emirates multiple times when traveling to India via Dubai, mostly in coach and a few times in Premium Economy.
I have always liked their service. Their long-haul flights were usually on the Airbus A380, which was nice because there was a little more space to stretch your legs and walk around if you wanted to.

 

[Hogpatrol]

Delta: Bus with wings.
Qatar: Deluxe motor coach with wings.

 

[Doug3006]

Qatar changed their firearm policy in early 2026. The entire itinerary must now be on Qatar flights. You can’t use partner airlines to get you to a Qatar hub on the same ticket like before the change. My tickets were purchased before the change. They refused to cancel and refund the partner airline segments. They advised cancelling the itinerary, paying the penalty for partial refund, and rebooking. My point with that is no airline is perfect. We are just a number to any of them.

Hey @375Fox. I have seen this comment about a change in QA policy a couple of times in the last year. It surprises me. I’ve flown on Qatar to Africa a couple of times. The first time in 2019 if memory serves. I’ve never been able to check my firearms directly through to my destination. I have flown on United and American Airlines to a Qatar hub in the US. Both times I had to claim my firearm and recheck it on Qatar at their hub airport. So the end result is the same, but this has been their policy for a long time. Am I missing something?

 

[Doug3006]

Upfront I need to say that I fly business class. So I’m not really familiar with the conditions in coach. That said, there is absolutely no comparison between Delta and either Qatar or Emirates. Their airplanes, in-flight staff, seats, food, beverage selection, and in-flight entertainment, are all superior to Delta. They tend to be cheaper too. The main drawback for me is that it takes a bit longer to get to Africa. The layover in Dubai or Doha tends to be longer than Atlanta. But, Atlanta Hartsfield is a mess. The terminals in Dubai and Doha are world class. So if I’m gonna spend any time in an airport, I’d rather it not be Atlanta.

 

[375Fox]

Hey @375Fox. I have seen this comment about a change in QA policy a couple of times in the last year. It surprises me. I’ve flown on Qatar to Africa a couple of times. The first time in 2019 if memory serves. I’ve never been able to check my firearms directly through to my destination. I have flown on United and American Airlines to a Qatar hub in the US. Both times I had to claim my firearm and recheck it on Qatar at their hub airport. So the end result is the same, but this has been their policy for a long time. Am I missing something?

You have to buy a separate ticket on a separate itinerary to a Qatar hub now. You can’t book one itinerary using partner airlines then recheck bags and rifle on Qatar. Process is technically same, but if there is a delay getting to a Qatar hub now (like Dallas or Chicago) it’s on you.

 

[Russ16]

I fly out of Dulles so Qatar or emirates make more sense. Yes I had a long mature on the way to Zim but it was only a couple hours in the return. The flight to Atlanta and layover there would have taken as much time as my layover in Doha.

 

[375Fox]

I fly out of Dulles so Qatar or emirates make more sense. Yes I had a long mature on the way to Zim but it was only a couple hours in the return. The flight to Atlanta and layover there would have taken as much time as my layover in Doha.

Going to Zimbabwe the Qatar route makes more sense. It’s either an overnight in Johannesburg or a long layover in Doha. The travel time is comparable. If the final destination is Johannesburg though, going through Middle East adds a lot of travel time compared to more direct options.

 

[sgt_zim]

Delta and UA both have a bit of a reputation for long delays and flight cancellations. I talked to more than a few folks at JNB when I was waiting for my rifles to get cleared.

I flew IAH - DOH - JNB a couple years ago. Yes, your rifle will be on your plane with you. My best friend flew UA. There were maybe a dozen other hunters on his flight. They had a 4 or 5 hour delay in EWR, and none of their rifles made it to the plane.

I've heard similar with Delta, though there are probably a lot of guys who've flown both US carriers and never had an issue.

Unless you live in ATL or greater NYC, total travel time for UA and Delta generally ever only ends up being 4 or 5 hours shorter than going through Doha or Dubai.

I will never, ever fly Delta or UA to Africa, if for no other reason than I'm a lefty and can't afford my LH DG rifles not flying with me.

QA is a little quirky on the paperwork for guns and ammo. IDK if they've changed recently, but when I flew with them in '24, as someone else mentioned, ammo had to weigh no more than 5KG, and it HAS TO go in your checked bag. Not in the rifle case, no in its own separate and lockable Pelican ammo case. In your checked bags with your clothes.

 

[Russ16]

Going to Zimbabwe the Qatar route makes more sense. It’s either an overnight in Johannesburg or a long layover in Doha. The travel time is comparable. If the final destination is Johannesburg though, going through Middle East adds a lot of travel time compared to more direct options.

Yes if you’re willing to trust your domestic flight to Atlanta on the same day. If flying international out of a different city I always fly into the hub the night before to be sure I’m there. I do it regularly out of JFK because flights to Europe are usually much cheaper from there especially using miles.

 

[wesheltonj]

Going to make another comparison. Flight Attendants. On United and Delta, international routes are by seniority. Which usually means Old, Fat and Grumpy. On Qatar, they are young and attractive. On Emirates they are young, beautiful and actually pleasant.

My last Qatar flight from Doha to IAH. I had a drop dead gorgeous FA. I did not have to ask for anything. She made sure that I had a Woodford Bourbon and Coke the entire flight - always fresh. Good luck finding that on Delta.

The food and snacks are better on Emirates, but they are not a One World airline so I fly Qatar instead.

 

[Doug3006]

You have to buy a separate ticket on a separate itinerary to a Qatar hub now. You can’t book one itinerary using partner airlines then recheck bags and rifle on Qatar. Process is technically same, but if there is a delay getting to a Qatar hub now (like Dallas or Chicago) it’s on you.

Ahh, I see. Thanks for clarifying. Since I use a travel agent, they’ll help get any delays ironed out, even on multiple itineraries. I’ve also booked my STL to ORD leg early in the morning. Then if there is a delay, I have multiple later flights to get me to Chicago.

 

[SStomcat]

Going to make another comparison. Flight Attendants. On United and Delta, international routes are by seniority. Which usually means Old, Fat and Grumpy. On Qatar, they are young and attractive. On Emirates they are young, beautiful and actually pleasant.

My last Qatar flight from Doha to IAH. I had a drop dead gorgeous FA. I did not have to ask for anything. She made sure that I had a Woodford Bourbon and Coke the entire flight - always fresh. Good luck finding that on Delta.

The food and snacks are better on Emirates, but they are not a One World airline so I fly Qatar instead.

As long as I’m well taken care of and hostess is not grumpy does it matter.
Den Xiaoping famously said “ how does it matter if the cat is black or white as long as it catches the mice “

 

[Green Chile]

I don’t fly much these days except for hunting trips…so I don’t have millions of miles to use. So I fly coach. Also, as a small business owner, time is money. I have done most of the airlines to Africa but Delta is the shortest flight. I spend a little less cash on tickets and get there and back faster through Delta. If I wasn’t hunting South African countries, I might have a different opinion.

 

[Slickshooter]

I have nothing but good things to say about flying with Qatar, that would be my vote.

 

[Bonk]

I live in KY. My plan is to drive to ATL the day before and get a hotel. Check in the next day and nonstop flight to JNB. Stay the night in JNB and get picked up in the moring to go to camp. On the way back drive from camp to JNB and depart the same day back to ATL. Get a hotel in ATL and then drive home the following morning. No worrying about connecting flights or luggage/guns with connecting flights. Hotels immediately after both long flights.

I used to fly for a living therefore I avoid connections if at all possible. Delays, mechanicals, weather and crew issues are a given. Anything through JFK, EWR or PHL is a deal breaker. As bad as ATL can be it's still way better than any major airport in the northeast.

Any major US airline customer service pales in comparison to major European, Mideastern and Asian airlines. However, I hate flying these days so I just want it over as quickly and simply as possible. One flight out, one flight back. That means it's Delta for me and I'm going to hold my nose and pay for Delta Comfort. As a retired pilot I haven't bought a ticket in decades but traveling standby for a safari doesn't seem like a good plan.

 

[spotnspook]

For what it’s worth my only experience with Qatar wasn’t a good one. Wife and I had a world tour/circumnavigation trip planned when the latest Middle East problem popped off. Qatar flight was Cairo to Saigon. A month or so into the war they still weren’t forward cancelling flights which led to me doing a seesaw and rebooking preemptively from a Paris hotel via Turkish (also not a great experience) and eating a connecting flight in VN. Granted war is a force majeure but checking Twitter for the most recent day to day flight cancellations wasn’t much of a reassurance either. All ended well and we were refunded except our upgrades and a month or so later but it still left a bad taste in my mouth which is sad because I was looking forward to flying with them after everything I’d read here. I don’t so much blame QA as I do the circumstances FWIW, maybe some day.