Virgin and other flights

[stevec]

Having had my Qatar flight to Johannesburg cancelled, I am now looking at other options, preferably to fly from Edinburgh.

I have been told today that Virgin are now longer carrying firearms. Nothing on the website to suggest this and no answer on the telephone, so I can't confirm, but this came from a sporting agent who deals with a lot of flights. His advice was to suck up BA's charges and go with them and to avoid any transfers if possible.

I understand Lufthansa also do not and I have read a lot of bad things about BA on here. I tried to call BA to check the current charges today, but just a recorded message saying that there was no-one available.

Anyone have any suggestions? I realise this has been discussed many times before but the rules seem to be changing all of the time. As an aside, the Qatar helpline was fantastic and I can't fault their customer service, other than cancelling my flight! It was great to speak to someone in their call centre who clearly knew a lot about flying with firearms.

Also does anyone have any experience of flying out of Edinburgh with firearms? Several people have told me they RFD their firearms to London, then collect them between connecting flights to avoid Edinburgh.

 

[Hanechdene]

Hello,

I am flying with BA in April.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/liquids-and-restrictions

The charges are £125 each way for the rifle case and the ammo case is supposedly freeing flying to SA.

Virgin Atlantic @ Manchester airport will not transport firearms.

Knowledge Portal

Virgin Atlantic - Knowledge Portal

help.virginatlantic.com

I couldn’t obtain a straight answer from Virgin over charges but it would appear that a rifle case and ammo case are treated as separate items, so you would be charged for 3 cases which comes to £140 each way.

Knowledge Portal

Virgin Atlantic - Knowledge Portal

help.virginatlantic.com

 

[stevec]

Hello,

I am flying with BA in April.

https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/baggage-essentials/liquids-and-restrictions

The charges are £125 each way for the rifle case and the ammo case is supposedly freeing flying to SA.

Virgin Atlantic @ Manchester airport will not transport firearms.

Knowledge Portal

Virgin Atlantic - Knowledge Portal

help.virginatlantic.com

I couldn’t obtain a straight answer from Virgin over charges but it would appear that a rifle case and ammo case are treated as separate items, so you would be charged for 3 cases which comes to £140 each way.

Knowledge Portal

Virgin Atlantic - Knowledge Portal

help.virginatlantic.com

Thanks. That is what I have read about BA.

Interestingly, the agent I spoke to said that he finds BA better than most. He also said that they offer very significant discounts to travel agents, so it is often cheaper to book through a travel agent than online, although I don't think I would trust a high street travel agent to book a rifle on, as I suspect it isn't something that they do regularly. I also can imagine what the response would be when I ask.

I was told that Virgin will not transport firearms on any of their flights now, although I really don't know if that is correct.

Presumably BA's charges would be levied at the first airport and not on each connecting flight? It would be nice if they would pick up the phone so I could ask...

 

[Foxyboy43]

Hmmm. Used Edinburgh on many occasions though only on domestic flights (NI). Generally found their approach to firearms was no big deal and very laid back - after all they must get many thousands of firearms through each year as the gateway to the Glens.

 

[Jon P]

Having had my Qatar flight to Johannesburg cancelled, I am now looking at other options, preferably to fly from Edinburgh.

I have been told today that Virgin are now longer carrying firearms. Nothing on the website to suggest this and no answer on the telephone, so I can't confirm, but this came from a sporting agent who deals with a lot of flights. His advice was to suck up BA's charges and go with them and to avoid any transfers if possible.

I understand Lufthansa also do not and I have read a lot of bad things about BA on here. I tried to call BA to check the current charges today, but just a recorded message saying that there was no-one available.

Anyone have any suggestions? I realise this has been discussed many times before but the rules seem to be changing all of the time. As an aside, the Qatar helpline was fantastic and I can't fault their customer service, other than cancelling my flight! It was great to speak to someone in their call centre who clearly knew a lot about flying with firearms.

Also does anyone have any experience of flying out of Edinburgh with firearms? Several people have told me they RFD their firearms to London, then collect them between connecting flights to avoid Edinburgh.

I have been told that BA are now charging for Ammo boxes to SA .(£125) Even though there guidance notes state they don’t, I have tried to get this clarified by email with BA, my reply’s are very vague and they wont answers my question on Ammo box charges. Hopefully some SD members who have traveled recently can add first hand info to this.

 

[stevec]

I have been told that BA are now charging for Ammo boxes to SA .(£125) Even though there guidance notes state they don’t, I have tried to get this clarified by email with BA, my reply’s are very vague and they wont answers my question on Ammo box charges. Hopefully some SD members who have traveled recently can add first hand info to this.

That is why I tried to call them. But just got cut off both times I tried, after hearing a message that they are only handling very urgent calls.

 

[stevec]

Hmmm. Used Edinburgh on many occasions though only on domestic flights (NI). Generally found their approach to firearms was no big deal and very laid back - after all they must get many thousands of firearms through each year as the gateway to the Glens.

That is great to hear. I am not sure what the issues have been and I know they were historic, but whatever it was has prompted a few people I have spoken to not to check firearms in there. It would be far easier just to check everything in there and not worry, as I understand the baggage just gets sent on.

I don't fly much!

 

[ColinJ]

Lufthansa won’t handle firearms from Heathrow, but they will from Manchester. They charge €250 to carry a rifle.
I haven’t heard anything about Virgin, but I’m flying Joburg to Heathrow in 3 weeks with my rifle, so I’ll be mightily upset if they won’t bring it!

 

[ColinJ]

Virgin Atlantic’s website very clearly says they will carry firearms if you have the correct paperwork.

 

[stevec]

Virgin Atlantic’s website very clearly says they will carry firearms if you have the correct paperwork.

Yes, I am sure the person I spoke to is mistaken

 

[Donkey Basher]

In my experience, it is the airport that charges for firearms handling, the airline either simply pass it on or 'absorb' it themselves. I used to fly regularly to Norway with firearms & went from Gatwick as their handling charge was considerably less than Heathrow, and they seemed to know a lot more about what they were doing when I got there!

Flew to SA in 2019 & went with SAA, no dramas with taking firearms apart from having to have ammunition weighed to prove that the 7kg ammo box was actually only 5kg of ammo & 2kg of metal tin not 7kg of ammo - that was from Heathrow & the drama was 100% NOT the airlines fault it was the handling staff at the airport!

 

[Hanechdene]

I have been told that BA are now charging for Ammo boxes to SA .(£125) Even though there guidance notes state they don’t, I have tried to get this clarified by email with BA, my reply’s are very vague and they wont answers my question on Ammo box charges. Hopefully some SD members who have traveled recently can add first hand info to this.

It took an age but BA eventually answered the phone when I booked the guns in. They read out the full t & c’s for transporting firearms and confirmed they do not charge for ammo boxes.

My thoughts are to print out the relevant pages from their website for the check in staff to read….

 

[Jon P]

It took an age but BA eventually answered the phone when I booked the guns in. They read out the full t & c’s for transporting firearms and confirmed they do not charge for ammo boxes.

My thoughts are to print out the relevant pages from their website for the check in staff to read….

Friends travelled to Romania last year, they almost missed there flights due to BA wanting extra £125 to carry the Ammo , boxes, unfortunately they had to pay the £125 or not fly, they had the BA policy with them and spoke to the supervisors, We fly out next month to SA , so will find out then first hand.

 

[Tazz]

I used Virgin to fly to Namibia 4 weeks ago, Virgin do carry Firearms as did their partner airline for the second leg Airlink. Beware of “ people telling you stuff”. I had a guy on here tell me Airlink don’t carry firearms, 2 hours of my life wasted checking it and calling them only to confirm they do carry firearms and it says that on their website. I have flown with Virgin 5 times carrying firearms out of Heathrow they are very good, it’s also on their website, they do ask you to give them notice that you are bringing firearms but even when you do the check in guys will have no knowledge of that and you just fill in their paperwork. This last trip they can to my seat on the plane with the counterfoil paperwork confirming the rifle and ammo were onboard. Good luck with your trip

 

[sh1kar]

Having had my Qatar flight to Johannesburg cancelled, I am now looking at other options, preferably to fly from Edinburgh.

I have been told today that Virgin are now longer carrying firearms. Nothing on the website to suggest this and no answer on the telephone, so I can't confirm, but this came from a sporting agent who deals with a lot of flights. His advice was to suck up BA's charges and go with them and to avoid any transfers if possible.

I understand Lufthansa also do not and I have read a lot of bad things about BA on here. I tried to call BA to check the current charges today, but just a recorded message saying that there was no-one available.

Anyone have any suggestions? I realise this has been discussed many times before but the rules seem to be changing all of the time. As an aside, the Qatar helpline was fantastic and I can't fault their customer service, other than cancelling my flight! It was great to speak to someone in their call centre who clearly knew a lot about flying with firearms.

Also does anyone have any experience of flying out of Edinburgh with firearms? Several people have told me they RFD their firearms to London, then collect them between connecting flights to avoid Edinburgh.

Out of interest why was the flight cancelled and what notice did you get? I ask as using them in October
S

 

[Foxyboy43]

Once going to Edinburgh fro Belfast Easyjet check-in jobsworth told me I had to pay for a second gun (one stock and two barrels). After much debate and me quoting their T&Cs the supervisor (Aka Atilla the Hun) was summoned and pretty much repeated what I had been told earlier so same arguments ensued with me explaining that without a second stock it was only one rifle etc…. Then I asked if they charged per ski. Stunned silence ensued, Attila walked off and that was that. No such problems coming back through Edinburgh!

 

[stevec]

Out of interest why was the flight cancelled and what notice did you get? I ask as using them in October
S

Change in their schedule. They gave me eight months' notice and offered me an alternative flight, which got in at 2am, so we decided to look at alternatives.

They seemed very good otherwise. Instant answer at the call centre, which was a big plus.

 

[stevec]

Virgin Atlantic’s website very clearly says they will carry firearms if you have the correct paperwork.

I have spoken to him again. It seems that the issue is that Virgin will not carry firearms as unaccompanied freight any more, which they apparently used to. So not an issue for most of us

 

[sh1kar]

Change in their schedule. They gave me eight months' notice and offered me an alternative flight, which got in at 2am, so we decided to look at alternatives.

They seemed very good otherwise. Instant answer at the call centre, which was a big plus.

Ahh. Great thanks
S

 

[stevec]

Ahh. Great thanks
S

Also offered a 20% discount if I took an alternative flight.