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Travel Report 2021
My group of 11 was booked in on Delta way back in 2020 as we planned this July 2021 adventure. I use Travel With Guns/TWG.travel in San Antonio for my flights. I have used many other travel agents and I like Steve and Patrick and their team the best. There are services like bag insurance that they get for us at no charge in addition to offering the Ripcord insurance that combines travel insurance with medical evacuation coverage for little more than regular travel insurance. They also now have someone in their office that handles the paperwork for riflepermits.com which is an excellent service. TWG also introduced me to the TripCase app which combines all your flights and hotels into one convenient location. Being on three different airlines this helps tremendously.
Our flight plan was to drive to San Antonio and get directly on Delta to Atlanta on July 24th. Our return was set for August 6th. We had chosen the Premium Select seats and I was looking forward to trying it out. At $3600 it was no bargain that’s for sure! Of course Delta cancelled and Patrick at TWG had us rebooked on Qatar Business for just $400 more. Within 24 hours he had us all in Business Class and we took the last seats on the plane as it filled up quickly with the Delta cancellations. We had our refund from Delta in just a couple weeks.
We departed from San Angelo (SJT) at 12:30PM on American and were able to check our bags all the way through to Johannesburg (JNB). This was really nice for once to be able to check through which we’ve not been able to do on American to Delta in years past. We had to go to the Qatar ticket counter in Terminal D with our bag tags and have them fill out gun paperwork and check our covid test. It was painless and some very helpful folks sorted all 11 of us out in about 30 minutes or so. We were off to Terminal A and my favorite restaurant Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen. The virus crap had them with a shortened menu but we had a fantastic time visiting and having some great Cajun food before the long flight. The camaraderie of a hunting group just can’t be beat!
We were back off to Terminal D to board the flight to Doha (DOH), Flight 730 at 6:40PM, which would be about 15 hours. We were stunned at the beauty and pure excellence of the Business Class Q Suite! We were each going to have our own suite with a door that closes, a lie flat bed, a huge TV, storage space, noise cancelling headphones, and service and food like I never imagined. We were treated to champagne before takeoff and able to look over the menu and plan our meal selections which were available to us at any time on the flight. We had an excellent selection of movies and everything in the suite was well thought out. Dinner consisted of a soup, fancy appetizer, nice bread with butter and olive oil, main course, and dessert. This was all served on white table cloth with real silverware. The drink menu was extensive and if you are a wine enthusiast you will be very pleased with the selections. We dined on fish, lamb, duck, and many other fancy selections. On one flight lobster was offered as an appetizer! When dinner is finished they offer you pajamas and slippers. So after getting all dressed for bed the staff will then come make your bed for you. Nighty night little children! Yes we felt like little kids getting fed and put to bed in our nice PJ’s. We are still amazed at this point and I am, after something like 20 intercontinental trips, pinching myself to see if this is a dream.
As we got off the plane and down the stairs it was like being in a steam room! The heat and humidity in Qatar was really unreal. We boarded buses to the terminal in DOH and went through the usual additional security screening and passport checks. A quick stop at Duty Free for some drinks (its always nice to bring something to camp) and we were soon to be boarding the next flight to JNB. We were quickly back in our Q Suite and ready for an 8 hour flight on flight 1365 departing at 8:40PM. We arrived in dingy old Johannesburg at 4AM and had a representative of riflepermits.com meet us at the end of the jet bridge. We got our luggage and rifles and headed for the police office. About half of my group had not completed the pre-approved SAPS paperwork with riflepermits.com so we had to wait. If we had all the pre-approved forms done all 11 of us would have been out of there in 15 minutes. It took us a little over an hour and a half to get everyone finished even at 5AM. We then proceeded to the Airlink ticket counter and checked in and paid our rifle fee and overweight baggage fee. Airlink only allows 44 pounds for your suitcase, 33 pounds for your gun case and ammo box which they make you check as a separate bag, and they charge a small firearms handling fee. There was a small issue over what the ticket counter wanted to charge and what the actual business office said we had to pay. I told my guys to be flexible as this is Africa. It gripes me to no end that in Africa the ticket agents can not take payments. They are barely capable of checking in bags and giving out boarding passes. These Africans are the most poorly trained airline personnel you will find anywhere in the world. Anyway we head to the firearms drop off and spend about an hour there getting 11 rifles dropped off for the flight. We were then headed through security and off to Wimpy for a nice breakfast in the Domestic Terminal. Airlink flight 797 departed at 10:15AM and we arrived in Port Elizabeth (PLZ) at 11:50. We were picked up by the Frontier Safaris group and headed to the ranch. We unpacked quickly, had a nice lunch, and headed to the range.
August 5th had arrived and with it the end of our safari. We were all packed up and after another wonderful breakfast at the ranch we headed for PLZ for our departure. We had a 12:30PM departure and like good little boys we were at the ticket counter 3 hours early and like usual no one was there. There is no reason, especially in Africa, to be at any ticket counter more than 2 hours ahead of time! The usual slow check in and very slow business office for the Airlink baggage and rifle payments and we were off to Wimpy for a burger before our flight. Wimpy is a breakfast and burger restaurant chain in Africa that has familiar American style food with a bit of an African twist. The recheck of baggage and guns in JNB was a lot of trouble. After getting off of Airlink we were able to put our ammo box back in our suitcase. It took the Qatar ticket counter (which was clearly not Qatar staff) a solid hour and a half to check us in as they had no idea what they were doing and hand wrote all our Qatar gun paperwork that we all had typed out and ready for them! Finally through security and we were off to do some shopping and hang out in one of the tidy little lounges that I personally enjoy at JNB.
Our Qatar flight departed at 8:55PM from JNB and once again our Q Suite welcomed us back. This was really nice as we were all tired from a long 10 days of hunting and climbing rocky mountains. I did have two friends in Economy and they said the seats, food, and service were absolutely outstanding. They mentioned you could not go to the restroom without one of the flight attendants asking if you needed something to eat or drink! So even in Economy Qatar excels in many ways and offers you a product unlike most others.
On arrival in DOH we had a very short 1 hour layover so it was off to the gate which was a little ways across this beautiful airport. They have many moving sidewalks that quickly get you across the terminal. Hammad International Airport is a place you would not mind being stuck at. I was disappointed that we didn’t have time to enjoy the lounge on this trip which is world class. We boarded our final flight by jet bridge this time and our departure was 7:45AM.
We arrived well fed and rested in DFW at 3:25PM on August 6th. Now to get our luggage and rifles and go through US Customs. The Customs Staff at DFW are absolutely wonderful. They are always friendly and kind and it is so appreciated after a long flight. Compared to the jerks in Atlanta this is a breeze! Since our bags were checked through we just dropped them off and headed to the AA ticket counter with the rifles. AA called TSA for us for the rifle check and they arrived promptly. Two very nice and highly professional gentlemen came and did the swabbing for explosives that they have to do. They were joking around with us and made us so very happy to be back in Texas. I mean where do you find TSA agents that are fun guys you’d like to go have a beer with? AA and Qatar are OneWorld members and they have a baggage handling agreement which means you can check through from one to another.
We had to go from terminal D to terminal E after everything was sorted out with the luggage and rifles. Most everyone in our group just wanted an American burger because they had just about had their fill of antelope! Luckily in Terminal E we located a Whataburger and all was well with the world. Our final little hop to SJT and we were home.
Overall our travels were good on this trip but no matter how you do it a long intercontinental trip is tough. Even with nice seats and service jet lag can really slow you down after these long flights. I am not sure what my plan will be for next year. I will check all of my options but Qatar will be a top contender that is for certain.
One final note is that on the return home I’ve had the worst jet lag I’ve every experienced.
Our flight plan was to drive to San Antonio and get directly on Delta to Atlanta on July 24th. Our return was set for August 6th. We had chosen the Premium Select seats and I was looking forward to trying it out. At $3600 it was no bargain that’s for sure! Of course Delta cancelled and Patrick at TWG had us rebooked on Qatar Business for just $400 more. Within 24 hours he had us all in Business Class and we took the last seats on the plane as it filled up quickly with the Delta cancellations. We had our refund from Delta in just a couple weeks.
We departed from San Angelo (SJT) at 12:30PM on American and were able to check our bags all the way through to Johannesburg (JNB). This was really nice for once to be able to check through which we’ve not been able to do on American to Delta in years past. We had to go to the Qatar ticket counter in Terminal D with our bag tags and have them fill out gun paperwork and check our covid test. It was painless and some very helpful folks sorted all 11 of us out in about 30 minutes or so. We were off to Terminal A and my favorite restaurant Papadeaux Seafood Kitchen. The virus crap had them with a shortened menu but we had a fantastic time visiting and having some great Cajun food before the long flight. The camaraderie of a hunting group just can’t be beat!
We were back off to Terminal D to board the flight to Doha (DOH), Flight 730 at 6:40PM, which would be about 15 hours. We were stunned at the beauty and pure excellence of the Business Class Q Suite! We were each going to have our own suite with a door that closes, a lie flat bed, a huge TV, storage space, noise cancelling headphones, and service and food like I never imagined. We were treated to champagne before takeoff and able to look over the menu and plan our meal selections which were available to us at any time on the flight. We had an excellent selection of movies and everything in the suite was well thought out. Dinner consisted of a soup, fancy appetizer, nice bread with butter and olive oil, main course, and dessert. This was all served on white table cloth with real silverware. The drink menu was extensive and if you are a wine enthusiast you will be very pleased with the selections. We dined on fish, lamb, duck, and many other fancy selections. On one flight lobster was offered as an appetizer! When dinner is finished they offer you pajamas and slippers. So after getting all dressed for bed the staff will then come make your bed for you. Nighty night little children! Yes we felt like little kids getting fed and put to bed in our nice PJ’s. We are still amazed at this point and I am, after something like 20 intercontinental trips, pinching myself to see if this is a dream.
As we got off the plane and down the stairs it was like being in a steam room! The heat and humidity in Qatar was really unreal. We boarded buses to the terminal in DOH and went through the usual additional security screening and passport checks. A quick stop at Duty Free for some drinks (its always nice to bring something to camp) and we were soon to be boarding the next flight to JNB. We were quickly back in our Q Suite and ready for an 8 hour flight on flight 1365 departing at 8:40PM. We arrived in dingy old Johannesburg at 4AM and had a representative of riflepermits.com meet us at the end of the jet bridge. We got our luggage and rifles and headed for the police office. About half of my group had not completed the pre-approved SAPS paperwork with riflepermits.com so we had to wait. If we had all the pre-approved forms done all 11 of us would have been out of there in 15 minutes. It took us a little over an hour and a half to get everyone finished even at 5AM. We then proceeded to the Airlink ticket counter and checked in and paid our rifle fee and overweight baggage fee. Airlink only allows 44 pounds for your suitcase, 33 pounds for your gun case and ammo box which they make you check as a separate bag, and they charge a small firearms handling fee. There was a small issue over what the ticket counter wanted to charge and what the actual business office said we had to pay. I told my guys to be flexible as this is Africa. It gripes me to no end that in Africa the ticket agents can not take payments. They are barely capable of checking in bags and giving out boarding passes. These Africans are the most poorly trained airline personnel you will find anywhere in the world. Anyway we head to the firearms drop off and spend about an hour there getting 11 rifles dropped off for the flight. We were then headed through security and off to Wimpy for a nice breakfast in the Domestic Terminal. Airlink flight 797 departed at 10:15AM and we arrived in Port Elizabeth (PLZ) at 11:50. We were picked up by the Frontier Safaris group and headed to the ranch. We unpacked quickly, had a nice lunch, and headed to the range.
August 5th had arrived and with it the end of our safari. We were all packed up and after another wonderful breakfast at the ranch we headed for PLZ for our departure. We had a 12:30PM departure and like good little boys we were at the ticket counter 3 hours early and like usual no one was there. There is no reason, especially in Africa, to be at any ticket counter more than 2 hours ahead of time! The usual slow check in and very slow business office for the Airlink baggage and rifle payments and we were off to Wimpy for a burger before our flight. Wimpy is a breakfast and burger restaurant chain in Africa that has familiar American style food with a bit of an African twist. The recheck of baggage and guns in JNB was a lot of trouble. After getting off of Airlink we were able to put our ammo box back in our suitcase. It took the Qatar ticket counter (which was clearly not Qatar staff) a solid hour and a half to check us in as they had no idea what they were doing and hand wrote all our Qatar gun paperwork that we all had typed out and ready for them! Finally through security and we were off to do some shopping and hang out in one of the tidy little lounges that I personally enjoy at JNB.
Our Qatar flight departed at 8:55PM from JNB and once again our Q Suite welcomed us back. This was really nice as we were all tired from a long 10 days of hunting and climbing rocky mountains. I did have two friends in Economy and they said the seats, food, and service were absolutely outstanding. They mentioned you could not go to the restroom without one of the flight attendants asking if you needed something to eat or drink! So even in Economy Qatar excels in many ways and offers you a product unlike most others.
On arrival in DOH we had a very short 1 hour layover so it was off to the gate which was a little ways across this beautiful airport. They have many moving sidewalks that quickly get you across the terminal. Hammad International Airport is a place you would not mind being stuck at. I was disappointed that we didn’t have time to enjoy the lounge on this trip which is world class. We boarded our final flight by jet bridge this time and our departure was 7:45AM.
We arrived well fed and rested in DFW at 3:25PM on August 6th. Now to get our luggage and rifles and go through US Customs. The Customs Staff at DFW are absolutely wonderful. They are always friendly and kind and it is so appreciated after a long flight. Compared to the jerks in Atlanta this is a breeze! Since our bags were checked through we just dropped them off and headed to the AA ticket counter with the rifles. AA called TSA for us for the rifle check and they arrived promptly. Two very nice and highly professional gentlemen came and did the swabbing for explosives that they have to do. They were joking around with us and made us so very happy to be back in Texas. I mean where do you find TSA agents that are fun guys you’d like to go have a beer with? AA and Qatar are OneWorld members and they have a baggage handling agreement which means you can check through from one to another.
We had to go from terminal D to terminal E after everything was sorted out with the luggage and rifles. Most everyone in our group just wanted an American burger because they had just about had their fill of antelope! Luckily in Terminal E we located a Whataburger and all was well with the world. Our final little hop to SJT and we were home.
Overall our travels were good on this trip but no matter how you do it a long intercontinental trip is tough. Even with nice seats and service jet lag can really slow you down after these long flights. I am not sure what my plan will be for next year. I will check all of my options but Qatar will be a top contender that is for certain.
One final note is that on the return home I’ve had the worst jet lag I’ve every experienced.
