BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Hi all,

I know it's been talked about many times but I can't find a definite answer. Do you know if airlines charge for golf bags (example http://www.amazon.com/Samsonite-Deluxe- ... bag+travel)?

What are the spects (158 cm and 22 kilos).

Thanks!

Depends on the airline - just search your airline and their respective baggage fees..

I use an actual kite bag and most airlines are around $50-75 each way. Really not that much extra considering the total cost of trip and I don't have to lie. :)

Just got dinged $200 by United for my flight to Brazil. Had several trips with this bag before, never got charged. Granted it is a Naish "golf" bag, but the person checking in asked and I didn't lie. Oh well.

Leo

It really depends on airlines and sometimes on the counter that you choose to check-in, but i did many trips with an ion "golf" bag (http://www.ion-products.com/water/men/t ... c-13-golf/) and almost never paid any fee as long as it was my only bag and it was not overweight.
What i usually do is having 2 kites in one bag as a carry-on and board, bar, harness, clothes and 3rd kite in the "golf" bag.

Last trip was to La Ventana with Air Alaska: no fee, same thing when i go snowboarding to Colorado with Frontier Airlines.

Sometimes you will have to pay one way and not the other.

I've been traveling with a 'Golf Bag' for ~10 trips so far (20 flights!) and have yet to be stopped. I have considered a split-board though for the sake of having a less awkward bag.

FYI - United now actually allows fullsize kite-board bags to be checked for $25 if they:
-Weigh less than 50 pounds (23 kg)
-Are less than 62 (158 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H).

Red_Element_Andy wrote:FYI - United now actually allows fullsize kite-board bags to be checked for $25 if they:
-Weigh less than 50 pounds (23 kg)
-Are less than 62 (158 cm) total linear inches (L + W + H).

...but not during United's "Winter Excess Baggage Embargo"! https://www.united.com/web/en-US/conten ... bargo.aspx

More details on their sporting equipment info page https://www.united.com/web/en-US/conten ... ports.aspx. Scroll down to "Kiteboards".

I have checked into about 12+ segments on United with an Ion golf bag and never paid a baggage fee. I have been asked a couple of times what's in the bag and I just point to it and say, it's a golf bag. This is to/from Maui, La Ventana, and to/within Brazil.

I have status on United (and staralliance gold) so that probably helps.

And of course by Murphy's law, after posting this I'm sure I will get charged on the next flight...