BayAreaKiteboarding.com

Hi all,

I just got back from Maui, and the trip was great. Only minus was that as I was leaving I got charged for my kitesurfing gear. I've travelled all over the place with it and never got charged. I always use my DaKine snowboard bag for everything. The only place I ever have trouble is leaving Maui.

Ironically, my girlfriend travelling with the Best golf bag did not get charged.

So I guess I just wanted to vent a little bit. In my opinion this is an obvious discrimination against kiters. I mean everytime I've travelled as a snowboarder with the same bag I have never had any trouble. Golfers never have any trouble sending a big bag. So why is it that kiting gear deserves to get charged?

When I asked the guy at the counter he said it is not the size they charge for, but the contents of the bag. Well I said I could have a friggin Monet in my other bag and you said nothing about it.

My concern is that the only reason this happens to me leaving Maui is because the airline officials are acutely aware of kiting. They see it as another way to bring in some money.

I DON'T LIKE TO BE EXPLOITED!!!!!

If this happens in Maui soon it will happen in Baja (my other favorite destination) and soon around the world. I do not want this to become standard practice for airlines just because they can get away with it. So please post your experiences with this so I can get an idea of how widespread the problem is.

There must be a way that all of us as kiters can petition the airlines or call the better-business-bureau or something the stop this from happening. Boycotts?

I am not unreasonable either, being charged for extra weight or size is fine, but if you get charged for your contents that is discrimination.

THE RULES MUST BE CHANGED

Please post thoughts..............

ramsey

Dude, get the NSI deciever bag.
http://www.live2kite.com/product_info.p ... dbd1b33334

I have had mine for 3 years now and never been charged.
It looks like a golf bag which airlines do not charge for basically because they will go out of business.

147 is too short for my light wind board. The snow board bag is just fine and I had luck with it so far. Just forget it and continue travel ... G

All you have to do is get some sort of patch that says "GOLF" on it swen to your snowboard bag or what ever bag you use for your kiteboards.

bryan

thanks guys for the replies. I was really just venting. I understand if you have golf written on the bag you get away with it.

Sucks that you've gotta act like a golfer though, and its stupid that the only place I've been harrassed is Maui. That's like going to Colorado and getting charged for a snowboard bag.

Well, take your bag and spray GOLF on it. :)

Sorry to hear that you got charged. I just flew back yesterday too. I was on United and I didn't get charged. They questioned me about it a couple of trips ago trying to charge me extra and I just told them it was a wakeboard and they said no problem.

Anyway I had a good trip too, but I didn't get too much kiting in. I was over on the west side at Embasy Suites and it was nuking over there all week. I only made it out a couple of days totally lit on my 10 m. All the locals were on 5-9 meter kites. The local kiters over there are way cool even at the sketchy places on west maui so don't be afraid to ask for tips or help from them.

some airlines seem to be more relax about the excess baggage/recreational equipment rules than others. having frequent flier status helps too. i've traveled with a regular kiteboard bag on several airlines before without being hassled. delta, deep in the red, was the only airline that made me pay (the counter person even took out a measuring tape and quoted the manual). <shrug> lobby the congress...

You guys are just catching the tail end of the exploitation of surfers that has gone on for years. I bet if you said it was kite surfing gear as opposed to kite boarding gear you'd get charged every time. I got charged $100 each way to costa rica by contenential for my 12 pound 6'2'' surfboard. To add insult to injury some golfer checked in next to me with a golf bag the same size and weighing in at 30 pounds for free. It won't be long before we always get charged for kiteboarding gear> Bottom line, they know you are a captive audience without enough market share for adequate leverage....Love the golf bag idea i'm getting one as soon as I plan a trip.

dpca10 --- That's exactly my point. There's gotta be enough surfer's/kitesurfers out there that can have some pull with the airlines.