Hi,
Im planning a trip to maybe fiji, tahiti, hawaii or some maybe indo windsurfing paradise.
so was wondering which airlines are pretty good with windsurf kit? As luggage allowance and excess charges are whats gonna determine the destination.
im thinking of taking a 105 board in bag
3 sails, 2 masts and 2 booms (all in kit bag)
in fact i may just have to cut down to one mast and boom thinking about weight!!?
If anyone can recommend airlines theyve carted kit on before and any charges theyve encountered id be stoked.
Many thanks
Nasi
Work out where you want to go then plan. If going to hawaii, just rent gear over there, its only about $300 us per week for board, 2 sails and rigging, and if it doesn't suit just go in and swap for something else. I'd only carry my own gear to hawaii if i was there for more than 2 weeks. if you are keen on your own stuff, qantas don't charge for windsurf / surf gear to or from the americas, you will have to check their baggage allowances to confirm weight and dimensions.
Fiji, i've had a mate carry gear on air pacific, but be careful they have just lowered their baggage limits to 23 kg before you will be charged for excess.
Hope that helps
Fly Qantas, and join the Qantas Club. I fly long-haul with kit occasionally. The Qantas Club gives you an extra 10kg of luggage (technically to 33kg). Of course there is a bit of a buffer as you're now an esteemed customer, so checking in with 35-37kg seems to be ok.
I would def be trying to take one mast and one boom - that'll make things a lot easier.
For reference, an Evil Twin 80, deck plate, mast extension, 385 mast (Ezzy mixed mast) Gaastra Manic 3.7 and 4.2, prolimit boom, shorty, harness and board bag came in at 23kg.
Defeinitely tell them that you're taking a surfboard rather than a windsurfer - they refuse to take windsurfers as the "length of the sail mast is too long"... yet they'll take boards up to 277cm...
Obviously Qantas's experience with windsurfers stems from the 80's.
You might get better luggage allowance flying to Hawaii with them as that's the USA and you get a load more luggage allowance going to the USA than you do anywhere else.
Virgin allow an extra couple of kilos for sporting equipment. All good times with qantas have ended and they flog your for every kilo excess baggage...
Qantas behaves like a discount airline now so no longer it it worth the extra money.
Qantas are changing their luggage rules from December 1. Looks like the party is over.
full break down on this page:
www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/checked-baggage/global/en
In essence though going forward you will only have one piece of luggage included in your ticket. At the moment there is no limit on how many pieces of luggage you have for as long as you don't exceed your allowance.
I am guessing this will mean the sale of double board bags will go up...
Full details below taken from Qantas page:
Note the reference to dimensions and the new restrictions !
Domestic within Australia on Qantas
For tickets issued:
Before 1 December 2010 for travel any time, or from 1 December for travel before 1 June 2011
Allowance
Economy 23kg (50lb)
Business 30kg (66lb)
Qantas Club members, Silver and Gold Frequent Flyers 33kg (72lb) Economy
40kg (88lb) Business
Platinum Frequent Flyers 38kg (83lb) Economy
45kg (99lb) Business
For tickets issued:
From 1 December 2010 for travel from 1 June 2011
Allowance
Economy 1 piece (maximum 23kg)
Business 1 piece (maximum 32kg)
Qantas Club members 1 piece (maximum 32kg) regardless of travel class
Silver and Gold Frequent Flyers 1 piece (maximum 32kg) Economy
2 pieces (maximum 32kg each) Business
Platinum Frequent Flyers 2 pieces (maximum 32kg each) regardless of travel class
Total dimensions of each piece must not exceed 140cm (54in). Dimensions for checked baggage are calculated by adding together the width, height and depth of the piece of baggage.
Note: No single item of checked baggage may exceed 32kg (70lb).
Domestic Travel is defined as travel not combined with any international flights on the same ticket.
yeah but no but yeah but no but yeah but they still list special sports equipment as being ok ie... surf board and windsurf board.
I have a feeling these new rules my have something to do with the new automated checkin and electronic bag tagging Qantas is introducing.
I second the qantas club membership. I just did bris to perth not long back with quiver bag and board bag weighing in at 37kgs. No problem, and super fast check in. Further more my mate who was stung excess luggage about $70 - he pre paid his excess saving $3 /kg, on the bris perth leg. when we returned he checked in with me at Q club - no excess at all. We were travelling under the new regulations domestically - which is one piece per ticket up to 23 kg total. Q club gives you 10 kg more and free beer in the waiting lounge 
Just to set the record straight we do a lot of flying with qantas for work.
We travel with A LOT of gear. Either camera gear and/or wind surfing gear
Last time we flew there were 4 of us in the crew.
2 gold Frequent flyers, 1 silver and 1 bronze.
We were 5 kg over our allotted limit combined and were charged at the full excess luggage rate.
This last occurred just 2 weeks ago.
Normally we would just be waived through no probs.
Up until 6 months ago we could regularly expect to be waived through with an additional 5 - 10 kg each... but not anymore
If you think because windsurfing equipment is considered sporting equipment you will get by... sorry to burst your bubble but the free ride is over !
I do enough flying every year to attain Gold Membership easily and give a pretty good nudge to Platinum.
I am always super polite at check in and know all the tricks of the trade when it comes to traveling with heaps of gear.
Sometimes you get through, sometimes you get charged.
Of late, we get charged every time...
Qantas now weigh sporting equipment at check in and the weight goes towards your overall total.
Be it surf board, golf bag, water ski, tennis rackets or windsurfing equipment.
From December 1 onwards it will all be totaled against your allotted weight for the class of ticket you are traveling under.
If you are over the weight (23kg for economy) you will be charged $10 per kilo over
Any bag over 32kg simply wont be loaded based on OH&S laws that the bag snatchers (baggage handlers) work under.
Even if you paid the additional charge they still wont load it or allow it to go through
I guess the airlines are consistent at being inconsistent....
My wife and I just returned from our honeymoon in Maui and Tahiti. I purchased a sail and 400 rdm in Maui which was about 2m in length. We knew we were going to buy lots of clothes and stuff in Hawaii on the way home so we pre-booked an additional 20kg of baggages weight for the trip home (60kg all up) with Jetstar.
When we rocked up at the Jetstar checking for our flight home we were asked to put our two big bags of luggage on the scales which all up came in at around 53kg. The sail and the mast were all wrapped up in plastic sheeting, and I was asked what it was. I told her it was a sail and a mast. She said no problems and put a sticker on it. It wasn't even weighed....
I guess if it was a board it would be a different story, but I was suprised that it didn't even get a second glance.....
Do Jetstar have a 'USA' type luggage allowance where they allow 2 pieces of up to 32kgs?
Most (all?) of the airlines that fly to the US seem to have this type of allowance and might be a requirement of flying to the US.
Flew Air Asia to bali this year and they were great. I only had surfboards tho and the biggest was a 6,8 
