Traveling with longboards

**kgalb949** · 08-22-2009 03:35 AM

send it to the adress that you are flying to.

**jb_** · 08-22-2009 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by oatmeal

Ughhh FML.
I want to take my chinook back to england with me next week. i'm flying with lufthansa via frankfurt...
i just got off the phone with them to check everything, because i don't wanna get stuck at the airport and not be able to take my board with me. anyway, i have two suitcases already so can't i check my board in, unless i want to pay a $200 extra bag fee. i asked if i could take it on as hand luggage, they asked how big it was, i said around 41', they said no, their overhead compartments are 23', i asked about people with strollers etc because they were often bigger than 23' and the dude said that it was only strollers that could be brought on as special luggage kinda stuff.

what do i do? normally i'd probably risk it at the airport, but i'm moving my life back to england and this is the last hassle i need...

what they said is BS, the compartments might be 23" *deep* but they are definitely much longer than that. I have carried on a 35" pintail no problems, and 41" would be an easy fit too.

Take the trucks/wheels off and pack them in your suitcase. Try to carry on just the deck, you might get away with it. Even if they don't let it on and you have to check it, it's unlikely that they're going to charge you the full bag fee just to check a small piece of wood. If they try to, kick up a fuss because that would be a serious rip off. I've gotten away with 2 bags + deck with no extra charge heaps of times before, this was with Qantas though (when they wouldnt let me carry it on). I could see the US domestic airlines wanting to charge you but the international airlines seem to treat their passengers much better.

**oatmeal** · 08-22-2009 07:57 PM

UPS is going to charge me around $150 to mail it to my address.

And if I can't carry it on as hand luggage and have to check it in the $200 extra bag fee applies

Looks like I'm leaving my longboard in Canada...

**kgalb949** · 08-23-2009 01:05 AM

id try taking it on as carry on. Goin over to europe this year i saw so many people bring guitars and stuff on the plane. the overhead compartments are totally long enough to fit a chinook(sp?) in there. and im sure the people checking you in might not even think about it. idk. kinda a gamble. your choice

**Dervish Nightrider** · 08-25-2009 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tagsrover

whenever i have flown i carry my deck only onboard. act confident, tell them you have done it before, it's always fit (46") and no one ever gives me ####. Just say you have higher authority permission etc. and they will leave you alone.

yes, pull ALPHA right away. Like the Lion tamer in the Circus. If only those Lions knew they were the real Alpha's. Animal is Animal, we determine who is beta, gamma bitch, immediately in our interactions with other humans.

**ATL-IAN** · 09-08-2009 03:32 PM

my friend said he just zip-tied all 3 boards together and asked the flight attendant to put it in the coat check

**Racer128** · 09-08-2009 08:42 PM

ok i havent read the whole thread, but heres a trick bmxers use- golf bags. thats right, golf clubs fly for free, bikes fly for around 200 bucks. if u are ever in doubt, shove ur board in a golf bag, or try this DK "GOLF" BIKE FLIGHT BAG at DANSCOMP im sure you could put 2 or 3 boards in here, and with some foam or a towel in between, they would be completely protected

edit: if u can carry on a gold bag or te one in the link, you can probably fit a lot of other things, like some clothing, in it, and if u have your (1) personal item and the gold bag as a carry on, youre set

**ATL-IAN** · 09-08-2009 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Racer128

ok i havent read the whole thread, but heres a trick bmxers use- golf bags. thats right, golf clubs fly for free, bikes fly for around 200 bucks. if u are ever in doubt, shove ur board in a golf bag, or try this DK "GOLF" BIKE FLIGHT BAG at DANSCOMP im sure you could put 2 or 3 boards in here, and with some foam or a towel in between, they would be completely protected

edit: if u can carry on a gold bag or te one in the link, you can probably fit a lot of other things, like some clothing, in it, and if u have your (1) personal item and the gold bag as a carry on, youre set

would you carry it on or check it??? GREAT idea though for sure

**FlyKneeGrow** · 09-08-2009 11:28 PM

I've taken boards from Austin to Japan and back three times, on United, via San Francisco, with no problems at all and no extra cost. Each time I checked a big rolling Burton snowboarding bag with my snowboarding gear and as many as three longboards (with the trucks removed and stored in locking pockets of the same bag) and I've carried on my 32x8 wefunk each time and simply put it in the overhead storage along with my rolling carry-on... easy, cheesy, Japaneesy.

I've also taken my little wefunk from Tokyo to Taiwan with no problems, storing it in the overhead then too.

YMMV.

**Marleyfan1101** · 09-09-2009 06:04 PM

southwest airlines allows skateboards to be carried on if the wheels are covered and you let it count as your carry on. and security didn't give a damn. the lady at the x-ray booth even asked me if it was a longboard,in the kind of tone that really meant "aw cool, a longboarder, we should skate some time"

**AdmiralButterCrust** · 09-21-2009 11:20 PM

Originally Posted by jb_

Carried on my loaded pintail again, Seattle to LA and back with Alaska airlines. no problems.

I just have the board strapped to my backpack when I go thru security and at the gate, then detach it right before I get on the plane. TSA doesn't care. As said just act like it's something you do all the time and the staff won't hassle you either.

Qantas (at least international) don't let you, even when its the deck only. I've tried 3 times, every time they wrapped it up in plastic and made me check it. domestic might be different but I doubt it.

Really?? Seems like it would be the other way around. Alaska's site says that skateboards must be checked, and basically no sporting equipment is allowed as a carry-on, and Quantas has a ton of stuff bigger than a longboard allowed, but doesn't mention skateboards.

**jb_** · 09-21-2009 11:33 PM

I think most of the airline staff wouldn't have a clue what is on their own company's website... whether the flight is domestic or international seems to be a bigger determining factor

this is going from 3 Qantas trips and 5 Alaska (every time I fly between home and here it's Qantas+Alaska) ,... flown United too with no problems.

in fact the last time (LA to Seattle with Alaskan), there was a guy in front of me with a street deck who got stopped because his carry on bag was too big. I got let thru with my loaded, no hassles

**AdmiralButterCrust** · 09-21-2009 11:48 PM

How much does Quantas charge you to check it?? I should think you would be able to pull some technicality BS out of your ass when you talk to them, since their website doesn't say anything specific about longboards, but allows plenty of much larger items as carry-ons. They shouldn't charge you for something they have no official stance on.

**sAMOa** · 09-21-2009 11:54 PM

Originally Posted by jb_

I think most of the airline staff wouldn't have a clue what is on their own company's website... whether the flight is domestic or international seems to be a bigger determining factor this is going from 3 Qantas trips and 5 Alaska (every time I fly between home and here it's Qantas+Alaska) ,... flown United too with no problems. in fact the last time (LA to Seattle with Alaskan), there was a guy in front of me with a street deck who got stopped because his carry on bag was too big. I got let thru with my loaded, no hassles

I flew northwest last week from san diego to MINN twin cities and then to lower michigan. returned thru detroit, LA and back to San Diego with my SK8Kings Skogging Deck with no problems. A stewy thanked me for arranging my board to the rear of the luggage in the overhead bin with the deck on the side and wheels pointing to the aisles because all the bags were able to load on a very very full flight.

just take some time to help figure where things should go and always leave lots of room so noone bitches! i did get bitched at for riding from the commuter plane from LA to SD. By the time I got to the terminal the security guy caught up to tell me I wasn't supposed to ride it.

. after 12 hours of sitting in planes and airports i was ready to shred!

cYaSK8

**jb_** · 09-21-2009 11:56 PM

they've never charged me. most sporting gear items seem to "count as one bag" but its always been free. probably because a longboard deck is tiny compared with a full-sized bag

**AdmiralButterCrust** · 09-22-2009 12:07 AM

Well I'll prolly have two bags already, counting that as one, would put me at three, which they charge extra for if I'm not mistaken.

**jb_** · 09-22-2009 12:51 AM

no, it was free when i already had 2 bags.

**AdmiralButterCrust** · 09-22-2009 01:15 AM

Oh, sweet, thanks.

**MPoli** · 09-25-2009 06:32 AM

I have been traveling with boards my whole life. Anything over the length of the overhead compartment you have to check. otherwise I bring them right on the plane and stow it upside down.

**kchays** · 09-25-2009 06:38 AM

Poli, how long are the over head bins? Do you happen to know off the top of your head. I am flying from Italy to Us on British Airways soon and plan to carry on my Spliff (31 in). Actually anybody know the answer?