Departure Day

Before leaving the office

• Activate the “out of office” message on your computer/laptop.
• Arrange for someone to take you to the airport and to fetch you or use Uber. This is for your own account.
• Leave your store cards: i.e., Woolworths, Edgars, Foschini, etc. at home as you will not be able to use them on the trip.

Medicine and Jewellery

Keep your chronic medicine in your hand luggage. Please don’t put any jewellery (including costume jewellery) or anything else that is of value (e.g., cameras, laptops) in your check-in bags. All the bags are scanned and if you have any of these in your bag you might tempt others to help themselves to your belongings. It is important to keep medication in your hand luggage as it is not easy to get prescription medication in a foreign country. Please obtain a letter from a doctor if you are diabetic to ensure that you are allowed to take your medication onto the aircraft as part of your hand luggage. 

Check-in Time

For international flights, it is advisable to check in at least three hours before your flight departure time.
Delegates will depart from OR Tambo Johannesburg airport to Vienna via Dubai.

Finding the Right Terminal

As you enter the terminal, there is a big screen in front of you displaying all the departures for the evening. You will be flying with Emirates Airlines. Look for flights to “Dubai” and adjacent to the flight details and destinations you will see the relevant check-in counter numbers.

Queuing Procedure

You may be approached by airline officials or airport security staff who will ask where you are traveling to. They may ask to see your passport and your visa. Please present them with your passport when requested to do so.

Checking in

• Should you miss your flight you’ll need to make the necessary arrangements, for your own account, to join the group.
• Arrive at O R Tambo International Airport three hours before your departure time.
• If you are connecting through another city/town, please ensure you do not miss your flight – it is difficult to book another international flight.
• At check-in, present your passport to the check-in agent.
• It is not necessary to present a copy of your air ticket as your details will be on the system. You will be requested by the check-in staff to place your luggage onto the scale as they need to weigh your bag at check-in.
• Check-in your luggage.
• Your check-in luggage allowance:
• On Emirates Airlines it is two pieces of 23kg each per person in economy class.
• Regional flights only 1 bag per person of 22kg.
• You are allowed 1 hand luggage, per person (to take inside the plane) not exceeding 7kg.
• Airlines are very strict in enforcing this rule, therefore please do not exceed the limit. You will have to pay high extra fees for additional weight and will not receive your boarding pass until you have settled this.
• The check-in agent will present each person with 2 boarding passes (Johannesburg– Dubai and Dubai-Vienna). Luggage stubs will be attached to a boarding pass; DO NOT lose the luggage stubs.
• Before they print your boarding pass, kindly inquire if you are seated next to your partner. If you are not, and they inform you that they cannot move you because it is a group booking, please inform the Travel Team immediately. The Travel Team requested seating as per your registration form, but seating remains at the discretion of the airline.
• If you are a frequent flyer on Emirates, please remember to provide your Skywards number.
• A team member from the Travel Team will be on hand at the check-in counters to assist with the check-in procedures. The Travel Team will endeavour to accommodate every delegate’s seating requirement. Please do understand that we are dependent on the airline to confirm these seating requests.
• On your boarding passes are the flight details, boarding gate, and seat number.
• Keep your passport and boarding pass within easy reach, as you will have to present it a couple of times until you are seated on the aircraft.

• The queues can often look daunting – but usually move relatively fast. Fall in line and move forward until you arrive at the official who will request that you show your boarding pass for it to be scanned.
• At the conveyer belt, please ensure that you put all metal objects (cell phones, coins, watch, etc.) in the luggage bin provided. Remove your jacket/jersey/coat and place it in a luggage bin and onto the conveyor belt.
• Your laptop and tablet must be placed in a separate box. It is best to wait until the official gives you the OK before you proceed through the metal detectors. If the detector picks up any object of interest, an alarm is sounded. The security officials will do a quick manual scan or a body search.
• When flying, please remember that “less is more”. This means less jewellery on your body would make for an easy transition through the security check point.
• DO NOT joke that you have a bomb or a gun in your hand luggage. You will be arrested on the spot. Good advice is always to rather keep your words to a minimum and only speak when spoken to.
• The security official scanning your bag will confiscate any LAGs (liquids, aerosols, or gels) containing more than 100 ml per item. Keep this in mind when buying duty-free goods.
• Once you have cleared security, make sure you don’t leave anything behind in any of the boxes and proceed to immigration.

Proceed Through Immigration

• Fall in line and move patiently until you reach the immigration counters. An official will direct you to an available counter. Often immigration officials are very intimidating, relax and answer any questions they may have.
• Present the official with your passport and boarding pass. They will scan your passport and stamp it.
• Keep an eye on the overhead monitors to check the boarding gate number for your flight. Sometimes these boarding gates are subject to change. Proceed to the boarding gates in good time.

The Boarding Gate

• Have your passport and boarding pass ready.
• A second official will scan your boarding pass and then you are ready to board!