Flight Booking & Luggage Arrangements for South African Hunting Safaris
VERY IMPORTANT !
We do not do Port Elizabeth ( PE / PLZ ) transfers in the dark due to game on the road eg. Kudu and some narrow roads, so please ensure arrival in PE is between 12 noon and 2 pm ( depending on the season ) for our PE pick up.
We get you back to PE at about 11 am on your last day, well in time to fly home.
INTERNATIONAL flights :
UNITED, DELTA , QATAR, KLM , LUFTHANSA, EMIRATES, ETHIOPIAN airlines seems to be the best options for your INTERNATIONAL flights.
The pictures below are the front and back of a card usually required for your rifle/s on check in for your international flights. You get this card at check in and then take rifle case to TSA / your security office at the airport :
RIFLES and AMMO :
AIRLINES now require you to advise them well in advance if you are flying with Rifles, anything from 30 days to 72 hours, so please ensure you do this in time. There is usually a fee charged to you by the AIRLINE to transport you rifles. Some AIRLINES require an additional notice 72 hours before you fly to confirm your flying with rifles.
RIFLES and AMMO once inside SOUTH AFRICA:
1. Fly AIRLINK or FLYSAFAIR into and out of PLZ / Port Elizabeth Airport / PE. ONLY these 2 airlines will fly your rifles and ammo.
AIRLINK
AIRLINK EMAIL to notify them your flying with rifles and ammo is :
4Zrevenuecontrol@flyairlink.com
click here for AIRLINK bookings:
This is the best flight to book :
JNB ( Johannesburg ) - PE SA on AIRLINK 4Z797 , Depart JNB10:15, Arrives PE 11:50 am
and
going home PE – JNB on AIRLINK 4Z798 DEPART PE 12:30 pm, Arrives JNB 14:15 pm
Airlink Reservations on +27 11 451 7300 select option 1 or email: e-ticketing@flyairlink.com
Cost of rifles and ammo will be approximately $ 70 / rifle case round trip JNB - PLZ - JNB.
Ammo case is required out of your checked bag for this leg, which could mean you will pay for it as an extra bag or check in.
AIRLINK has many flights into and out of PE / PLZ Daily.
Airlink - Regional southern Africa:
"Rifles and shotguns will not be accepted as Checked Baggage, unless approved no less than three (3) working days prior to departure"
Travellers can call +27 11 451 7350
or
email 4Zrevenuecontrol@flyairlink.com
For all gun permit applications booked through Afton, Afton will ensure this process is ALSO re-confirmed, just as a precaution, to avoid hassles at the Airlink check-in.
2. FlySafair from 1 Feb 2021
HOW to book in your rifles and ammo :
Client will need to access the FlySafair website and on the extra page there will be a target icon.
Passenger select the addition to the flight sector origin and return , and the service charge will be added to the booking,
Cost is per destination per case, with max of 3 rifles per case, so that would mean the round trip would be ~ $ 70 per rifle case round trip JNB – PE/PLZ – JNB.
Ammo case is required out of your checked bag for this leg, which could mean you will pay for it as an extra bag or check in.
FLYSAFAIR click here for bookings:
BOOK THESE flysafair FLIGHTS TO SUIT OUR PICK UP AND DROP OFF TIMES :
JNB – PLZ/ PE
FA-373
Depart 11:50
Arrive 13:35
MON – FRI only
PLZ / PE - JNB
FA-374
Depart 14:15
Arrive 15:55
MON – FRI only
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TRAVEL AGENT in the USA if you want to use one :
CUSTOM TRAVEL
Debbie Trinidad
debbie@customtrav.agencymail.com
Debbie Trinidad
President and Owner, Custom Travel
9415 W Forest Home Ave, Suite 201
Hales Corners, WI 53130
1-800-728-5301
414-433-0089
Melinda Kuglitsch South Africa Specialist
mel@customtrav.agencymail.com
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Airport codes are - JNB : Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport and PLZ : Port Elizabeth Airport.
Be very careful who you book flights with re guns carriers.
CHARTERS
There are numerous private air charters from Johannesburg or PE to close to our ranch - THESE ARE PRICEY THOUGH - enquire with us for more info.
ROAD TRANSFER
There is a local company that will drive you from JNB to our Ranch with Rifles and back to JNB at hunt end - enquire for more info.
info@richardholmessafaris.co.za
RENTAL CAR
You can rent a car and drive to us from JNB or from anywhere in SA. Our National and Regional Roads are tarred and in good shape, eg. N1, N9, N10, R61 which are the main access roads to our place. JNB or CAPE TOWN to us is about a 9 hour road trip.
Budget $1,500 - 2,200.00 total per person for airfare for most times. June and July, and the very first part of August airfare is usually at its highest. This would be from the USA to PE ( Port Elizabeth - the pick up and return point of your safari ).
RHS must be assured that you have flights and waiting till the last minute for these (paying) will result in your party having NO SEATS and/or paying higher rates. Here is an example of what Custom Travel does- clients were scheduled to leave home (Missouri), fly to Wash/Dulles and depart on Saturday. A big snow storm was coming (predicted up to 30 inches) to Washington and flights were being cancelled before the storm even hit. Debbie at Custom Travel called our hunters and asked if they could leave a day early. They did leave on Friday and departed Washington before the storm hit. The storm closed Washington down for days and had the hunters departed on their original schedule to Washington they would have been stranded there - Custom travel was a life saver and their safari happened !
AIRLINES - LUGGAGE:
Airlines have their own additional requirements on the carriage of firearms and the amount of ammunition that you may have in your checked baggage. Therefore, travelers should contact the airline regarding its firearm and ammunition carriage policies and its luggage/ baggage policies.
Do not put any gun parts (eg. your Rifle Bolt ) in your carry on bag nor in any checked bag !!!
A hard gun case is a LEGAL must. If there are 2 hunters and you are each only taking 1 gun, use 1 case that both guns can fit into. Lock with your own lock.
Weigh your bags !
Check for updates on the above with the airline you are using.
SUGGESTED STYLES OF LUGGAGE:
- 1 Hard sided case so your breakables are safe - Binoculars, Rangefinder and Camera etc.
- 1 hard gun case or share one with a hunting partner. TUFF PAK makes a very nice plastic case and it looks like a golf case so those anti hunting baggage handlers don’t know its guns. Mark all your bags-laminating a name tag and securing it with tie strap. Put an extra tag inside in case the outside tags are torn off.
- Carry a small backpack as a carry on, with an extra set of clothes, some toiletries, book and all documents - this frees you up to pull your case and gun case.
Please be advised that some Airlines charge a Firearm Handling Fee.
Firearms and other devices that discharge projectiles, i.e. devices capable (or appearing capable) of being used to cause serious injury by discharging a projectile, and ammunition are prohibited for carriage with the passenger or as hand baggage. These items may only be carried as checked baggage and Airline will usually require notification and approval in advance.
AMMO
There is a limit of 5kg (11 lb ) of ammunition ( cartridges for weapons ) per person.
