Travelling with the board

Want to plan a kiting trip? Just got back from one? Post you experiences, questions and information here.
ian89
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Travelling with the board

Post by ian89 » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:13 pm

How can you escape from paying the ridiculous aeroplane fees for the boards?They ask 200$ for my board from USA to Europe and they put it in medium windsurfing equipment eventough its 136 cm and less than that windsurfing crap.I am pissed off,any suggestions ? :shock:

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Travelling with the board

Post by keithdkd » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:24 pm

Google "kitesurf golf bag". Don't have one myself but have heard this is the way to do it.

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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by adamrod » Tue Aug 23, 2011 1:59 pm

golf bags are good, but I've found a Dakine snowboard bag (the big ones) to be better.

most of the kite golf bags are so big that the gate agents don't believe it's actually a golf bag, and the bag is so big, you can't even fill it and stay under the 50 lb limit.

snowboard bag is smaller, lighter, cheaper, and still will fit 2 kiteboards and 2-3 kites. and honestly? it's easier for me to pass as a snowboarder than a golfer.
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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by WindMuch » Tue Aug 23, 2011 2:24 pm

There was a bit of discussion on this topic last winter:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=9097&hilit=+la+ventana#p60906

Specifically:

I think it's a bit of a crap shoot as to whether they charge you for certain bags or not. Some counter people seem to care more than others about charging extra for large/oversize or surfboard-y shaped bags.

When I flew to La Ventana in November, my flights were from SFO to LA and then on to La Paz. The flight from SFO to LA was on American and from LA to La Paz was with Horizon.

When I checked my bags with American in SFO, I was with a buddy and we had two personal/clothing bags and two kiting bags. One was a golf bag and the other a Mystic two-board twin-tip bag. When we walked up to the counter, the woman looked at our kite bags and said "What do we have here, some surf boards?"

As I put my golf bag on the scale, I replied "This one says 'Pro Golf' on it." No un-truth there, right? Plus, I did put a 9-Iron inside, just in case anyone wanted to check!

"OK, no problem and that one?" (pointing to the twin-tip bag)
"That one has some parachutes inside." I said. Heck, kites look (and act) pretty much like parachutes, right? And since there isn't a 'board' component to parachuting, I figured it was a safe thing to say, given their tendency to charge for anything 'boardy'.
"OK, great." she said.

She didn't charge us for ANY of our bags as she said "the computer doesn't seem to think I need to collect anything for your bags since your connecting flight is with Horizon." I didn't argue!

I think it really shows it's a bit about luck, who you're dealing with and how you 'phrase' things...

Kirk out

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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by MehYam » Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:17 pm

WindMuch wrote:As I put my golf bag on the scale, I replied "This one says 'Pro Golf' on it." No un-truth there, right? Plus, I did put a 9-Iron inside, just in case anyone wanted to check!
fyi you can buy grandpa's old golf equipment at a Goodwill, for like $2-3 a club.

I like the snowboard bag idea tho, might try that one too.

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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by chrisFS » Tue Aug 23, 2011 3:39 pm

I am using this bag from dakine.

http://www.dakine.com/p/kite/kite-bags/outlaw-bag


Probably close to 30 trips (international as well) without paying so far. If asked, its golf gear.

Its a big bagpack. no rolls, no extra weight. A pain in the butt on the back, but so much better then hauling those huge pseudo golf bags around.
fits 2 twintips, and 2-3 kites depending if you put harness and wet suite in as well.
Fits on the back seat of a small rental. Very close call, but always worked so far (to the surprise of the rental guy, who always tries to tell me I have to upgrade my car for that sucker)

I seriously love that thing! I am on my second one, since I wore one out after 3 years or so

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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by kingfisher » Tue Aug 23, 2011 6:39 pm

So do they charge less for a snowboard bag?

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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by kitenaked » Tue Aug 23, 2011 9:03 pm

Got charged $40 total for clothing bag and mystic board roller bag to maui. Each way.

Was expecting it to be a lot more.

:)
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Re: Travelling with the board

Post by tomerp » Wed Aug 24, 2011 5:48 am

ian89 wrote:How can you escape from paying the ridiculous aeroplane fees for the boards?They ask 200$ for my board from USA to Europe and they put it in medium windsurfing equipment eventough its 136 cm and less than that windsurfing crap.I am pissed off,any suggestions ? :shock:
The "Golf" kite board bags work sometimes and sometimes not. Luck is needed too (depending on agents mood, airline constantly changing policy etc.) you just never know. Always be prepared to pay something, and if you dont - you lucked out.

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Post by tgautier » Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:52 am

IMO Kirk you're a good guy - and "telling the truth" is admirable - but there's nothing honest about the airlines bag policies.

The only reason they don't charge golfers is because they know they can get away with it - golfers are old and rich and make up a huge part of their revenue.

Surfers do not make up a significant part of revenue so they screw us because they can. For that I would say they do not deserve decency or honesty. Screw em back with their own hypocrisy.

TL;DR - Get a good golf bag and when asked - if asked - yes - it's Golf equipment! ;)

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