mytmoss

Recently I was faced with a decision on a charter flight from Lion Sands back to Johannesburg. I was booked on Bateleur Air but wanted to leave a bit later than their one flight. There was a flight on Fed Air one out later that I wanted to take but again, their baggage policy got in my way. I had extra camera equipment and they wanted to charge me for a seat for an extra 50 pounds of luggage. This translates to $300 for the convenience of leaving an hour later. Needless to say I left on the earlier flight. But this shows me that Federal Air would rather get $0 vs $300. Its their business decision, but I am absolutely baffled by it.

Bottom line, if you have extra luggage and are traveling to Sabi Sands, strongly consider Bateleur Air. The costs are similar, the planes are nice and the service is great. Its a hard combination to beat.

Mike

cary999

Thanks Mike.
Makes even less than zero sense if the FedUp flight is not full!!! What airport(s) did you use for camp coming and going - Skukuza, Nelspruit, strip in Sabi Sand, or?? And what was the flight cost?? (Often charter flights charge for two people minimum).

I've just now used some FF miles on BA, they had a half mileage deal recently so for 67,000 BA miles I got LAX to JNB in Traveler Plus class. Oh, yeah, 67K miles and another $1,030 for fees, taxes, fuel charges, etc. Flights put me in JNB on May 8 2012 and out of JNB May 28. I have no camps set up now, only flights. Could you please use your extensive safari camp contacts in the Greater Kruger Area to arrange some complimentary nights for me?? Thank you very much in advance!!!

Actually, I'm thinking of "winging it". That is, fly in with no camps reserved. Then in JNB start calling camps and trying to deal for stays the next 18-20 days. I think this would be reasonable to do in May, a low/off season. Don't think I'd try it this month nor next! Or, another idea, not wait until actually in JNB but perhaps one week before leaving home call camps looking for deals in next 3 weeks?? Anyone???

regards - tom

mytmoss

Tom, I have no idea what they have that policy. Some other friends got charged for seats for their equipment also. I guess Fed Air rather risk getting double or nothing. Bateleur charged about $300 which is usually less or equal to FedAir. Also I was NOT charged for two seats as a single flyer. In this case I flew in and out of Skukuza.

Yeah, May is the beginning of low season and you may get deals, but for me the idea of winging it would not work. I like to have my plans set.

Mike

cary999

I know, I'd also rather have set plans. But hey, if I thought I could knock that safari camps cost in half, I'd try it. Worst case I'd think in May would be getting very little/no discount. Avaliability should be ok.

If anyone is wondering, Skukuza airstrip is in Kruger Park. (The main/head Kruger camp is named Skukuza). It used to be the airport for Kruger but now Nelspruit, KMIA, is the "official" Kruger airport. SAA used to fly in/out of Skukuza but no longer I believe. Not sure who does now? FedAir, Bateleur, General Air, Sefofane, ???

regards - tom

christabir

tom - So psyched you got that deal! Nice long trip. I just couldn't do it with grad school (me) and my current unemployed status. I was this close! check out mtbeds.com (or .co.za) for camps that have last minute deals. It's usually for SA residents, but many times there are deals for all, just 2 weeks out. It will give you some idea of options. SA residents get great deals! Someday... ("all" they require for residency is R20,000/month, not including employment income).

I would look at Kruger NP camps early, though. The prime spots sell out early, as you probably know. We are planning to go to Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park next time. We're getting more adventurous. Would you consider Mashatu or the Waterberg region this time? We had better than expected sightings in both.

Really wish I could have hit the "buy" button. We'd be there at the same time.

cary999

Thanks CB. I've had those BA miles (100,000) for I think two years now (from new BA credit card). And was afraid I was going to loose them. Being able to use some to also get a (minor) class upgrade pulled the trigger for me. I still think flying from Atlanta (ATL) would be an easier flight for me. Will try it someday.

I'm aware of mtbeds, will keep an eye on them for trends. I'm wondering if actually being in country would qualify a person?

I would do Kruger NP or Pilanesberg only as last choice. Sure would consider Mashatu. If MalaMala would offer me good deal (50%) for 10 days Mashatu and 10 days MalaMala, I'd deposit on it now. (Send me an email MalaMala). Not familiar with Waterberg region, will look into it.

But you know, many safari camps could be like Mike's thing with FedUp. They'd just as soon loose the revenue as discount. Go figure.

Actually the "scariest" part of winging it is what would normally be easy (at home) - making a lot of phone calls. First thing JNB I'd have to buy cell phone, where?? Then start calling, hope I can talk with manager and not a reservations clerk, etc, etc. I figure I'd alot 2 days to doing this, finding/reserving camps. Thus head out on the 10th or 11th. (I arrive JNB early morning the 8th May, but will likely sleep most of day).

We'll see. I have casual contact with a couple of photographers in Kruger area. Going to ask them for ideas. And anyone??

regards - tom

christabir

WT Plus is better than coach by a long shot. Not close to biz, but still better. Do you have the really long layover in LHR? Or did you get the morning flight JFK to LHR/late flight to JNB?

Good luck on that MM/Mashatu deal. But all they can say is no. Try it. That can be said about calling at the last minute, too. If you'll be in a hotel, get a calling card instead of a phone. We couldn't believe how cheap calls were. No, you need residency. That's why I know how to get residency. You might also try a local TA? I wonder if that would help.

I'm jealous.

cary999

CB - Glad to hear that WT Plus is good, that's what I have. To reserve a seat now, before 24 hours before check-in, BA wants $38 per leg!! No surprise I guess since their FF miles are far from free.

My flight over is from LAX to LHR to JNB. Layover at LHR is bit less than 4 hours. Flight LHR to JNB leaves 19:10, (arrives JNB at 06:55 next day). Coming back my layover at LHR is 3 hours. Total times I believe is 25 hours.

Thanks for tip on calling card, I will be in a hotel first 2-3 nights. Probably in the Emperors Complex. I would spend a bit for cell phone just to have it with me all the time while calling camps. Any feel for how much one would cost??

I know I'm dreaming about such a MM/Mashatu deal. I'd like to work with a local TA, one who knows the camp numbers from familiarity. But I don't know of any and wonder if there are any that would try for big discount or they'd just give me a rush/sell story. Doing it myself I would be willing to spend time calling. Like I say, over a day to come up good camps and prices.

regards - tom

DonTopaz

Tom,


As for a phone, you can rent a phone from Vodaphone for a very reasonable price. They have pick-up/drop-off offices at JNB, and you can do all the paperwork in advance.

As far as charters and single seats go, the 2-seat requirement typically applies to on-demand charters ("on-demand" being similar to a shared shuttle van service from your home to a local airport). Many/most of Fed Air's flights from JNB to individual camps are scheduled, but they are technically charter flights.

Don

sdb2

Tom,$1,030 in various charges for a FF seat!!?? That seems huge to me. I've never spent more than $150-200 for taxes + other stuff. Did the fees include extra for an upgraded seat? Should I be expecting more fees next time I get an award ticket or are some of the fees related to stopping in London? Thanks- Steve

cary999

Don - many thanks for Vodaphone info. For less than around $100??

Steve - But that wasn't recently on -BA- was it? I'm no expert on FF miles but I believe BA is well known for their fees added to FF usage. The BA -base Economy class- FF flight fees for those 4 flights, LAX-LHR, LHR-JNB, and return was $931 (and 45,000 miles). The 45K miles being half the usual 90K. (The 10 day deal they had going until 12 Aug i.e. use BA FF miles half the usual required. Plus regular fees, taxes, fuel charges, etc). Then they have the gall to charge to reserve a seat, $38 per flight/leg. All sad but true.

Will you pay more next time - depends on airline. Example, my Carolyn just this past May flew round trip LAX-LHR on Continental with FF miles and for 0, none, fees. So as they say YMMV

FWIW, the BA flights LAX-LHR, LHR-JNB and return, base economy, price is $2,100. Going economy plus (World Traveler Plus) is $3,900. Prices now for May 2012.

regards - tom

christabir

BA, AA and IB all are now using the same fee structure. The fees include fuel surcharges and all of the airport taxes. AA was about half the cost of BA until they made a new agreement and now are the same. Grrr. But as tom says, he got a pretty good deal. We don't pay to reserve a seat - we wait until the 24 hours before. It's frustrating, but the way BA works. I thought you'd have a layover in JFK - that's a really long flight from LAX-LHR!

tom - you can get a phone at most convenience stores and there are a couple of phone stores in JNB. It's cheaper to get an old GSM phone that you might already own unlocked and get SIM card in SA. But, like at 7-Eleven here, you can just get a prepaid cell. Check vodacom and MT Cellular for options. I saw one for R199 and considered it. You have to give your life story to get a phone or SIM card. We bought a R25 calling card, made 6 calls to home and 4 local calls and still have time left. My cell phone charges $2.89/minute which is about the same as R25! Saved us a bit of cash. Only used the cell a few times (before we got the calling card).

DonTopaz

Tom, the vodaphone deal is priced for a very few dollars/day (way, way under $100 for 2 weeks), with the charges coming when you use the phone. I found it to be ideal for an emergency phone (as opposed to something I'd be using frequently).

ShayTay

Tom, maybe you should check out some of the smaller, lesser known camps and reserves in the greater Kruger area. I'm headed to South Africa with Ntaba Tours in October. Their main tour was Cape Town area and Kapama. I opted to add on 6 nights at Mohlabetsi and Shindzela. I looked at your favorite, Kings Camp, but didn't want to pay those rates. Mohlabetsi is having good "Big 5" sightings of late. "Pixelpower" had a thread and recent trip reports listing some of the smaller, less expensive camps and lodges in Greater Kruger area. You might get some ideas there.

sdb2

Tom, thanks for the info. I flew between Washington, DC and Nairobi last year on a coach award ticket issued by AA. Between Wash and London was AA, with BA between London and Nairobi. I paid the $30/flight, the fee at that time, to BA so I could get the seat I wanted (then gave up my preferred seat on one of those flights so newlyweds could sit together; what a softie I am). Your Carolyn paid nothing!!?? That's something I've never heard of, but a definite bonus.

CB, I guess I got my ticket before AA adopted the new fee structure. I was annoyed enough about BA's seating policy that I gave up on the AA FF program.

Best, Steve

egbear

If you're a Verizon Wireless customer, you can also "borrow" a global phone. VW will send you one before your trip and you send it back after. They don't charge a rental fee and you can keep your phone number. (But as Christabir says you do still have to pay the $2.89 a minute.)


http://b2b.vzw.com/international/Glo...vel/index.html

- Elaine

cary999

How much calling would I have to do to line up 2-3 camps? I could see 12 calls at 4 mins each, 48 min total, times $3 per min is $150.

Elaine - thanks, I do have Verizon cell service. BUT - would not want to use the same number I have here at home. It might confuse the camps as to where I am (in SA or USA?) and also I don't want a lot of spam calls for months afterwards.

ShayTay - I'm not sure what I want in the way of camps. I'm aware of pixelpower's camp listings, really good camp info he put together. Photgraphy is important to me so the camp's game drive guests and guide's photo sense is important. In this regard, for example, I could go to Kings Camp and have Morne or Patrick as my guide and be quite happy. Likewise MalaMala rangers know photogrphy. But I'd also not prefer to pay Kings Camp's/MM rack rates. I've had many guides that do not understand why you want to move the vehicle to the other side of the subject. Best example at Ngala Lodge a guide who thought seeing a big roaring male lion was fine from the rear!!! I had to ask him to move vehicle so we could see his head!!! Really, have video to prove it!!!

CB - "...really long flight from LAX-LHR!". Well, 10 hours in air, LAX- LHR. Polar route? Then nearly 11 hours LHR to JNB. Total with LHR layover 24.5 hours from my home to first JNB hotel, 31-32 hours. As for long flights, I think anything over 4 hours is long. At 7 hours into a flight I'm afraid I'm going to die!!! After 8 hours I wish I would!!!

Steve - I think BA has the seat thing backwards. If I book early, then I should have first seat choice. But who said the airlines were ever, ever, logical or fair??

regards - tom

christabir

tom - many of the cheap camps we went to in June have emphasized photography. We had a cheetah sighting at Entabeni and one of the clients was yelling at our ranger to stop. He ignored, and got "down sun" of them in perfect morning light. It's all about the ranger. The ranger training at Entabeni includes photography school, and they have a pretty famous training program so many rangers train there. (we might take the short course just for fun). We had some good ones - and the one we had at Tembe had just been trained in "perfect light" from a photography group. He was very proud of his new skill. We are not about the perfect pic, but it sure helps when the rangers understand. Another shoutout to our ranger at Rhino River Lodge who wants to be a wildlife filmmaker, so he was great. And I was pretty good in Kruger trying to get the right light, too. Not easy without off road, though. It also depends on fellow safariers - we like to hang out, others would rather go find the next thing to see after a pic or two.

We get stuck with at least a ten hour layover at LHR. It sucks. But short layover on return, so it's OK. We are rarely in a plane for less than 5 hours. Husband is 6'4", so Econ Plus is helpful.

cary999

CB - Interesting to know that camps are recognizing that some guides need photography lessons. And I agree it is all about the ranger. And also most important when you have 3-6 guests in vehicle how the ranger convinces those that want to stop and photo an impala half-mile away that it will be better up a ways.

Ten hour layover LHR is painful . You might look into joining a LHR lounge club for the day. As was discussed here not too long ago.

regards - tom

christabir

We usually fly biz LHR - JNB so we get access to lounge. It's still painful. At least the drinks are free.

How about two weeks in the bush for two weeks for R9500? We're considering this someday. (I can't do the longer courses as I do not camp!!):

http://www.natureguidetraining.com/interesting-new/

They should add a photo course! Unfortunately they only do that through their regular camps, not the training camp (which we passed through and it was similar to the tented camp where we stayed).

Love the remote camera pics at the bottom of that page.