Flying with Sports Equipment? Here's What You Need to Know
Flying with sports equipment entails strategic packing and sufficient knowledge of airline rules. Whether you’re out to get the perfect golf holiday or planning to surf the waves of Hawaii, keep these following things in mind.
Size Matters, and So Does Weight
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) posted a list of sports gear you can bring in your carry-on, saving you the hassle of checking luggage. The list includes most sports balls, such as bowling balls and footballs, shoes and boots, boxing gloves, racquets, and a lot more. TSA also enumerated the equipment that are only permitted in checked baggage, including golf clubs, bats, rowing paddles, and surfboards, among others.
Every airline has its set of size and weight requirements for sports equipment. But typically, you can check a bag of up to 50 pounds, plus a combined size of 62 inches before incurring additional fees. You don’t have anything to worry about if your gear is well within those limits.
Some carriers impose fees for sports equipment outright whereas others charge the fees in addition to the usual checked baggage fees.
Recently, American Airlines slashed their oversize bag fees for sports equipment. The airline no longer charges an additional $150 to check one oversize item (e.g., surfboard, snowboard, and skis). You only have to pay the rate of the standard first bag, which is $30, as long as the total weight doesn’t exceed 50 lbs.
Virgin is another popular option for traveling with sports equipment. The airline lets you check one piece of equipment for free, on top of your baggage allowance, as long as it’s less than 23 kilos.
American Airlines and Virgin have lenient rules for sports gears, but other airlines have more complicated restrictions. Some even use different sets of rules for each sport.
Golf
It’s easy to fly with golf equipment since these are relatively light and aren’t bulky. But some carriers have quirky rules, such as a limit in the number of golf balls you can have in the bag. For instance, JetBlue only allows three balls, 14 golf clubs, and one pair of golf shoes. The 14 golf clubs may include swing trainers like the Swing Caddy Pro.
Remember to protect your clubs with head covers. Also, it’s better to use a hard-sided golf bag to absorb impact from being thrown around. Most carriers accept soft-sided bags, but they won’t be liable for any damage to the bag or the contents.
Skis and Snowboards
Many airlines are lenient when it comes to flying with skis or snowboards. For example, Delta recently waived the $150 fee for specialty sports bags carrying a surfboard.
On the other hand, United Airlines accepts two pairs of skis or two snowboards in one bag plus a boot bag. The ski bag and boot bag shouldn’t exceed 50 lbs. in total. Otherwise, you’ll pay for overweight charges.
Surfboards
Unfortunately, carriers aren’t as permissive about checking surfboards, and most charge extra. United Airlines doesn’t accept surfboards, waterboards, and board bags that exceed 115 linear inches. Your surfing equipment must also not weigh more than 99.9 lbs. But the airline waived all oversize baggage fees for surfboards for those traveling to and from California. Travelers with a connecting flight in California aren’t eligible.
The bottom line is flying with sports gear doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Pack only the equipment you need and review your choices. Compare each airline’s rules for the gear you’re bringing to see which option is the most cost-efficient. Take advantage of your airline elite status, if you have it, and ask if they can waive sports gear fees for you.
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