I just returned from 2 weeks in South Africa. Flew United Airlines non-stop Newark to JNB. Nice flight, but limited food/beverage service even in first class. No issues with clearing rifles (I use Go2Safari Concierge). Our group overnighted at the Intercontinental Hotel at the airport (again only room service and no alcohol). Expensive, but nice to have a shower and sleep in a real bed. We were met by one of our PH's and drove first to Kruger park for a couple of days. Lots of game viewing including a herd of about 500 cape buffalo in the Sabi river bottom. Amazing to see that many at once.
We drove on from Kruger to the Quagga Safari hunting camp on the Limpopo river. Great hunting. I took a second cape buffalo, golden wildebeest, a really nice (29 inch) roan, a giant nyala (30 inch) and a very nice white blesbok. Will post pics when I get things uploaded.
Overnight at JNB airport and home on United Airlines to Newark, cleared rifles with no issues and connected to DFW. All flights going and returning left on time and arrived on time. I did have a short conversation regarding ammo with the ticket agent at JNB checking in for the home flight . I have always locked it in a separate compartment of my checked baggage. He seemed to think the rule required ammo in its own locked box as a third checked bag, i.e. rifle case, checked suitcase and checked ammo box. That was a first for me in four trips to SA and Namibia, but all went well and everything arrived safely back in the US.
While the news reports of covid lockdown and rioting and looting in KWZ/Gauteng and in outlying neighborhoods of JNB looked pretty bad, it did not affect our trip at all except for no alcohol available in the hotel.
We drove on from Kruger to the Quagga Safari hunting camp on the Limpopo river. Great hunting. I took a second cape buffalo, golden wildebeest, a really nice (29 inch) roan, a giant nyala (30 inch) and a very nice white blesbok. Will post pics when I get things uploaded.
Overnight at JNB airport and home on United Airlines to Newark, cleared rifles with no issues and connected to DFW. All flights going and returning left on time and arrived on time. I did have a short conversation regarding ammo with the ticket agent at JNB checking in for the home flight . I have always locked it in a separate compartment of my checked baggage. He seemed to think the rule required ammo in its own locked box as a third checked bag, i.e. rifle case, checked suitcase and checked ammo box. That was a first for me in four trips to SA and Namibia, but all went well and everything arrived safely back in the US.
While the news reports of covid lockdown and rioting and looting in KWZ/Gauteng and in outlying neighborhoods of JNB looked pretty bad, it did not affect our trip at all except for no alcohol available in the hotel.
