Although international airlines have varying and often generous luggage weight allowances, if you are travelling on a local scheduled or private charter flight, the airlines have enforced luggage weight restrictions as these are light aircraft and any overweight conditions create a safety hazard. If you are travelling some sectors of your trip by road, the vehicles also have limited space. Should your baggage exceed the specified limits or requirements, it is subject to behind left behind and forwarded to the ending point at your expense.
Luggage weight
- Allowance: On all local services the luggage allowance is 15kgs (33 pounds) in soft sided bags, not a suitcase, and includes your checked and ‘carry-on’ luggage. All ‘carry-on’ luggage includes camera equipment and should be able to sit on your lap or under the seat in a light aircraft.
- Check-in baggage: We recommend a bag that is 32 inches long x 15 inches wide x 15 inches high and may have handles and/or wheels (with one hard side – often the bottom where the wheels are attached), but rigid luggage or bags with hard internal frames may not be accommodated.Remember that wheels, etc do however add to overall weight of your bag. You may want to pack an additional flat bag that can be carried in your luggage should you intend to purchase souvenirs – this can be used for your onward international travel.
- Carry-on luggage: This includes camera equipment and should be able to sit on your lap or under the seat in a light aircraft. We recommend a collapsible carry-on or daypack that can also be used on wildlife drives.
Please note that while the restrictions listed above are requirements stated by the airline, there is no guarantee that your luggage will be measured or weighed at every airstrip on your safari outside of the main centres. There is a possibility that you may see other travellers with hard sided suitcases and/or more weight than the restriction listed above. Enforcement of all restrictions depends on weather conditions, length of flight and total load on board.
- Storing luggage: If you have onward travel and need to carry additional luggage, please discuss this with your Adventure Specialist who will advise, based on your schedule what arrangements can be made to store your luggage at our offices for collection after your safari.
- Excess: The carriage of excess baggage is at the sole discretion of the airline after taking into consideration of the aircraft being used and the number of passengers booked. When excess baggage is carried it will be charged at the prevailing freight charges and is payable at check-in and is carried strictly on a space availability basis.
- Where clients are aware prior to travel that they will have excess baggage, additional freight seats can be requested and are charged according to each airlines requirement on each sector. Your Adventure Specialist will be able to provide you with a quotation for this service. This must be pre-booked and is subject to availability and approval by the airline.
- Security: Theft of personal belongings from checked luggage does occur so we urge you not to put anything of value in your checked luggage during flights. This includes jewellery, cameras, video equipment, reading /sunglasses, laptops or other computer/electronic equipment, medication (especially chronic medication) etc. We also strongly advise that you always lock your checked luggage in order to deter opportunities for theft and keep items of value in your carry-on.
- Airlines require that they be informed in advance of persons with disabilities, physically challenges, illnesses or old age. If such a person is unable to lift themselves, reach an emergency exit unaided, communicate with the crew and unfasten a seat belt; such persons must be accompanied by two persons who will assist them during embarking and disembarking the aircraft and in cases of an emergency.
Personal weight information
Seats on most of the light aircraft operated by local airlines are of a restricted ‘utility’ size and larger passengers well above an average weight (75kg/165 pounds) will find them uncomfortable. In such circumstances, it is recommended that for both safety and comfort reasons an extra seat is booked and will be charged at the child rate per passenger to which it applies .
In the event of a person’s personal weight being above the average weight guideline, we request that you provide the weight details so that this can be taken into consideration. The airline does reserve the right to otherwise prevent the passenger from boarding without the additional seat booked.
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Ticket & travel conditions
- Tickets are not transferable and once issued are subject to a fee from 30 days prior to travel should any amendments be required. Cancellation within 5 days to date of travel and no shows are subject to 100% cancellation fees.
- All arrival and departure times given by the airline are subject to change based on the routing of the aircraft and passenger numbers on the day of travel. Please note specifically with regards to flights to the Mara that airlines may visit up to four airstrips per routing in any sequence depending on the bookings. As a result it is not possible to give a firm arrival or departure time from each airstrip.
- The airline is not responsible for any direct or consequential costs resulting from any delays to its services and it is advisable to have personal travel insurance.
- Check-in time is one hour before the scheduled departure time on all flights. Note at safari airstrips the property is in communication with the airline and will determine the time required to avoid waiting for long periods of time on a remote airstrip.
- The airline reserves the right to re-allocate seats if passengers have not checked in 20 minutes before the scheduled flight.
- All routes are subject to a minimum of 2 pax travelling in order to operate and a single passenger could be requested to pay for the 2nd seat in full.