Airline

Got charged $95 one way for Nicola's wakeboard by Continental Airlines tonite. The same airline that charged me $300 about 4 years ago when we flew out of London. The women at the counter had a seemingly endless list of sporting equipment and the rip off charges that go with them. Continental seem to have declared war on anyone who has the temerity to indulge in sport. To be avoided.

Anyone flown United with their board lately? I'm flying to TSR next month. I'm just wondering what to expect. I'm gonna try the whole "they are ski's" thing but I'm not sure if it will work. Will they actually open up my board bag to verify whether or not its a wakeboard?

Flew with AA and they didn't charge anything for the board. You can normally see the airlines luggage policies online.

Flew United out of Dallas last weekend, didnt charge for the wakeboard bag but $25 for the 2nd bag.

I fly Continental every week. I have a soft sided board bag from Ambush for my wakeboard. I stuff it with clothes and everything else to. When asked whats in it - I say clothes, and thats not a lie.
IMO sometimes you gotta pocket the ego - I understand that saying "its a wakeboard" sounds cooler than " its clothes and stuff", but if it saves you money...

This is not about being cool. Hell most of them don't know what a wakeboard is.

The airlines are changing daily on what they are charging and who gets the charge. Most airlines are now charging some kind of fees for checked baggage. You have to go to their website and read the new rules. USAir waves the fee for frequent fliers. It varies considerably and you have to be creative.

I have had to reduce the check in bag to under 50 lbs. and put more stuff in my cary on. You usually get to carry on one piece of luggage plus a personal bag like a laptop or purse. Be creative- take big bag that fits under the seat in front of you plus 1 that fits in overhead. Try to get on board early before the overhead fills up. Even if it does fill up the attendant will check your cary on bag and you have to pick it up at the baggage carousel but there is no extra cost.

Isn't flying fun?

"most of them don't know what a wakeboard is"

Then label it as a trick ski, which I believe is still FREE!

AirTran is now charging by the length. Which I haven't seen before. My bag only wieghed about 20 pounds but was over the length and I got charged extra, only 20 bucks, but still extra

can you really blame them oil is 134 dollars a barrel and are losing thier arse. its been said the that a thousand punds extra is in the 10's of thousands for fuel depending on distance of flight. You may not think it matters but the total weight is being cut big time by airlines to save money. I would rather you pay a surcharge for your wakeboard or golf clubs than me or someone else with just clothes that weighs 20 lbs less pay 95 dollars more each way for my fare.

We just checked in in Atlana and they didn't even ask what the bag was. The new (June 1st) Delta policy says $80 for sports equipment over 60" linear.

{"its been said the that a thousand punds extra is in the 10's of thousands for fuel depending on distance of flight...I would rather you pay a surcharge for your wakeboard or golf clubs than me or someone else with just clothes that weighs 20 lbs less pay 95 dollars more each way for my fare."}
Hey maybe they could just start charging by the total weight (person + baggage), just like they do for shipping packages. I could probably get some killer deals between my 140lb self, 20 lb board, and 20lbs of clothes. Sucks for the overweight golfer though.

jb, i agree with that, its not that fair i have to pay extra for my 20 pound bag when someone sitting next to me weighs 300 pounds. its not discriminating, its just fact that more weight causes the plane to work harder

It varies tremendously. American is even charging now for the first bag!

We recently flew to Europe with our bicycles. We've never been charged before, but this time we got charged $250 each way per bike. We flew to the Bay Area with our bikes a few weeks ago and didn't get charged anything. Go figure.

Airlines don't usually charge for golf clubs -- they don't want to piss golfers off, who tend to be businesspeople who pay the highest fares when traveling for business. But if it's a wakeboard bag, almost the same size and lighter, they're more likely to charge.

I saw somewhere a board bag designed to look like a golf bag. I assume golf bags will soon start being charged also.

Continental have been doing it for years. It has nothing to do with the price of oil

anyone fly southwest or AA and know if they charge?

slingshot makes that golf bag that's a board bag

Under 50lbs and 63 inches with AA is free

Just called southwest, bag cannot exceed 50lbs. or 62in. if it does it's 50.00 charge.

There are rumors that airlines may weigh passengers to determine fare prices. One CEO responded to the comment " at this point we are not ruling out anything".

Some airlines offer great prices on tickets to Europe. On closer inspection you see a $270 charge for 'fuel surcharge'?? Like getting a sweet deal on a car and then finding out it does not include the wheels

JUST HEARD LAST NIGHT THAT SOME AIRLINES ARE CHARGING OVERWEIGHT, OR BIGGER PEOPLE, EXTRA TO FLY BECAUSE, WELL, THEY WEIGH MORE...

I HAVE A SIMILAR POLICY IN MY BOAT..IF YOU ARE A FATAZZ YOU DON'T HAVE TO PITCH FOR GAS AND YOU GET FREE LUNCH... ALL ABOARD!!

Flew from WA to FL in December with my wakeboard in a hardcase and told them it was a snowboard. All the people at check-in were unbelievable cool and just went along with it. I had my wakeboard, helmet, some shoes, vest, etc and it was exactly 50 lbs.

i like your thinking jb,

A lot of helicopter tours charge extra for an overweight/obese person so why not extrapolate that to the air lines... there is no difference really

charges like this will do more to solve America's obesity problem than the stupid food guide pyramid ;)

They already tried to charge for an extra seat for overweight people, since they take up 2 seats.
I believe Southwest Airlines was the only one reported for doing just that.
But the discrimination card was played and you really don't hear about it anymore

I really haven't seen that many oversized people on my flights home and I live Orlando.

Why is it discrimination if you are MASSIVELY overweight and paying more but not if you are charged for doing sport? When Nicola flew to Texas she sat next to a clinically obese woman who took up half of Nicola's chair as well. And we are the ones paying extra because we have sporting equipment. Go figure

I wish they would charge by bodyweight for that very reason. I also say that about healthcare.