Alternatives to Travel With Guns (TWG) in San Antonio, TX?

[Tanks]

I used Travel With Guns. I've never used Travel Express.

Yeah, but the comment you were replying to was mentioning Travel Express.

Well, you could be right. It has been a long time since I've made all of my.own arrangements. I still like the convenience of using Travel Express and will continue to use them.

That's like someone saying they prefer Toyotas and you replying it cost you a lot of money to repair your Land Rover and he should be aware of the repair costs though it might not be a factor for him.

 

[375Fox]

@Tiger2001 there are many on this forum that extoll the virtues of travel agencies that I respect. Particularly, @Red Leg and @Philip Glass .

I've had bad experiences similar to yours, so I'm in another camp. I'd ask the biggest question for you to consider: Do you even need a travel agent whatsoever?

From my perspective:

1.) It's my problem when things go wrong
2.) I pay less buying the tickets online direct from the carrier who guarantees lowest rates on their own website (e.g. Emirates)
3.) I have to do my own gun permits anyway, so its a "me" problem. (e.g. Emirates. You do it online yourself)
4.) In addition to a higher ticket price, the agent also has a ticketing fee on top of that.
5.) The baggage search services added on to the travel agency as a value-add is largely displaced by the air tags and similar. I was highly suspicious of air tags and equivelant in Africa, but friends on this forum have proven me wrong. There are enough smart phones to triangulate signal even in Africa these days, you can find your bags.
6.) Do you really need a travel agent to find you another flight in the event your return flight is cancelled? Your premium International airline will re-book you on next available auto-magically anyway. It is what it is.

This forum is a fount of wisdom. I'd argue the knowledge on this forum of what airlines and destinations are problematic for travleing with rifles exceeds the knowledge of many gun travel agents. I respect the intel here more than the intel coming from agents.

My agent that was once a sponsor here made $500-$700 off of me. They got paid. When things went wrong, I lost 1/2 a safari worth $10,000 real dollars to me. I paid $500 to mitigate my losses. Their damages? None. They had no skin in the game when the chips were down, they had been paid and had no authority to solve my problems whatsoever.

I find some of your posts very misleading. Do you travel to hunt anywhere besides Zimbabwe? Or fly any other destinations with firearms besides Harare? Have you used an agent more than once to draw these conclusions? I hunt new countries and locations on many hunts and fly different airlines as necessary to reach those destinations. I find the advice of a reputable travel agent much more clear than the advice of hunters on this forum. I do find the advice of other hunters very valuable in asking the travel agent additional questions though, but there is as much misinformation as good information to be found here. I did not feel Gracy earned their fee. I did however find Patrick (while at TWG) and Travel Express more than earned their fee for the time and stress it saved me.

1. The assistance I got from travel express getting out of South Africa in March 2020 after the state department issued a leave now or possibly stay indefinitely directive was well above the $200 fee.
2. I confirm airline rates against the travel agent quote every time and have seen no difference.
3. Gun permits are on you to arrange. Proper gun notifications on your itinerary are handed by the travel agent.
4. $200 is a small fee to pay if you need to focus on other activities like traveling to town or hunting and would like your travel changed with a WhatsApp message instead of your own time.
5. I’ve never heard a baggage search feature or as a reason to use a travel agent.
6. See #1. I’ve been rebooked automatically on flights that did not exist by the airline. Travel express continued trying to get me a seat until a middle seat became available on one of the final direct flights out of South Africa.

If you only travel to hunt one location and fly the same route every time I could see the argument for not using an agent, but many hunters are going for the first or second time or going to new locations. It would be foolish not to take advantage of a source of quality information about a new destination and travel plans to get there so you don’t miss something important.

 

[rookhawk]

I find some of your posts very misleading. Do you travel to hunt anywhere besides Zimbabwe? Or fly any other destinations with firearms besides Harare? Have you used an agent more than once to draw these conclusions? I hunt new countries and locations on many hunts and fly different airlines as necessary to reach those destinations. I find the advice of a reputable travel agent much more clear than the advice of hunters on this forum. I do find the advice of other hunters very valuable in asking the travel agent additional questions though, but there is as much misinformation as good information to be found here. I did not feel Gracy earned their fee. I did however find Patrick (while at TWG) and Travel Express more than earned their fee for the time and stress it saved me.

1. The assistance I got from travel express getting out of South Africa in March 2020 after the state department issued a leave now or possibly stay indefinitely directive was well above the $200 fee.
2. I confirm airline rates against the travel agent quote every time and have seen no difference.
3. Gun permits are on you to arrange. Proper gun notifications on your itinerary are handed by the travel agent.
4. $200 is a small fee to pay if you need to focus on other activities like traveling to town or hunting and would like your travel changed with a WhatsApp message instead of your own time.
5. I’ve never heard a baggage search feature or as a reason to use a travel agent.
6. See #1. I’ve been rebooked automatically on flights that did not exist by the airline. Travel express continued trying to get me a seat until a middle seat became available on one of the final direct flights out of South Africa.

If you only travel to hunt one location and fly the same route every time I could see the argument for not using an agent, but many hunters are going for the first or second time or going to new locations. It would be foolish not to take advantage of a source of quality information about a new destination and travel plans to get there so you don’t miss something important.

I find your retorts to be ad hominem attacks. You start your response by saying I'm misleading and evidently some sort of rube that doesn't travel often. I've filled my double-thick passport each ten years of my adult life if that means anything.

As to Africa, I prefer Zimbabwe, but I've tried to get there a dozen different ways. Mango? SAA airlink? Air Zimbabwe? #insert your favorite third world airline. I've used a travel agency twice. The first time was a disaster. The second time was no-value-add for me. I think I've been there somewhere between 12 and 14 times now in a variety of manners, with layovers in Lusaka, Dubai, and Jo'burg for various trips. Landing points of Harare, Bulawayo, and Vic Falls as well. I can't tell you the first thing about Windhoek as I have no knowledge of that area, should you wish to find holes in my knowledge.

Your opinion of quality information may not be the same as mine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. At the end of the day, you own your own problems whether civil, criminal, or just inconvenienced. Price the value of the phone-a-friend travel agent however you see fit. Whether they are good or bad, it's still going to ultimately come down to you.

Even in your critique, others on this posts are going back and forth agreeing and disagreeing on "the facts" before we even get to the opinions portion of the discussion.

Be accountable. Be your own expert. This forum is a trove of valuable information on what to do and what not to do. Most of the info on this forum is more up to date than even the knowledge of travel agents who often crowdsource their info based on what went wrong with their last client.

1. Good to hear. I was on the last flight out of Zim during covid, I was on the first flight in after the travel ban was lifted. Sounds like you were in a similar situation. Glad it worked out.

2. I confirm airline rates against the travel agent quote every time and have seen no difference. - Agree to disagree. It's subject to the airline, but many airlines beam that their lowest prices are always on their website. I can't speak for the policies of the totality of airlines.


3. Even on this thread there are ten answers to this question. The law will find that YOU are accountable and only you can attest to the material facts of your gun permits.

4. If you like the fees you pay, go for it if you get value.


5. It's called blue ribbon bags. Absolutely worthless.

 

[375Fox]

I find your retorts to be ad hominem attacks. You start your response by saying I'm misleading and evidently some sort of rube that doesn't travel often. I've filled my double-thick passport each ten years of my adult life if that means anything.

As to Africa, I prefer Zimbabwe, but I've tried to get there a dozen different ways. Mango? SAA airlink? Air Zimbabwe? #insert your favorite third world airline. I've used a travel agency twice. The first time was a disaster. The second time was no-value-add for me. I think I've been there somewhere between 12 and 14 times now in a variety of manners, with layovers in Lusaka, Dubai, and Jo'burg for various trips. Landing points of Harare, Bulawayo, and Vic Falls as well. I can't tell you the first thing about Windhoek as I have no knowledge of that area, should you wish to find holes in my knowledge.

Your opinion of quality information may not be the same as mine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. At the end of the day, you own your own problems whether civil, criminal, or just inconvenienced. Price the value of the phone-a-friend travel agent however you see fit. Whether they are good or bad, it's still going to ultimately come down to you.

Even in your critique, others on this posts are going back and forth agreeing and disagreeing on "the facts" before we even get to the opinions portion of the discussion.

Be accountable. Be your own expert. This forum is a trove of valuable information on what to do and what not to do. Most of the info on this forum is more up to date than even the knowledge of travel agents who often crowdsource their info based on what went wrong with their last client.

1. Good to hear. I was on the last flight out of Zim during covid, I was on the first flight in after the travel ban was lifted. Sounds like you were in a similar situation. Glad it worked out.

2. I confirm airline rates against the travel agent quote every time and have seen no difference. - Agree to disagree. It's subject to the airline, but many airlines beam that their lowest prices are always on their website. I can't speak for the policies of the totality of airlines.


3. Even on this thread there are ten answers to this question. The law will find that YOU are accountable and only you can attest to the material facts of your gun permits.

4. If you like the fees you pay, go for it if you get value.


5. It's called blue ribbon bags. Absolutely worthless.

I find myself disagreeing with a large number of your opinions including this topic. I also feel you choose not to include context in your posts which will often cause a reply from me call it ad hominem if you’d like. Past posts are public. You’ve posted your travel advice before and I found it unrealistic then and commented on it. A large number of hunters will unable to take a single carrier route from a major hub to a major hub. Then it’s often unrealistic both from a hunter’s time and the PH’s time to add an extra day or two of road travel to avoid any internal flights. I think you’ve had an expensive learning curve to find what works for you both in time and money. I don’t get any type of personal satisfaction from that. I think most just want their travel to go smooth from start to finish and a travel agent is the best option to achieve that especially for inexperienced travelers. Some travel mistakes can’t be avoided agent or not. For instance, this year I ended up renting a car and driving home after repeated flight cancellations. However, a travel agent can prevent many basic mistakes proper firearm notification, the right airline and routes, the proper forms to have in hand, etc. Most individuals aren’t experienced travelers or willing to put hours of research in. Can you do it without a travel agent, yes. Is it a good idea just to avoid a $200 service fee when traveling with a firearm, probably not. The posts asking for advice a week before self booked flights on less than ideal routes are proof of that. I would agree with you however we are all accountable for our own actions and decisions at the end of the day. If I person chooses poorly or didn’t take available advice it’s on them.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

I utilized Travel Express on my first Safari due to it being my first international hunt and realized for simple flights into and out of Jburg I could do on my own. Future safaris involving one country or a layover in Jburg before arriving in that country, I did on my own for the above reasoning, even utilizing miles to cover airfare costs at times. I also later utilized Travel Express again for a Safari that included hunting in multiple African countries, had multiple internal flights, and involved taking one airline to the African continent and a very different one back to the states with layovers on different continents.

 

[Tgood1]

Use travel express, jennifer is just great

 

[Sabre]

I have used Patrick with PWP travel and have been very happy with him. I felt like their fee was reasonable and multiple times during and after my traveling I thought that it was probably the best money I spent for the trip.

They didn't do anything that I couldn't do myself. I am kind of in the middle for what I see of opinions on here. Because I agree, that generally speaking, everything they did for me, I could do for myself. However, I am glad I didn't need to, and I didn't really feel like it. When talking with Patrick I also look at the current rates and times of flights and I tell him if I see flights cheaper or better times for me than the ones he is seeing and looking at.

What I liked about it was making one call and having flights booked both from the US and internal in Africa, return flights, hotel booked, internal airlines in Africa alerted to rifle travel which needed to be marked on ticket in advance, and set up with gun import representative. All on one call. I knew all the things I needed to do but it was so much nicer to have such a major portion of the trip easily and seamlessly taken care of by someone that has done it thousands of times.

If I am flying domestic, to canada, somewhere else easy, or without firearms then it just isn't really necessary for an experienced traveler. But, to me, for Africa with guns, it is well worth it.

 

[Sabre]

@rookhawk - I had two questions from your posts on this thread. Not argumentative, just curious.

What is the $10,000 that was cost to you by the travel agent?

What is the baggage finding bonus of a travel agent? I have not heard of it before, but I use airtags and have generally, so far, been able to find my own bags.

 

[Philip Glass]

Completely fair statements. For a newbie, I try to steer them to K.I.S.S. method. Keep It Simple Stupid.

I find that some newbies get in real trouble by making a left turn at Albuquerque, flying to Paris on miles, then going to kraplachistan, then to Jo'Burg on the back of a seagull.

Recently, a member on this forum took the Chicago-Dubai-Lusaka-Harare route on Emirates upon my suggestion. Bad news is that its a 14 hour Dubai inbound layover and landing in Harare required a 6 hour truck ride to camp. I recommended a path that was a pain in the ass. The benefit was he was single-carrier the whole way since he was obsessed (as I would be) about his guns and ammo making it the whole run. I think that's a 37 hour flight in and a 27 hour flight out. Certainly, if people have a lot of carriers involved and you don't know the gun rules of every single country you're going to enter, you better hire experts to figure this out. Save the frequent flyer miles for a non-hunting trip.

Another perfectly good reason for a TA was what you did @Philip Glass , If I recall you had a herd of hunters coming from all over planet earth, all on Qatari, all heading to your camp in Africa. Yeah, you better have an expert because its just too complicated for one hunter to keep track of the idiosyncrasies and issues of a pile of hunters, some that may be negligent in getting all the paperwork done correctly as they try to converge on a destination.

I don't hate middlemen, I just demand they provide a significant Value-Add to an experience. It bothers me when people take without delivering value which is occasionally the case with TAs, Booking Agents, and salesmen. It has to be something more than arbitrage being offered to a consumer.

Yes sir it is a bit like herding cats at times! When there is 15 of us with guns and something goes sideways the TA takes a lot of pressure off of me.
Those long layovers is why I've yet to get to fly on Emirates. I check it all the time hoping someday for it to work out. You certainly provided good advice to your friend to stay on one airline.

 

[Philip Glass]

We appreciate all of our clients, and positive feedback above!!
While every travel agent may not specialize in travel for hunters, we do. And as a part of our services ($200 agency fee), we handle the country of transit permits (such as transit via Frankfurt), airline preapprovals (such as Lufthansa) AND formal airline permits (such as Emirates).

We also welcome our clients to check our prices against what the airline publishes online!

So if we flew on Emirates with a gun you would handle all of it and we would not have to contact Emirates ourself? Just trying to clarify on an airline I've not used.

 

[Philip Glass]

I find your retorts to be ad hominem attacks. You start your response by saying I'm misleading and evidently some sort of rube that doesn't travel often. I've filled my double-thick passport each ten years of my adult life if that means anything.

As to Africa, I prefer Zimbabwe, but I've tried to get there a dozen different ways. Mango? SAA airlink? Air Zimbabwe? #insert your favorite third world airline. I've used a travel agency twice. The first time was a disaster. The second time was no-value-add for me. I think I've been there somewhere between 12 and 14 times now in a variety of manners, with layovers in Lusaka, Dubai, and Jo'burg for various trips. Landing points of Harare, Bulawayo, and Vic Falls as well. I can't tell you the first thing about Windhoek as I have no knowledge of that area, should you wish to find holes in my knowledge.

Your opinion of quality information may not be the same as mine. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. At the end of the day, you own your own problems whether civil, criminal, or just inconvenienced. Price the value of the phone-a-friend travel agent however you see fit. Whether they are good or bad, it's still going to ultimately come down to you.

Even in your critique, others on this posts are going back and forth agreeing and disagreeing on "the facts" before we even get to the opinions portion of the discussion.

Be accountable. Be your own expert. This forum is a trove of valuable information on what to do and what not to do. Most of the info on this forum is more up to date than even the knowledge of travel agents who often crowdsource their info based on what went wrong with their last client.

1. Good to hear. I was on the last flight out of Zim during covid, I was on the first flight in after the travel ban was lifted. Sounds like you were in a similar situation. Glad it worked out.

2. I confirm airline rates against the travel agent quote every time and have seen no difference. - Agree to disagree. It's subject to the airline, but many airlines beam that their lowest prices are always on their website. I can't speak for the policies of the totality of airlines.


3. Even on this thread there are ten answers to this question. The law will find that YOU are accountable and only you can attest to the material facts of your gun permits.

4. If you like the fees you pay, go for it if you get value.


5. It's called blue ribbon bags. Absolutely worthless.

Rook did you ever need to use Blue Ribbon bags? (Lost baggage insurance)
We've had it from time to time as a perk from the TA but no one ever lost a bag. I am indifferent but would certainly not turn down a freebie! I would be most interested to know if anyone on the forum ever had to use it.

 

[markm]

Hi everyone. I first used Travel With Guns (TWG) of San Antonio, TX in 2016 when going to Namibia. At that time they were great; professional, prompt, and knew their stuff. I used them recently for a trip in October this year which started planning/booking in April. My experience was the exact opposite from 2016. Details I won't bore you with but I just gave them a frank/negative review on their feedback request. Can anyone recommend alternatives to TWG that me and my friends can use in the future? Many thanks.

Call Gracey travel Ask for Shawn she is the best been using them for many years

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

@Tiger2001 there are many on this forum that extoll the virtues of travel agencies that I respect. Particularly, @Red Leg and @Philip Glass .

I've had bad experiences similar to yours, so I'm in another camp. I'd ask the biggest question for you to consider: Do you even need a travel agent whatsoever?

From my perspective:

1.) It's my problem when things go wrong
2.) I pay less buying the tickets online direct from the carrier who guarantees lowest rates on their own website (e.g. Emirates)
3.) I have to do my own gun permits anyway, so its a "me" problem. (e.g. Emirates. You do it online yourself)
4.) In addition to a higher ticket price, the agent also has a ticketing fee on top of that.
5.) The baggage search services added on to the travel agency as a value-add is largely displaced by the air tags and similar. I was highly suspicious of air tags and equivelant in Africa, but friends on this forum have proven me wrong. There are enough smart phones to triangulate signal even in Africa these days, you can find your bags.
6.) Do you really need a travel agent to find you another flight in the event your return flight is cancelled? Your premium International airline will re-book you on next available auto-magically anyway. It is what it is.

This forum is a fount of wisdom. I'd argue the knowledge on this forum of what airlines and destinations are problematic for travleing with rifles exceeds the knowledge of many gun travel agents. I respect the intel here more than the intel coming from agents.

My agent that was once a sponsor here made $500-$700 off of me. They got paid. When things went wrong, I lost 1/2 a safari worth $10,000 real dollars to me. I paid $500 to mitigate my losses. Their damages? None. They had no skin in the game when the chips were down, they had been paid and had no authority to solve my problems whatsoever.

Agreed. Couldn’t have said it better.

I book the majority of my trips to Africa, Mexico, Canada, and other hunting destinations where I take rifles. I do my due diligence. I shop to find the best deals in advance. Use credit cards like (AMEX) who have great concierge service, trip and gear insurance coverage, and agents that are available to talk to after I book my flights or if I need anything. Use SeatGuru to find the best value in seats. Communicate with all agencies involved. Fill out and confirm all my permits. Get additional insurance on certain aspects of the trips if I feel necessary (additional rifle coverage on rifles worth more than $5k) Understand coverages on policies. Download apps and save important phone numbers. Saved a lot of time and money doing so, and without incident.

I have used travel agents in the past and received recent quotes, but find true value and reward in my own efforts…

 

[TRAVEL EXPRESS]

So if we flew on Emirates with a gun you would handle all of it and we would not have to contact Emirates ourself? Just trying to clarify on an airline I've not used.

Hi @Philip Glass yes we handle all aspects of the Emirates approval.

 

[wesheltonj]

So if we flew on Emirates with a gun you would handle all of it and we would not have to contact Emirates ourself? Just trying to clarify on an airline I've not used.

Emirates is all on-line, very simple and more end-user friendly then Qatar.

Firearms | Submit a form for your request | Help | Emirates

Complete the form to request approval to carry personal firearms on your upcoming Emirates flight.

www.emirates.com

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Emirates is all on-line, very simple and more end-user friendly then Qatar.

Firearms | Submit a form for your request | Help | Emirates

Complete the form to request approval to carry personal firearms on your upcoming Emirates flight.

www.emirates.com

It was my experience that it was very simple and they “Emirates” tracks your rifles all the way through to your final destination. Every agent and check in point knew I had rifles that were being checked all the way to my final destination and I was not required to do any additional verification. SF to Joberg via Dubai and back. Easy…

 

[Sabre]

Agreed. Couldn’t have said it better.

I book the majority of my trips to Africa, Mexico, Canada, and other hunting destinations where I take rifles. I do my due diligence. I shop to find the best deals in advance. Use credit cards like (AMEX) who have great concierge service, trip and gear insurance coverage, and agents that are available to talk to after I book my flights or if I need anything. Use SeatGuru to find the best value in seats. Communicate with all agencies involved. Fill out and confirm all my permits. Get additional insurance on certain aspects of the trips if I feel necessary (additional rifle coverage on rifles worth more than $5k) Understand coverages on policies. Download apps and save important phone numbers. Saved a lot of time and money doing so, and without incident.

I have used travel agents in the past and received recent quotes, but find true value and reward in my own efforts…

You mention you are saving time doing it this way. In what way are you saving time doing all of that yourself?