depends on the airline. many airlines, no. make you sure you call it a boogie board, or they wont know what you are talking bout.
Southwest Airlines charged me coming back from california but not going there. I argued with the woman and she said, "well i can charge you for both ways if you'd like" shut me up real good. Generally, airlines will charge if you're bag is overweight. Also, the smaller regional airlines in Mexico and Panama charge for bags. Check under baggage policies on a airline's webiste for their policy. In short, i always fly continental and have yet to be charged for my bodyboard.
Continental charges for luggage, $15 for 1st bag, $25 for 2nd bag. SWA does not charge for the first two bags of luggage and boogie boards count as a checked baggage item (unless the policy changed in the last two months). Overweight fees apply.
unless the bag is oversized (depends on how much crap you pack in)...in which case you get charged with a fee. http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Southwest_Airlines/baggage.php And continental doesn't charge if you are a onepass member.
im curious what type of board bag are you caring it in? ive been debating a trip to pr or something and im sketched out if i need one of those hardshell coffins or what. not exactly trying to have a puncture through my board or a suitcase indent on my deck
Believe it or not, boards can get banged up in those hardshell coffins if not packed properly and if the handlers are apes. The hard shells will certainly drive baggage fees because of their size and bulk and they also use up a lot of space on top of or in your vehicles. Just imagine traveling with two persons using hard shell coffins! Some airlines may not even accept hard shell coffins anymore when you start hitting the 8' size and larger (those linear inches start adding up very quickly).
for a bodyboard you generally dont have to worry about it getting messed up. Can it happen, sure, but if you have a couple boards in there and a decent board bag, you should be fine. check ebodyboarding for bodyboard bags.
I am using the ebodyboarding bag that has wheels. I've used it twice and it now has a tear in it. not sure if it was from baggage handlers or just typical wear. I've also used the shoulder strap bags for traveling, which have served me well but are tough on the back when you pack 2 weeks worth of clothing, in addition to wetsuits, fins, etc. When i pack I generally stuff towels near the rails and cover the deck with my clothes. Granted everything does shift in transit and on the plane. If you are super paranoid you could tape bubble wrap around your board(s)...
good point. here are the restrictions for continental: http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/baggage/checkbag.aspx I may have paid full price for my ticket, which is why i wasn't charged a fee.
i took a trip out to cali wit my ebodyboarding bag as well and it returned to the east coast with multiple rips in it...
