We are heading back to Botswana, June 2009. Our flight arrives in Johannesburg at 6:50am. Instead of spending a day in town we'd like head right to Maun. Does anyone have experience trying to make the 10:10 flight with Air Botswana?

That's plenty of time to make the connection!!! Recently, my flight into JNB only landed at 8AM or so!

You can through check your bags all the way to Maun from anywhere in the world you maybe coming from.

<You can through check your bags>

JNB is one of the most hectic airports we have passed through, and we did that 3 times. I think that you would have enough time, though.

Personally, I would like to see my bags in JNB and transfer them myself. Just my preference.

veer
we are going to get to JNB at 0830 on wednesday and prefer to stay in JNB till thursday to ensure that flight.

but close to 07.00h should offer plenty time to catch the 1010 flight to maun.

i would rather collect my luggage and check in again instead of letting it hanging around at or tambo.

div

Checking bags through means you don't have to go through passport control, bag recheck, and passport control again. My thoughts are that if my inbound flight is delayed, I'd rather make the flight and wait for my luggage to catch up than sit at JNB with my bags waiting for the next flight but that's just personal preference. If you can do carry on only, all the better. I can never manage to do that but I always pack 2-3 days worth of stuff in my carry on.

AGree completely w/Patty: if at all possible, take carry-on only, then follow the signs to "international transit" (or something similar) to avoid having to pass through immigration twice.

It is unfortunate that Air Botswana seems to have dropped the midday flight to Maun (operated 3 or 4 days week); that used to be a good back-up for the Star alliance flights (Lufthansa and Swiss) that have scheduled 9am arrivals.

Thank you for the reassurance that this is doable. We used BA this passed May and ended up overnighting in Johannesburg, which was just more waiting time to be where we really wanted to be.
We will pack extra clothing in our carry-ons. We can wait for lost luggage (knock on wood) in Maun if necessary.

Do not put any cameras (of any kind) or other electronic toys in your checked luggage. Your luggage will disappear in Joburg to reappear (maybe) a day or two later missing the above.

regards - tom

You know Tom - I just keeping knocking on wood - this will be my fourth time through JNB with no loss or theft. The most valuable thing they would find in my bag is my PeptoBismal.

Thanks for the warning. Going back to my wood knocking now.