JNB Issues

[406LIFE]

We have had no issues at JNB.

I flew JNB about a dozen times this year. Only issue I had was Airlink being late in luggage to Windhoek once. Got it the next day.

 

[Hunt anything]

This is true. Last time there, almost lost my camera gear to a shakedown. If you have time in town, I have a few recommendations for food.

The food is outstanding! From the tiger prawns to the PerePere chicken, all was good.

 

[Scott CWO]

Yes I assume Debbie checked everything. We were trying to squeeze in 3 days fishing at Vilanculos at the beginning and flying Qatar would have likely worked if we had booked flights in early Nov. I had a fist fulla Avios pts and Qatar had a special going on with multiple higher value point trades so if Awards seats were available we could have literally flown free. Alas I dont play the point game very well and drug my feet. Amazing these flights book up so early. We wanted it tacked down so finally went Delta One which is what Debbie wanted me to do from beginning. Just stings at checkout time $$$$

Yes, it is stupid expensive. I also use Debbie and Shawn at Gracy instead of my points. I use them so they can make changes in case something happens to flight schedules while I am in remote areas where I cannot monitor changes very well, let alone react or call the airlines. I have decided that works better and so I save my credit card points and flyer points for domestic free flights. At least I fly for free domestically, which takes some of the sting out of the expensive business class international flights. That's how I choose to look at it.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

Going back to Mozambique in July this time Coutada 10. Last trip (23) we flew Qatar Business Class DFW-Doha-Lusaka where we were picked up and taken to Luangwa to boat down to Chawalo. This trip is to the Delta so our agent (Gracy Travel) rec Delta One to JNB overnight then AirLink to Beira. I tried to take Qatar again b/c we had such a great experience last trip but we just couldn't get the timing down etc. Delta's business class is very expensive (15% higher than Qatar) but we want to sleep on the trip down and back. What is the biggest issue with JNB? We will be connecting with AirLink to Beira and chartering to camp.

I've used Gracy Travel going through JNB. They checked my bags all the way through and I didn't have to collect anything, or deal with SAPS. Bruce handled all of it. I sent an email to Nicole earlier about some potential flight options to Mozambique in early June and will tell her to check all the way through if possible.

My Schedule earlier this year going to Zambia was as follows:
Leave Plane/Clear Customs at JNB. Meet Bruce and escorted to City Lodge w/ just my carry-on (I've made this walk many times on my own but he insisted). Wake-up/meet Bruce in the Lobby then escorted back to the airport and through cleared security. Landed in Livingstone, Zambia and met at the base of the staircase getting off the plane by a Policeman (outfitter arranged). Escorted through the Diplomat line in customs and saw my bags/guns for the first time since leaving Dallas.

The only issue and there's absolutely nothing Bruce or Gracy could have done about it, was someone cut the lock on a duffle bag and took out a few bags of fishing lures, then reattached the locks to look like the lock wasn't broken/cut. It could've happened in Dallas, Newark, JNB, or Livingstone but I suspect it was at JNB.

 

[Hedge774]

I had a number of baggage 'issues' with this past trip to Zimbabwe, Gracy Travel smoothed everything right out, I just cannot imagine flying through JNB to another destination without using a TA. For me, the 300.00 they charge is the cheapest part of the whole trip.

City Lodge is right there at the airport, room was actually very nice, restaurant was nice, I'll definitely stay here in the future.

Man, 300 bones to take care of everything??

 

[Scott CWO]

Man, 300 bones to take care of everything??

Yes and that’s $100 more than the competition but I regretted trying the competition once when a major change happened with firearm carriage on an airline that the cheaper agency didn’t catch. I had to switch airlines just a few days before departure to Tanzania for my lion hunt or not bring my own firearms! They were also no help and didn’t have the connections formed over 35 years to solve it. I reached out to Debbie and was told that she was on top of it and got everything resolved way ahead of time for Gracy clients. She politely scolded me for trying a different agent. No agent is perfect but for complicated itineraries to less popular countries, Gracy is the way to go. Anybody can send you to South Africa and that’s pretty easy to handle. Gracy also put together a family trip to several places in Italy for my wife, me and my parents, including airlines, personal driver with a guide in each city, hotels, trains, rental car, etc… without a hitch for only the same $300 per person. Awesome trip!

 

[Safari1]

Agreed, Bruce is awesome-I assume city lodge hotel for the night-walking distance after you collext
Luggage and guns. Very pleasant but basic hotel-I like the food. Guns stay with you in the room overnight.

I did the same thing going to Mozambique in 2014….no problems !

 

[DLSJR]

Yes and that’s $100 more than the competition but I regretted trying the competition once when a major change happened with firearm carriage on an airline that the cheaper agency didn’t catch. I had to switch airlines just a few days before departure to Tanzania for my lion hunt or not bring my own firearms! They were also no help and didn’t have the connections formed over 35 years to solve it. I reached out to Debbie and was told that she was on top of it and got everything resolved way ahead of time for Gracy clients. She politely scolded me for trying a different agent. No agent is perfect but for complicated itineraries to less popular countries, Gracy is the way to go. Anybody can send you to South Africa and that’s pretty easy to handle. Gracy also put together a family trip to several places in Italy for my wife, me and my parents, including airlines, personal driver with a guide in each city, hotels, trains, rental car, etc… without a hitch for only the same $300 per person. Awesome trip!

Gracy is worth every penny they charge. I’ve had two safaris, one in Tanzania and one in Cameroon, where my return flight home was going to be delayed for reasons beyond my control. Each time, a phone call to Gracy got them in action right away to find me a substitute flight.

They are on top of every little detail and I won’t use anyone else. I personally use Shawn Kennedy but their entire team is first rate.

 

[Hedge774]

Welp. I'm sold. I was stuck in St Louis before and that was bad enough. 300 bucks is a no brainer for me. It's like the $130 I spend on Global Rescue every trip. Great to know I'm taken care of if SHTF and I won't miss that money. (Plus, She demands it, so...yeah.)

 

[Mark Biggerstaff]

Good luck!
I use Travel Express for flights and either Riflepermits or Africa Sky depending on who and where I’m going. I had not so pleasant experience in 2018 trying book my first safari thru Gracy, maybe things have changed since then but I’m happy using the ones I do.

 

[fourfive8]

Good luck no matter the itinerary! Air travel, especially, international air travel has become dysfunctional. But most of the time there is simply no other choice. Same for choice of hubs. Last year I got to look into the bowels of the international baggage transfer area at DFW. What a cluster F. Not looking forward to having to use DFW for an international transfer again this year

Make a plan then make a backup plan or two. Using travel agents like Gracy can help when using the backup plans.

 

[Tally-Ho HUNTING SAFARIS]

i am always happy to pay for good service....it is seriously under rated

 

[godwincp]

Make sure trip is all on one ticket so you can check your bags all the way home. That wasn’t the case for me last year and I had to check bags to JNB and
Then
Recheck to STL. Had items stolen out of my bag in JNB