Baggage Guidance & Restrictions On Flying Safaris In Africa

Published By AfricanMecca Safaris | Blog Categories: Safari Planning.

At AfricanMecca Safaris, we are committed to ensuring that our guests enjoy every aspect of their vacation in Africa. And, this includes traveling to remote locations faster by way of the scheduled-charter air service. The airline’s prime focus is on the safety of its passengers to ensure that travel arrangements are efficient and dependable. We have a few recommendations for you in keeping with the safari airline’s baggage policies and regulations.

The safari aircraft that will ferry you to the remote parks of Africa are small, lightweight planes with limited storage space for baggage. Accordingly, we advise that you choose the right luggage for your trips. Most city travel luggage is not suitable for safari planes, so you need to pack using soft-sided duffel bags. Please ensure that the bags have no spines, frames, or a rigid structure. Also, bring bags that have very small wheels, or preferably, none at all.

When a passenger fails to adhere to the safari airline’s strict baggage policy, the airline will ask the passenger to find the appropriate bag and repack. The safari airline has the right to leave the baggage at the airline’s airport office or worse case on the tarmac in far-off parks. Making alternate arrangements for the baggage to follow you by a separate charter plane is another option but will cost you a significant added expense. In case you have extra luggage that you do not need to carry to the safari camps, AfricanMecca Safaris can help you make the necessary storage arrangements with prior notice.

You can plan your luggage according to the weight allowance as follows:

Small and lightweight aircraft in East Africa for Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda

• Weight: 15 kg or 33 lbs
• Dimensions: Maximum height: 25 cm or 10 inches, width: 35 cm or 13 inches, and length: 55 cm or 22 inches.

Small and lightweight aircraft in Southern Africa for Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

• Weight: from 15 to 20 kg or 23 to 44 lbs depending on the destination. Please check with us.
• Maximum height: 30cm or 12 inches, width: 25cm or 10 inches, and length: 62cm or 24 inches.

For more information, you can check with the consultants at AfricanMecca Safaris. Here are some additional tips to help pack:

• If you are carrying heavy photographic equipment, you might want to book an extra freight seat on the plane. As a result, you will have baggage allowance of up to 70kgs or 154 lbs for two seats. Do inform your safari consultant organizing your trip well in advance.
• We recommend medium-sized LL Bean Adventure Duffel Bags. A more economical option is the Olympia 21″ Polyester Duffel Bag.
• Choose duffel bags in whimsical colors so that it’s easier to identify your bags from a stack of other passenger bags that are typically black.
• The total weight allowance includes the carry-on bags. You will be holding your carry-on bags in the lap for the duration of the flight as the aircraft do not have under-seat storage or overhead lockers for stowing bags.
• Given that soft-backed duffel bags are light, you can actually carry adequate clothing and other supplies.
• You will only need casual clothing for your safari tour, and since most safari camps offer laundry services, you won’t need too many clothes. Cultural norms do not permit that the staff wash underclothes. But, you can get gentle soap so you can wash them yourself.
• You need not carry basic toiletries. Most of the necessary supplies you need such as shower gel, shampoo, and moisturizers are provided by the safari camps and lodges.

Important steps to take if your checked luggage does not arrive at your international country:

• Please fill out a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) form in the airport’s baggage claim area in writing or online. You should file a PIR as soon as possible, ideally within six hours of your flight’s arrival. Ask an airline staff member in the baggage claim area on how and where to fill out the form.
• Email AfricanMecca Safaris the following details:

(1) PIR Number assigned by the airline. This is normally received via email on submission or filling in the PIR form at the airport.

(2) a clear photo of bar coded luggage tags provided when you checked in your luggage at point of departure.

(3) a short letter via email indicating your loss of luggage and authorizing AfricanMecca Safaris and our ground transportation team to collect the luggage.

(4) a clear photo of the passport bio details (if not already provided before travel).

Contact AfricanMecca today to plan and book your dream safari

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