It begins...my travels around the world that is. My first flight of the tour is taking me to Kingsport, Tennessee to run some clinics for my boys at CBK Watersports and already I’m experiencing some of the stresses involved with travel. Thanks to an incredibly inefficient security system and a whole bunch of tourists who probably burned through four months’ salary on their annual trip to see Mickey Mouse, I almost didn’t make it to the gate on time and I was at the airport an hour and a half before my departure. Luckily for me the air-conditioning on my plane was experiencing some difficulties and caused a flight delay. These are all minor things that only give the trip a little more "character" and, at the same time, test your patience.
 
On a positive note, I had no issues with checking my bags (thank you Allegiant Airlines), but Ill inevitably be dealing with that in the future. It really is a shame that every time a wakeboarder goes to the airport he or she has to worry about being charged an absurd amount of money to travel with his or her board. In some cases, it can be over $100...each way! We could possibly spend less money by purchasing a used board at our destination, ride it for the duration of the trip and leave it behind when we are finished. I even know somebody who was so fed up with paying the extra baggage fees that when they told him his board was going to cost him an extra $100, he took the bindings off and left his board at the airport. Gotta love being persecuted for wakeboarding.
 
Honestly, what are we actually paying for? There is no difference in moving my wakeboard bag onto the plane than any other bag. With the way that these Disney tourists travel, I think that my bag may be easier to transport than theirs. The airlines would probably tell you that they have to charge more because of the extra fuel costs due to heavy baggage. But, what about the person sitting next to you on the plane that weighs 200 lbs more than you do? Do they charge him more? Golf clubs always seem to travel for free. It’s probably safe to assume that the CEO's of the airlines and all of their friends are golfers. Skis and snowboards typically don’t incur any extra costs either. So why should we?
 
Below is a list of some of the most popular airlines in the U.S. as well as what they are charging for wakeboards. Keep in mind that these rules change all the time, so you should always double check with the airline.
 
I’ve also included a list of items that don’t have any extra fees for those of you who don’t have any moral objection to avoiding unnecessary travel costs. Just remember that if you say you’re carrying golf clubs and they ask you to open your bag you are busted. That being said, there are several wake manufacturers, such as Liquid Force and Ronix, that market wakeboard travel bags that look like golf bags. Using one of these may avoid any questions at all at the counter, thus absolving you of any moral dilemma at all!
 
No matter how you want to handle the check in situation, there are a couple things that seem to work well for me. Always be polite...they are in charge of your bags and you want to make sure they make it to your destination. Be knowledgeable, but appear to be somewhat inexperienced with traveling (even if you travel all of the time) and make it seem like the people at the counter are really helping you out. They will feel better about themselves and will be less likely to take advantage of you. Most importantly, try to get a middle-aged woman to check you in. They are typically much nicer and more lenient with the airline policies.*
 
Good luck and safe travels.
 
* This may only work for younger males with whom the woman makes a motherly connection. If you are a female, try to find a guy to check you in and do what you do best...flirt.

* Fees applicable when you pay them online. These could be more if you wait to pay them at the airport.