VANCOUVER ISLAND WINDTALK

I am curious to know people's experience in travelling with kite gear.

Alaska air has a policy of charging an extra $50 for surfboard bags or other oversize. Golf bags are an exclusion...no charge. Kite gear is not specified. ...so in a grey area.

Does it pass as golf gear just by shape of the bag? If questioned would having one golf club mean you are not lying?

I have got through once no fee. What have others found?

I'd also be interested in real world experience as well, been reading up on it alot. From what I gather a lot seems like luck on who is working the desk.

For the flights i've been looking into for Nicaragua its only American & United that seem to fly there, and they charge $150-200 each way for a surfboard >:[, same airlines to brazil the surcharge is 37.50.

Alaska is the most relaxed/cheapest, and a bunch of the others (like AA & United) have a big list and different sporting goods that carry different surcharges.

I don't recall which one I was reading their baggage policy, but one of them windsurfers with mast/boom/sail the surcharge was less than for a sub 6'6 surfboard

I have "golf" bag I'm taking on my trip, but it will have my kites/board/flyfishing gear/clothes in one bag, and a surfboard in another. So it will be interesting to see how hard I get hammered (trying to figure out if a grouping of flights that starts with Alaska will have their surcharge cover me for all legs)

Get a golf bag and say it is golf gear when you pay. They check through it at security after you have paid so they don't care. They are trying to overcharge you any chance they get so I have no problem lying to them.

Flying to Mexico on Alaska I had a golf bag as my one piece of checked luggage and didn't get charged.

Flying to Maui on Westjet same deal - my golf bag was my one checked bag and I didn't get charged. The agent asked me to "put my clubs on the scale."

Flying to Fiji on Fiji Air I got nailed for $150 extra baggage fee each way. It didn't matter what it was though, just that I had two checked bags when they only allowed one for free. My extra baggage fee took me all the way, ie I didn't have to pay it again when I switched airlines on my connections.

For all of these flights the agent never asked what was in the bag, and I made sure it was always less than 50 lbs.

I have a bag that is golf style, but a little bigger. Wonder if those "deceiver" bags might be worth the extra....if it saves $150 return in fees, would pay for itself in 1 trip!

The other side of this being, if I am going to get charged oversize, then I'd just bring my surfboard bag and be done with it.

I didn't end up bringing a board on my San Fran trip, got kite into a suitcase. Asked the check-in gal if she'd have charged me...she said "golf no problem", I asked if she would have looked in bag and she said no. I asked directly about kite gear, as not listed in there policies, she said "I guess it depends on who you get at the counter". That's the way it used to be for surfboard, was a random spin of the wheel of fortune whether you get charged full price, something less, not at all, or have them refuse to even allow boards at all!

I have the Deceiver, so it looks like a golf bag. Not sure if you could get away with a similar shaped bag and tell them it's clubs...

juandesooka wrote:The other side of this being, if I am going to get charged oversize, then I'd just bring my surfboard bag and be done with it.
I asked if she would have looked in bag and she said no.

Alaska only charges for either oversize OR overweight with windsurf gear, not sure about kite but should be the same you would think.
They however always DO look in the bag when the customs/security guys come by in Maui returning, they swab the interior. Out of Vic they just use the scanner and are separate from the agents. Sometimes with you there, sometimes not. That can be embarrassing when you lied to them about the "clubs". I think not volunteering too much info but not lying to them is probably a good compromise. You could use a hockey stick sticking out too, hockey gear is free and the bags can be bigger

Alaska is appreciated because of how clear and straight up they are in publishing their policies:
http://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel ... pment.aspx

In the bad old days, the uncertainty led to stress....as ticket agent could randomly let you go or screw you over royally (years ago, on a 6 person month-long surfing trip to samoa, the counter person simply refused to allow our surfboards on the plane...an hour of hassling, they let them on for $100 per board...and only charged half the group in the end...bizarre)

From Alaska's policy, the only exception to the size rule is golf. The other stated exceptions, for hockey and windsurfing, include counting multiple items under one fee. However, regardless of policy, the counter person has discretion not to charge you ... so smile big and suck up, you never know.

For kiters travelling without a surfboard....I think the "golf bag" option is the best bet. I am going to find one that says "GOLF" on the side. And I have read about all kinds of tips and tricks....wrap kites around your board, then clothes around kites, throw in a few clubs on top....when asked, you can say "golf gear, clothes, and other stuff", and still pass a lie detector.

i've got the Naish "Golf" Bag. It says Naish Golf on the outside. Its a beauty on wheels. Carries ample gear and i've found that to be the only problem. It doesn't take long to make a bag like that over weight. Usually wear a couple extra layers on the flight and carry a good carry on and a computer bag. Seems to have worked so far.

Got to give my Mystic 145 Golf bag again, no surcharges to belize or back, with Tropic Air or Delta Airlines, just the same $25 first bag charge that my girlfriend with a small duffle bag paid.

just flew from nanaimo to cuba and back on air canada and had no problems with my " golf " bag . I just stood there being REALLY quiet and it went right on by. The angry lady in montreal asked for my receipt for oversize and I just informed her that i had taken 4 flights without any extra fees . Away I went.