Traveling with longboards

**slayer9019** · 07-18-2009 10:36 PM

Complied information about traveling with longboards on airplanes. Nothing fancy just thought I'd share the info as I am traveling to Ireland with my board come december.

Virgin America
No real rules regarding longboards. Could be classified under surfboard.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/sports.aspx

Lufthansa
No real rules regarding longboards. Could be classified under surfboard.
Lufthansa - Excess and special baggage

Air Canada
Have a section regarding speedboards specifically and have a seperate specification for skateboards as well. AWESOME!
aircanada.com - Travel Info - Sports Equipment

US Airways
No real rules regarding longboards. Could be classified under surfboard.
US Airways | Special items

Air France
No real rules regarding longboards. Could be classified under surfboard.

**SaveGas** · 07-18-2009 10:47 PM

For those who like to travel cheap...

Southwest Airlines:
http://southwest.com/travel_center/s...equipment.html

**slayer9019** · 07-18-2009 10:55 PM

Originally Posted by SaveGas

For those who like to travel cheap...

Southwest Airlines:
Southwest Airlines Travel Policies - Sports Equipment

see my post...
i reviewed biased toward international travel, because im going to ireland this winter.

**Tagsrover** · 07-18-2009 11:06 PM

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.

**bakersfield90** · 07-18-2009 11:16 PM

I'm flying out with my 40" speedboard on monday on frontier airlines.
Would you guys advise to pack the trucks and wheels and just carry the deck on?

Edit: Also I'm looking at frontier's website and it says one carryon item per person.
Would I be able to get away with a backpack and my deck?

**Tagsrover** · 07-18-2009 11:46 PM

Originally Posted by bakersfield90

I'm flying out with my 40" speedboard on monday on frontier airlines.
Would you guys advise to pack the trucks and wheels and just carry the deck on?

Edit: Also I'm looking at frontier's website and it says one carryon item per person.
Would I be able to get away with a backpack and my deck?

carry deck only

the backpack should count as a "personal item" (like how a girl can have a purse) and then your longboard is your item, it's worked for me everytime

**bakersfield90** · 07-18-2009 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by Tagsrover

carry deck only

the backpack should count as a "personal item" (like how a girl can have a purse) and then your longboard is your item, it's worked for me everytime

That sounds like a good plan.
+

**Qoose** · 07-19-2009 12:36 AM

What about taking your deck as a personal item and a full sized carry on bag? Anyone try to swing it that way?

**chungmaster** · 07-19-2009 12:43 AM

would a fullface count as anything? It doesnt really fit in my luggage.

**Tagsrover** · 07-19-2009 09:19 AM

I've always just told the front desk security that i have permission to gate check it, that i've always gate checked it etc.

Basically just lie to everyone and tell them that you do whatever you are doing all the time and that you called and spoke to management and that they gave you permission. The key is to act confidently and everything should be fine.

If worse comes to worse just tell everyone that you are going to gate check your board (like people do with strollers and wheelchairs and stuff) they should let you get all the way to the gate, and then you tell the gate person that it goes in the overhead, but ask her for a gate check slip just in case, then carry it onto the plane and store it in the overhead. Shouldn't be a problem.

**Super Carp** · 07-19-2009 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Tagsrover

Basically just lie to everyone and tell them that you do whatever you are doing all the time and that you called and spoke to management and that they gave you permission. The key is to act confidently and everything should be fine.

Was this before September 11, 2001? Airport security reports to the federal government, not airline management. Good on you if you can get it through consistently, but at major airports it might be tough to convince them.

**Ogre** · 07-19-2009 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by chungmaster

would a fullface count as anything? It doesnt really fit in my luggage.

wear it and claim to have had recent brain surgery

**Tagsrover** · 07-19-2009 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by Super Carp

Was this before September 11, 2001? Airport security reports to the federal government, not airline management. Good on you if you can get it through consistently, but at major airports it might be tough to convince them.

small airports (like Tallahassee) and major airports (indianapolis, atlanta, etc.) and yes this was last year.

You are allowed to gate checks large more fragile items (guitars, didgeridoo, etc.)

if you don't want to try my method your alternative is packing it in a bag/snowboard bag, which is an extra 100 dollars to check, or ship it using fedex or whatever if you have an address

**boarderaholic** · 07-19-2009 02:11 PM

Blat. If you guys have more info for other airlines, post up!

**Wendler** · 07-19-2009 02:49 PM

They wanted to charge me $100 to take mine from Arizona to Argentina, via American Airlines.

/Sadface

**Valtam** · 07-22-2009 02:13 PM

I went to DC maybe two years ago for a wedding and brought my 42in highland, never thought to take it on the plane though. It made me kinda worried to check it but I just put the board in the middle of a gigantic duffel bag surrounded by clothes to protect it, went there fine and came back fine.

to wendler: what kind of board were you trying taking? not sure what airline I took (I thought it was american) but because it was in my bag it was all gravy, no one even knew it was in there.

I guess I don't understand why you would even tell them you were taking a board, wood is tough and any board I have can fit inside of my gigantic duffel bag bought at an army navy store for like 20 bucks...except of course for the five foot LBL OSD.

**stringtheory** · 07-22-2009 02:23 PM

Good list. Keep in mind though, the rules change when coming back some times. Just because you could carry on from the U.S., doesn't mean you can carry back. European airports have their own rules.

Had that happen to me in Amsterdam last fall at Schiphol airport. But they were nice and gave me some plastic bags to throw my boards in before I checked them.
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**chungmaster** · 07-22-2009 03:57 PM

I'm gonna bring my complete on the plane tmrw and see how it goes. I'll let ya guys know what happens. I'm flying United btw so we'll see.

**Pleinair** · 07-26-2009 12:39 PM

Make sure you tell the officials that you're going to "bomb some hills" with your board, and they'll let you through.

**entereidolon** · 07-26-2009 01:32 PM

Yes, about time this got sticky'd.

Mid July: Southwest from Seattle to Oakland to LA, no probs carrying on a Hellcat deck along with my backpack. Threw it up in the overhead bins, though it almost smacked a lady falling out when a guy opened the compartment.

Last winter: EVA Air from LAX to Japan, no probs carrying a Dervish complete. Japan to Taiwan, made me check it, but they bubble wrapped it for me(!)
Taiwan to LAX, no probs carrying on.

TSA doesn't seem to care about boards, their site doesn't have anything that says they're prohibited either, the limiting factor seems to be the airlines. The x-ray lady even asked me where the wheels were, haha.