The shuttle took us to the airport in Kasane shortly after 11:00 am, that's 2 am Pacific Time. It seemed a little early but hotel said it was an international flight so we were required to be there 2 hours early. This airport is smaller than many commuter airports and has free "drinkable" water and that's it. So, we waited.
We checked our two bags through to Atlanta. Since it involved a transfer of airlines in Johannesburg, we wondered what would happen
The flight was less than two hours but they fed us. We had the choice of a chicken salad or ham sandwich. We were hungry. It wasn't bad.
Johannesburg International terminal didn't require us to collect our luggage, so we wondered where it was. The terminal has few options for eating or shopping behind security. We didn't know how easy it would be to get back so we stayed with not much to keep us occupied over the long hours. At some point, I tried to contact Delta to find out if our luggage had transferred. After one hour of getting through the virtual assistant to a human, we still had no answer.
The Delta counter wasn't manned until the plane arrived, two hours before the plane is scheduled to turn around and head back.
Finally, someone was there but we were on one side of a gated off area and the agent was on the other. Someone who appeared to be an agent, asked for our passports and disappeared. I wondered if I'd done the right thing. You hear so many horror stories regarding the Jo'burg airport. I did spot her at the counter and finally she brought the passports back. I told her I was concerned about our luggage and she was able to confirm that it had been transferred to Delta.
Before leaving, we had to go through TSA but since we are at a gate, with no security machines, this meant having an agent go through our carry-on luggage. It also meant that any water purchased at the airport now needed to be thrown away. Our seat mate told us the trick to having water is to buy it at duty free and have it delivered to you after you've cleared TSA. Good to know.
Once that was complete, they sat us in different areas based on boarding position. Once there, you needed your boarding pass to leave the area, to use the restroom, for instance.
Once on the plane, things were fine. it was just long, though we both managed to sleep.
In Atlanta, we needed to go through immigration, pick up our luggage (yes, it was there!), clear customs, recheck our suitcases, go through security, and then walk (or take the shuttle) from the international terminal, all the way to nearly the last terminal where our gate was. At least there were choices of restaurants to eat and hang out in.
The five hour flight seemed long, it was time to be done. On this flight, there was beverage service, twice. The first time, we were offered snacks and lunch boxes to buy, the second time, you needed to ask for a snack. 🙄
We arrived ontime, met the driver, and got home just before 4 pm Pacific Time. It had been a long way home.
