LUANDA
I was a bit naughty and hadn't arranged a visa due to the high hassle factor. The timatic info suggested I needed one as I would not be transiting to a 3rd country, but past experience has taught me this wording sometimes is taken literally and sometimes taken to mean no visa for any international transit. Some airlines are rigorous in checking visas while others, Emirates included, are more laid back.
I hoped there would be no issues, but if there were any I was booked on the next flight out and had 3 hours to navigate the transit process, whatever that might be.
So I was slightly apprehensive approaching immigration, and wondering if I'd regret drinking so much on the flight in. Oh well, too late now and I expect it will be okay. Just a nagging doubt that it may not be. Transfers just don't exist here with few airlines serving Luanda and only TAAG providing any sort of network. Would that cause a problem with no onward boarding pass in hand?
Sure enough at immigration I was berated for not having a visa and asked to wait to the side while everyone else was processed. A while later a supervisor showed up and after a lengthy discussion I was escorted to check in to pick up boarding passes and then escorted back through immigration and security. They wanted to make sure I really would be leaving, and I had no problem with that. All this took up nearly 2 hours and so I didn't have much time to use the TAAG lounge, for which I'd received an invite card at check in, before boarding was called.
It wasn't a great transit, but I've had far worse.