airplane flying surf bag policies

Airline Travel Bag Charges

Planning your next surf trip? We've made it easier to choose the right surfboard travel bag and avoid unexpected airline fees. Our updated list of airlines and their baggage fees (as of 2022) gives you a starting point for your research. Remember, fees can change, so always verify directly with the airline before booking your flight. In most cases, larger bags than their limits will be accepted, but you may have to pay an oversized fee.

Need more info? Check out the airline websites linked below. Happy travels!

Search by Airline

Air Asia

Free/Varies

Fees on surfboards flying to, from, or through Australia are waived (although certain restrictions apply, such as size and weight; read more on the specifics here). Surfboards traveling to/from/through other destinations are subject to excess baggage fees and those depend on the destination.

https://www.airasia.com/en/gb

Aer Lingus

FREE

To/from North America, one board (max) can be part of free baggage allowance. Over allowance, $Air Canada per pass, each way. All other flights, €40 (each way) online. At airport it’s €50. Cannot exceed 110″ or 50 lbs. Regional flights: boards cannot exceed 80″ and carriage is subject to available space. In a group, contact the airline ahead of time.

https://www.aerlingus.com
516-622-4226

Aero Mexico

Free/Varies

Boardbags can be exchanged for one piece of checked baggage free of charge as long as maximum weight and length aren’t exceeded (not applicable for flights to/from the U.S. and Canada or for “V” class flights).For travel within Mexico, it’s $75; international travel is $150. In the high season, rates are $83 and &165. Fees are for each article. Max length on a narrow-body cabin is 80″. Max length on a wide-body cabin is 115 in. Max weight is 70 lbs.

https://www.aeromexico.com/en-us
800-237-6639

Air Canada

$100-$118

Boards accepted on a space available basis, so pre-register. Each board counts as one piece of checked baggage. If you exceed the checked baggage allowance (50 to 70 lbs; 63 to 115 in) fees range from $100-$118 in addition to the $100 handling fee (per board, each way).

https://www.aircanada.com
888-247-2262

Air Emirates

Free / Varies

Can be part of your checked baggage allowance. If you go over allowance, excess baggage rates will apply based on either a weight or piece concept, depending on route. To/from North America: overweight fee: $75; excess piece or oversize charge: $250; oversize and excess piece: $325. Total dimensions (length + width + height cannot exceed 118″).

www.emirates.com
800-777-3999

Air France

Free

Call ahead for approval. Must be under 118″ and 50 lbs. Can be included at no extra charge in your baggage allowance (not Light or Basic fare). If you exceed allowance, fee varies and is determined according to your trip. To/from the USA, Canada or Mexico, and the board is between 3’5″ and 9’8″, the fee ranges between $75, $100, or $150 depending.

www.airfrance.com
800-237-2747

Air New Zealand

Free / Varies

Counts as a standard bag if it’s 6’5″ or under. Otherwise excess charges apply depending on your trip. If you purchase a prepaid extra bag, it is cheaper. Example: prepaid bag between New Zealand and LA is $70; at the airport, it’s $150. One boardbag may have multiple boards in it, but may not exceed 70 lbs or 8’2″.

www.airnewzealand.com
800-262-1234

Fiji Air (Air Pacific)

Varies: $125-$150

Each way per surfboard bag. Must be less than 66-88 lbs(depends on destination) & 62" in total length. Baggage over these weights will need to be checked as freight. Baggage over 62" but under the max weight will be charged a $125-$150 oversize fee.

www.fijiairways.com

Air Tahiti Nui

Free

One board is included in addition to your free allowance. Must be under 50 lbs and 98″. Each additional board is subject to an excess fee depending on your trip.

www.airtahitinui.com
877-824-4846

Alaska Airlines

$30+

Under 50 lbs and less than 115” (linear) follows to the normal baggage fee of $30. But anything above those measurements gets bumped up to $100.

www.alaskaair.com
800-252-7522

American Airlines

$30-$150

If your bag is over 50 pounds, it’s the standard checked bag fee of $30. Bags over 100 pounds not accepted. Additional info includes: Max size (length + width + height) is 115″ based on airplane size and load factors. Bags can contain multiple boards.

www.aa.com
800-433-7300

Avianca

$100-$150

Up to 3 boards per bag, up to 70 lbs and 12′. $150 to/from North America, between Central and South America, to/from the Carribean, and within Central America. Travel within South America $100. For travel within Peru and Ecuador, the fee is $29 and $25 respectively, but you can only bring one board no longer than 6’5″.

www.avianca.com

Bahamas Air

Free / Varies

Treated as a checked bag (1st bag: free, 2nd bag: $45, 3rd bag: $75 for domestic, $25, $45, $75 international). One board/bag. Must be under 50 lbs. Int. flights, excess charge for bags 51-70 lbs: $75; bags 71-99 lbs: $125; and bags over 62″ and 70 lbs are $150. For domestic & Turks and Caicos travel, you’re allowed to bring two bags for free. Baggage cannot exceed 100 lbs.

www.bahamasair.com
800-222-4262

British Airways

Free

May count as part of your checked baggage. Boards must be smaller than 75″ x 29.5″ x 25.5″ (6’6”). Bags weighing more than 50 lbs may incur a heavy bag charge. If you’re over your checked bag limit or the size limit, additional fees apply.

www.britishairways.com
800-247-9297

Cathay Pacific

Varies

Can be included as part of your free checked baggage (must be one board, 62″ and under in total dimensions (length + width + height). If you go over your baggage weight allowance, charges are calculated per piece on a zone basis (ranging from $60 to $150). If baggage is over 70 lbs, expect to pay four times the extra baggage charge per piece. There is a $200 for each oversized piece (bags between 62″ and 80″ in total dimensions). For bags over 80″, expect to pay four times the baggage charge per piece.

www.cathaypacific.com
800-233-2742

China Air

Varies

Surfboards may be included in checked baggage allowance. If you go over allowance (maximum 30kg total), excess and oversized baggage charges are $150. For travel to/from the Americas, charged per piece (not by weight) and may be subject to an oversized baggage fee of $300. Two boards per passenger. Must inform at time of booking to verify if travel is possible.

www.china-airlines.com
800-227-5118

COPA

$50 / Varies

For domestic flights within Panama: $50. On flights where the final destination is Panama or for those with a stopover in Panama: $100 For int. travel: $150. Fees are regardless of baggage allowance. Three boards per bag/passenger. Must be under 115 linear inches and 100 lbs. Make reservations for your boards when purchasing your ticket or no later than 48 hours in advance.

www.copaair.com
800-359-2672

Delta*

$30 is first checked bag, $40 if second

Limit 2 boards per bag. Must be under 50 lbs or pay additional fees. Surfboards over 115 linear inches are not allowed. Between Honolulu and Maui, it’s $20.

www.delta.com
800-221-1212

EasyJet

$60

One board per passenger. Must be under 70 lbs. If you pay online, it’s £45 (appx. $61); if you pay at the airport, it’s £55 (appx. $74).

www.easyjet.com
+44 843 104 5454

Hawaiian Air

$75 + Depends on weight

One-way, per bag. Max length 115″ inches and max weight of 100 lbs. Multiple boards allowed in one bag. Price is $25-$95 when flying between islands. Starts at $75 for international travel. For flights to Australia or New Zealand from USA, the board can be part of your free allowance. No limit to amount of boards per bag as long as weight/size limits aren’t exceeded.

www.hawaiianair.com
800-367-5320

Iberia

Free / Varies

For long-haul flights, it can be part of your baggage allowance. If you go over your allowance, fees vary depending on your trip. For flights from/to USA, Mexico, and Canada, a second bag in Economy is $100. For short-haul and medium-haul flights, a single fee of $55 applies. Flights originating from Brazil charge $60 for one board and $150 for each additional unit. One board per passenger. Max size: 11’4″.

www.iberia.com
800-772-4642

Interjet (Mexico)

Free

Included as part of your baggage allowance (one bag and one board). Total max weight (for all checked luggage) per passenger is 165 lbs (75 kg).

interjet.com.mx
866-285-9525

Japan Airlines

$200

The fee is $200 per boardbag (two boards max) for flights between Japan, Asia, India, Oceania and Hawaii, North/Central/South America, Europe, Middle East, Africa. Must call in advance. From Japan to Asia, Guam, or Oceania, it’s $100. For flights within Japan, it’s $50.

www.jal.com
800-525-3663

Jet Blue

$100

Price is each way. One board per bag. Counts as part of your checked baggage allowance. No surfboards allowed on flights to/from Bermuda, Haiti, Peru, Port of Spain, Santo Domingo and Santiago. Can’t be over 99 lbs.

www.jetblue.com
800-538-2583

Korean Air

Free

Included as checked baggage. Total size must be less than 115 linear inches and under 70 lbs. When traveling domestic flights, there is a KRW 2000 charge per 1 kg over free baggage allownace. If over bag limit (usually 2 bags), it’s $200 to/from Americas;  Asia to Brazil is $175; Asia to EU/Middle East/Africa/Oceania is $130 & economy only gets 1 bag.

www.koreanair.com
800-438-5000

Lan (Latam)

Varies

Can be checked as part of your baggage allowance (typically two pieces). Three boards per bag max. Cannot exceed 118 linear inches or 50 lbs. If you go over your baggage allowance, excess baggage fees apply.

www.lan.com
866-435-9526

Lufthansa

Free

Included as part of your baggage allowance (which depends on class, but Economy is one piece). Must be less than 70 lbs and/or 6’6″. If you exceed your allowance, the fee for continental flights is $80; intercontinental is $172. You need to call and register your board at least 24 hours before the flight.

www.lufthansa-usa.com
800-645-3880

Malaysian Airlines

Free

Included as part of your checked baggage allowance (two pieces for Economy). One board per person. Max length is 8′ and max weight is 70 lbs. If you go over your allowance, there is a zone-based excess baggage rate.

www.malaysiaairlines.com
800-552-9264

Phillippine Airlines

Varies

Depends on where you’re going and what you’re bringing — see the link above — but expect to pay $150 or more, especially if your boardbag is over seven feet. Excess baggage charge doubles for boards over 109″.

www.philippineairlines.com

Qantas

Free

Free as part of your checked baggage (two pieces for Economy). Must be in a bag and may not exceed 70 lbs and 9' 1". If it’s beyond your baggage allowance, excess fees apply depending on place of departure/destination.

www.qantas.com/au
800-227-4500

Singapore

Free

As part of your checked bag allowance (two pieces). After that, additional baggage ranges from $150-$350 depending on destination for US and Canadian routes. Additional baggage on non-US and Canadian routes ranges from $8-$56/kg so be careful when booking. Only one board per person. Cannot exceed 70 lbs.

www.singaporeair.com
800-742-3333

South African Airlines

Free

May be included as part of your checked bag allowance (one bag for Economy). Only one board and it must not exceed 6’5” or 50 lbs. Larger boards must go as cargo. Excess weight will be charged accordingly.

www.flysaa.com
800-722-9675

Spirit

$100

Two boards allowed per bag, 100 bucks per way. Overweight or oversized boardbags don’t apply (it’s covered in the $100 fee).

www.spirit.com

Southwest Airlines

$75

Counts as part of your checked baggage. Fee is applied each way, per bag. Fins must be removed. Can be substituted for one checked bag on flights between the Hawaiian Islands.

www.southwest.com

Starlux Airlines

$150-400

Bags under 115 linear inches:        Travel within Asia/Guam: $150 USD per bag     Long Haul Routes (US): $200 USD per bag.

Bags over $115 linear inches: Prior authorization required.                    Travel within Asia/Guam: $300 per bag. Long haul routes: $400 per bag.

www.starlux-airlines.com

Thai Airways

$100

For travel to/from USA or Canada: If the board is under 6’5″ the fee is $150; if the board is over 6’5″ it’s $300. Exceptions: One surfboard is free to/from Bali if you purchase your trip from Japan; one surfboard is free to/from Australia and New Zealand. If the boardbag exceeds allowance, flat rates apply.

www.thaiairways.com
800-400-8222

TAP Portugal

$100

If it is larger than 6’5″, the price is $77 for Domestic flights and flights to Europe, Morocco and Algeria; $150 for Intercontinental flights; $180 for flights to/from the Dominican Republic. If the board is over 6’5″ it’s $138 for Domestic flights and flights to Europe, Morocco and Algeria and $185 for Intercontinental flights. Must be under 70 lbs. Prices are one-way. A declaration of transport must be signed prior to flight or transportation may be refused.

www.flytap.com
800-221-7370

United*

$100

To/From California: counts as one piece of checked luggage: $30. Rest of North America: $150 each way between the U.S., Canada, PR and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and $200 each way for all other travel. Max of 99 lbs. & 9’5″. Note: check the excess baggage embargo list to make sure they will even take your board, which, during certain times of the year and to certain destinations, they won’t with the exception of Costa Rica.

www.united.com
800-864-8331

Virgin Atlantic

Varies

Counts as part of your baggage allowance (one bag for Economy tickets). Your board can’t exceed 75″ x 30″ x 26″ and 50 lbs. If you go over your allowance, the fee is $100 for an additional bag.

www.virginatlantic.com
800-862-8621

Volaris

Varies

Depends on domestic vs. international flights, but expect to pay some form of excess fee for surfboards. Up to two boards per passenger. We recommend to purchase the “More Baggage Combo” at the time of booking for $160 ($200 during high season) which includes a piece of sports equipment (8’2″ max. length). See the list in the link above, although the best course of action is to simply call the airline beforehand, so that you don’t get blindsided with an absurd charge at the ticketing counter.

www.volaris.com

*Note: “Linear inches” is the total of your bag’s length, width and thickness. So for example: a boardbag that’s 6’6″ x 24″ wide x 10″ deep is 112 linear inches. You can add a couple inches to factor in that the bags are cut a little long. 115" is a common limit below, however most airlines will still accept longer bags, they may just charge an oversize fee. It can often come down to who checks you in that day. It is best to contact your airline before any flight to see if any recent changes have been made.