Jet Blue Bag Fee's and JFK Airport

I really like flying jet blue, and I've have good experiences with them. I almost always fly them when i can. I've flown boards with them several times and they have always helped me out. I would fly them again.

I hope they dont follow the ways of all the other airline carriers who are horrible. I refuse to fly AA, delta, etc.

 

I had a surprisingly very good experience on USAirways from Philly to Liberia, CR last month. I brought two long and one short board in a coffin that I had built by Midnight Bags in CA. Other than a small tear on the coffin fabric, there wasn't as much as a scratch on any of my boards. I used the skycap in PHL (along with a $20 tip) who was very helpful and made sure that I was only charged for one board. The official USAirways policy is $200 per board which is highway robbery and I wouldn't have paid it. But $200 for three boards was ok. The check in crew in Liberia were very helpful as well and didn't even think about looking in the bag. In fact, they were very polite and almost apologetic in reminding me about the bag fee for the return.

 

Resurrecting this thread...I'm flying BOS to CR in December and was wondering if people had more recent experiences with Jet Blue's board bag policy. Still $50 per board right? Any success stories?

 

Look it up online at jet blues site, ya farking moron.
kids today......

 

It's always been $50/each way on jet Blue for me, used them 4 different times to PR, always the same. But like Barry said, go on their website.

 

Well ya I know the price. Guess I didn't need to ask that part. Excuse me Mr. Barry.

What I want to know is how people are managing to get around the one board policy...

 

Gotcha, it's going to all depend on who is checking your bags. If they are a good Jet Blue employee they will open your bag and verify it's only one board or they will charge you for each one. If they simply don't care, which by my estimation 80% of employees in the world really don't care, then you will get lucky and they won't check and you'll slide by with two for the price of one. Just don't make it obvious, make sure the bag fits two easily and doesn't look too bulky and don't weigh a friggin ton either.

 

I think that's gonna be my approach. Either that or team up with a buddy and try three boards for the price of two.

 

Good luck! Even if you pay for both it's still cheaper than most other airlines for just one board so it's not a huge loss if you get pinched

 

Oooohhh, I seeeeee....you want to cheat??!!??

 

Took JB from JFK to LAX and SF in March and was 50 bucks flat. No damage and didn't open it to check for additional boards, at least not in front of me when they got checked

 

I have found that throughout the years airline companies are always changing their policies and it really comes down to the person your dealing with at checkin - if they are having a good day ect (or half asleep)

After much traveling years ago- I found that it's not always worth the hassle specially if your going solo. So i would just bring one board that I could surf in any and every condition. Plus- there is the hassle of lugging all those boards around the airport plus your other bag. Then you gotta store all those boards when your not using them- which can be a challenge if your staying at a hostel or somewhere like that. Then you gotta load them all onto the roof rack and lock the unused ones in the hot car while surfing... It can be a pain specially when the waves are firing and your a wasting time.

Idk maybe my idea of a surf trip is different then other ppl- I like the sense of adventure and discovery - not luxury

Anyways - if your traveling with a bunch of friends and trying to save a buck- them maybe try to stuff three boards in.

Another thing I learned- the heavier the bag (with multiple boards) the more the baggage handlers will throw the bag around (and ding boards) since it's hard to lift.

I remember sitting in the plane and watching them load the luggage in the plane. Oh look- here comes the trolleys with all the luggage - oh look there are our boards on top of the trolley. Oh look - the just pulled out boards off the top of the trolley and let them free fall (about 6ft high). Oh look- they landed square on the rail on the hitch that connects the Trolleys together... Did the baggage handlers care? No they just dragged it into the plane. What a way to start a surf trip- and we didn't even leave the states yet...

 

Jet Blue sucks ballz. I'm Mosaic ("Elite") status on them for 2015. However, their computers weren't even recognizing such until March. All those storms with shutdowns last winter and I was on hold on the regular phone line for 60 minutes at a time after a cancelled flight when those who spend over 10k a year on business airfare are supposed to get a private line.

Plus sides are: 1) Most of the time, they wouldn't even charge me to check a board since I've had their elite status. Especially not when flying out of LGB. That place is unreal. 2) They screwed me so many times with cancelled flights last winter I said forget it and took matters into my own hands. When a heavy lip ripped by 5'10 in half at the Honeyton Pier, I flew back with the broken stick and told their agents upon arrival that they broke my board. Got a nice $450 credit from it.

Jet Blue was great for a while, the best perhaps. They're so bad now on customer service that I stopped flying them in April even though I was supposed elite status for the year and took all my biz to Delta. Now I'm about to qualify for Delta's elite on my next flight just in time for the year end. It's a far better elite program overall but boards will have to be seen if they hook that up for elite.

Screw it. I have sticks in Mass at family's house, one in Seattle at a bud's place for when I'm up there, two in NorCal at an EC transplant's crib, and the rest of the quiv at the new spot in Ventura. I'll just rent if I'm anywhere else but that's not likely for a while.

But yeah, JB is pretty deece with flying with boards. Tell em they broke yours and you'll get a free round trip lol

 

Flew JB in September and it was $50 out of NYC. I crammed two inside one of the "hider" bags. They didn't even look.

In NYC he guy manhandled my board and the board of this other dude, literally tossing them onto the conveyer. Filed a complaint. Nothing came of it.

Two weeks later I cancelled a flight with 8 hours notice and they gave me a partial refund?!? Pretty unheard of.

Flew JB again from Savannah to NYC and got my boards abused. Filed a complaint with customs and they told me to suck it. Bologna.

I will actually buy a board on my next trip. Fuggit.

 

Traveling with boards is now for idiots, really. In fact, traveling to surf is for idiots now. You can rent a board ANYWHERE on the globe now. Antartica?? $25 for the day, leash provided?? Kazakstan?? $25 for day as well.
Surfing is for morons now; it makes you one of the herd, the sheep........In fact, is there anybody on this planet that does NOT surf anymore??
It used to actually be "cool" long time ago; now, even grannies are ripping it up.
I've got to find a new activity....maybe becoming a terrorist?? Naw....that is overdone as well. I know....extreme knitting!!! Now there is a hot activity!!!

 

The leash might be provided... But the real question is: is the leash tied correctly?


It's a safety hazard, you know

Thanks Barry, your the best

 

AA broke the tail off a board, when I opened the travel bag two pieces of board fell out; filed claim, AA paid me $400.00. Live & learn, bought the Dakine coffin.

A year or so later the AA baggage chimps damaged the deck, which I figured was when they heaved a 75 lb suitcase corner onto the top of the coffin. Filed a claim: "AA charges $150 each way to ship your surfboard but AA is not responsible for damage to items such as surfboards." Eh...??
Live & learn, added thin layer of cardboard sheeting across deck & spray-painted 'Top Load Only' outside of coffin.

So far, so good.

Rentals make sense for short surf treks. Anything a week or more, I'll pay the airline fee & bring my own. And always, always bring your own leash & string.

 

I'll pay the fee and take my own, thankyewverrymuch. I've had good luck, knock on wood...but I have top of the line travel bags and take extra precautions. Not even Mexican baggage handlers have found a way to fvck up my $hit.

 

its all who you get at the desk.

 

Two thoughts:

- There's a company that sells board bags that are labeled GOLF BAG and they're coffin-type. Golf bags are not "oversize" charge on most airlines. Proven to work but the bag itself isn't cheap. Pays for itself in short time.

- Let's say you're going somewhere with surf that doesn't have accessible board for rent (not likely). Or let's say you are going on a road trip to a few spots and only flying in and out once each (driving in between); you'd need separate rentals for a number of days and it would add up. In these cases or any similar, it would behoove you to bring a board. Thoughts on a foldable board that's made rigid (by a tab mechanism like a folding table) once unfolded? I mean, look at a soft top - it's not exactly a surf comp stick, but tons of good surfers ride them at times. There are certain materials that will float and flex fine and not have to be water-tight at seams.

Or you could just sponge it and travel with your booger for free.