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flying with surfboards?

BHSurfer
Explorer C

Everything I find on SW for taking a surfboard is vague.

 

Does anyone have actual experience flying with a surfboard? How long was the bag, did you have 2 boards in there, and did they charge just the $75 each way?

 

Thank you!

7 REPLIES 7

Re: flying with surfboards?

fly
Explorer C

I am also interested in this subject. PDX to SJO (San Jose Costa Rica)

I was thinking of taking the surfboard out to the airport here in Portland to ask them.

Mine is 9'6" (shhhhh, don't tell anyone it's a SUP).

Re: flying with surfboards?

LindseyD
Retired Community Manager

Hi @BHSurfer and @fly,

 

Surfboards are $75.00 per board to check, and they must be transported with the keel removed to prevent damage to other baggage. 

 

Re: flying with surfboards?

ainaraymat
Explorer C

Hi Lindsey,

 

I was wondering when do I have to add the surfoards to the flight, because I haven´t found anything to add them on the process when booking the flight.

 

Thank you!

Re: flying with surfboards?

franktravel
Aviator B

You will pay at the airport.

Re: flying with surfboards?

comish
Explorer C

Hi,

 

Thanks for the answers on the surfboards. No one has for sure clarified if longboards can fly on Southwest. I'm booking a flight to Cabo today and want to bring a 9' longboard bag and need to understand whether it can fly or not.

 

Is the fee per surfboard bag or per board? ie, can I put 2 boards in 1 bag and just be charged once? 

 

I get that you take the fins off, but is there a length limit for surfboards? Anyone taken longboards on Southwest?

 

Thanks!

 

Doug 

Re: flying with surfboards?

LBInjSurfer
Explorer C

I just flew from Newark, NJ to Chicago -Midway and brought with me a 7'6" padded board bag with a 7'2" Al Merrick TufLite board. I had the nose and tail wrapped with 1" foam piping and inside the bag were two wetsuits, booties, mittens, and an inflateable mattress pad underneath my board. After I left the airport via the shuttle to the rental car counter, I opend the bag to find my board sustained major damage in three spots. I can't image what they had to do to my board to create this damage. Two of the areas were covered with the foam piping. This is highly unacceptable considering we pay and extra $75.00 to travel with our boards. Waiting for a Southwest representative to call me back.

Re: flying with surfboards?

comish
Explorer C

I did take my wife's 9' longboard in a 9'6" board bag along with my 7'6" to Cabo. Both boards were in 1 bag and we were charged $75. I put quite both boards in lightweight bags, bubble wrap around the rails, and styrofoam around my glass on bonzer fins and tail and everything was fine there and bag. 

Flew Alaska home and the boards flew for free because we have their Visa card! Definitely a nice Alaska perk!