changing planes in Johannesburg
We are booked on S Africa: An elegant adventure May 9th trip. We fly from Frankfurt to Johannesburg and change planes for flight to Cape Town. Those of you who have done this tour, do we have to pick up our luggage before going to passport control in Johannesburg and then check again for flight to Cape Town? I understand the domestic terminal for CT flight is a good walk from International.
Anyone booked on this tour? Thank you.
Anyone booked on this tour? Thank you.
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I would really like to hear more details before you throw a grenade like this into a forum that specialises in Tauck tours. Tauck travellers know that Tauck takes very good care of their clients and provides excellent travel advice on what to do, even before individual travellers formally join their travel group. The old travel skill of trying to fit in and ooze local knowledge (acting the part) is one of the first lessons a naive traveller learns. And that lesson last a lifetime!
Speaking realistically, care must always be taken at airports, particularly these days in the US … and tragically more so in Dallas. Who in the world would ever have thought that? So, can you give more information that might provide real guidance for travellers moving through O.R.Tambo International?
Granted, you must always be alert at any airport. Our transfers were smooth and secure.
Is Tauck always at the Joburg airport to help or were they there just because you had a nice sized group?
It was a small number of Americans who have travelled to a foreign country before. My neighbor is the primary source. She gave up money at the site of the extortion. I have no guidance to offer; I am asking for guidance. Is there a map of the airport available so we will know where to go and where the Information Desk is located?
http://www.johannesburg-airport.com
I can't speak for other tours. Call Tauck and inquire.
South African colleagues of my husband were quite concerned for us when we said we were visiting Johannesburg and recommended we wear bullet proof vests, yes really! But our Elegant Adventure was quite wonderful and we would visit again in a heartbeat.
From our own experience, Paris seems to be the most popular place to be in danger of attack or pick pockets and scams. We encountere it twice in one visit, we have friends who had a bag stolen in a museum and someone else we know, her father was beaten up very badly in the face when he tried to stop someone taking his wife's handbag. In Rome I was almost knocked off my feet by a gang running from the police and a couple on our tour just managed to stop someone grabbing their bag. In my hometown in England I was again almost knocked off my feet by. A thief running off with someone's handbag in the market. Point being, maybe Johannesburg is no worse than anywhere else.
When I see posts that say stuff like … "Things are crook in Tallarook!* Don't go there!" or "They are mean to Calathumpians in France. Don't go there!" … I wonder where the poster acquired this information? Did the factoid come from an entertainment news source? Is the post designed to be alarmist? Is it designed to fan further feelings of resentment on the part of Calathumpians? Or non-Calathumpians? Or was the whole scenario the result of a group of people who put themselves in harm's way, perhaps out of naiveté? Was it a story that filled the dead donkey space on a TV show? Were the people advising bullet proof vests Causasians (as per the wording used in the U.S. Supreme Court**), and carried a predisposed view of the people most likely to be at that particular place?
None of the above means that everyone who goes to a certain place is bound to be harmed or robbed.
It does mean that everyone has to do their own research and be comfortable with the risk assessment. They need to decide if they wish to travel independently or with a group and then to choose their companions and/or group wisely.
There is quite enough to be concerned about in the world at the moment without adding levels of panic. Important stuff … like … can I fit my DIY brain surgery kit into my carry on luggage? Possibly not the saw. Or will I need a full anti-contamination suit? Well, I possibly will if I ever get to another New England lobster dinner! Delicious, but dreadfully messy!
Or I could cut myself with a paring knife in my own kitchen and I don't have a DIY transfusion kit, either! Bugger.
* "Things is crook, in Tallarook". Words & music by Jack O'Hagan. Melbourne : Allan & Co., c1942
** United States v. Bhagat Singh Thind (1923)
Now this wasn't a big deal and you can interpret this incident any way you want. It may have been nothing more that friendly conversation and expression of shared interest in music, hoping (this rich) American would give him a CD. The officials made no overt threats and never mentioned there might be any consequences if my friend did not give the "officials" the CD's. It could have been totally harmless, but that is not how my friend interpreted what was going on. There was no doubt in his mind that he was the victim of extortion.
Despite being in the "air side" etc. of an international airport, there is no doubt in my mind that an "official" could make things difficult for a traveler if he wanted. At worst he could plant something in your luggage, make unsubstantiated claims against you, etc. Clearing things up could cause you to to miss your connection. At the very least it could be very stressful.
A Google search will turn up numerous incidents of extortion going back a number of years, including this one from 2005 at this link, where an Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) security supervisor and an airport-based police officer were charged with abducting a Nigerian passenger from the transit lounge of the airport and robbing him of a large sum in American dollars.
It won't keep me from traveling through Or Tambo if I must, but I will be extra vigilant.
Cheers,
Jan
Cheers,
Jan
British, if you look, you may find similar reports about airports from around the world. There was one link I did not post because I thought the story too inflammatory and frightening. It detailed the (horror?) story of a solo woman transiting OR Tambo with luggage and a large box of school supplies she was taking to a (mission?) school. She made decisions about her arrangements that I thought were unwise from the get-go, but things got worse as time went on. She finally flew home, never left the airport. You'll easily recognize the article if you come across it in your search. I have no doubt she had quite an experience, but what surprised me were those who posted comments attacking her story and motives for posting. She hung in there and did a nice job with her responses.
I know it won't allay some peoples fears, but let's take a look at the big picture. Compare the number of people who transit some of the worst airports in the world every day, I'm sure many thousands, vs the number of incidents of theft, extortion, etc. I'll bet it is very small in comparison. From what I have read, there has been a big increase in crime aboard those floating hotels known as cruise ships. People just need travel smart- at home and abroad. There are any number of travel magazine and web articles out there on how to do that. I believe I have read similar stuff on the Tauck website, but don't think there is a section devoted to how to travel smart and stay safe. Maybe there should be.
Cheers,
Jan