Paying surfboard baggage
fees sucks!
Welcome to the 2014 Airline Surfboard Boardbag Fee Guide For Surfers.
Every year we contact all the airlines and find out how much they are going to charge us for taking along our sleds to far-away destinations.
We do this as a service to you, the traveling surfer. Most of the following airlines include a surfboard as part of your regular bag allowance and let that sled fly for
FREE:
Virgin (Europe)
Interjet (Mexico)
Quantas (Australia)
Singapore (Asia)
South Africa (duh)
Air New Zealand
Qatar Airways (New 2014)
There are a few airlines that charge a nominal fee for your boardbag, I don’t mind paying that . . . free is better but nominal is almost as good. I have been flying Alaska to Cabo for the last few years and they charge between $30-$70 for a stuffed to the rim boardbag, thank you Alaska Airlines for keeping it real.
The following is the list of ‘you suck’ airlines and charge over $100 each way:
American
Cathay Pacific
Continental
Hawaii Air
Lan
TACA
United
The following is the list of ‘dude, crazy money’ airlines and charge over $150 each way:
Japan Air
Delta
Iberia
Lufthansa
US Air
Northwest
The following is the list for surfers that have ‘daddy warbucks money’. Unfortunately I’ve been caught by both Swiss Air and Thai Air personally. On Thai Air I had three boards in my bag coming back from Bali ($150 x 3) and they charged me some ridiculous tax on top of the $450. Can you imagine? I will NEVER fly Thai Air again and I hope that this list will prevent you from getting caught with your pants down.
Alitalia $260
Swiss Air $250
Thai Air $150 Per Board (yes, they open the bag and count)
United $200
All Nippon $300
