So I'm flying into Lisbon Portugal this April and surfing supertubes. Right now the cheapest flights are from delta. Does anyone have any knowledge about flying with surfboards on this airline? I know it really just depends on the day if my boards will get damaged or not but can I expect they won't be destroyed like john john florences boards by jet blue?
Have flown Delta with my boards to DC and Mexico with zero problems. That having been said, 2 things come into play here: 1) How well your board is packaged, and 2) Luck of the draw. Some handlers may be careful with your freight, while others obviously just don't give a fvck. Personally, my experience with Delta is that as an airline and a business, they suck. They just seem to be sorely lacking in overall customer service. Possibly because they are a huge company. YMMV
Surprised to hear a negative report for JetBlue. I have always had good luck with them but I own a Coil, so that helps. And packing too.
Invest in a good bag and make sure to add additional protection. Towels, wetsuits, pool noodles, yoga mats, etc. also, bring some tape and ding repair kits...
Don't know about the board. But, I never had a bad experience with Delta. They're on time, courteous, and fly lots of places with good connections.
I think every airline employee is required to stand on a board bag and 'surf' it down the conveyor belt before putting it on the carousel. I'm pretty sure it's in the training manual. At least that's what it seems like. Although JetBlue treated my board with TLC when I used them last year. Also don't wait for your board to come out on the carousel, because it won't be there. You'll break a sweat, lose your lunch and wonder how the F they lost your board and wtf you're going to do in Portugal for 2 weeks without your shred stick. Go ask the dude with the orange vest playing on his phone where it is, because he's undoubtedly hid it under piles of golf clubs and other weird sized stuff.
