Has anyone been overseas recently with their kit and had any trouble with baggage allowances? I'm off on a RTW next May for a couple of months via Europe, east and west coast USA and Maui with BA, AA and Qantas and they're being really anal about total dimensions or something like that...
If is split two kites and a board, which fit easily into my travel bag (which Virgin Blue and domestic Qantas have carried no probs), weighing 24kg 150 x 55 x 18 = 223 total, i will need to take a freeking suitcase and boardbag disguised as a snowboard 'cos snowboards seem to be ok but surfboards are leprosy on internationals these days apparently.
Any help would be greatly appreciated..
Happy Days.
Hi Joey,
I have just flown from Dubai to Sydney on Emirates with a suitcase plus my kiting equipment in one of those large kite bags. I was given different information about the sports equipment allowance every time I spoke to someone. Anything from "it's free over and above your personal luggage allowance of 20kg" to "it's part of your 20kg allowance". I arrived at the airport with a total of 58kg of baggage as it was too late to send it cargo (on the same flight) once I found out it wasn't free. I was told at the airport that I was allowed 15kg of kiting equipment only, over my 20 kg allowance. Luckily I was charged only 15kg excess. After all that, I lost the board in the first week back here and bought a new kite because the kites I brought back weren't right for Ozzie conditions.
You may be better to rent gear where ever you go. You may find you hardly kite at all at that time of year and with all those different flights you could be in for a lot of hassle for no reason.
There is no single answer to your question. Different airlines, countries and check in staff will mean no consistency in the baggage restrictions; even though you are travelling on a one world ticket. (some staff are casual contract that get a commission from excess baggage) The single big bag may be a problem, as you know they always seem to grow as you travel. If you are only taking a twin tip, you can do it. Borrow a big delsey or samsonite plastic wheeley bag. Pack your kites in vaccuum bags and shrink, putting all your kit in the case. Put you board in a single soft bag stripped of all bindings (its now a snowboard). If you're tight for room, leave the pump at home, they're cheap o/s & even cheaper to borrow. You end up with a big wheely around 20kg (which no-one will charge for under 20kg) and a small light board bag. The most you can get stung for is the few kg for the board, but the airlines you mentioned you will be ok excepting maybe BA, who have recently changed their baggage limits. Probably the biggest advantage, is this set-up is easy to handle and doesn't look like you're towing a box trailer when you check in. Good luck! 
i've just done 14 mths round Europe and i can say with out a doubt that traveling with your kite gear is a pain in the ass...
every airline has a different rule and depends who is at the check out desk... get there early and try to be the first to check in and you should get through free... this is the only way i have found to work every time...
wrap your kites up tight with glad wrap or a vacume bag ( i pref glad wrap as vac bags often leak and are expensive) once wrapped tight take on as hand luggage...
take a big kite for Europe and a big board... they do not often have the wind we do here...
BA tried to charge me $450 oz $ to bring my surfboard home because it did not fit in their size criterion... so i gave it to a guy in the arrival section and said merry xmas...
if you're going to (travel) don't take kite just hire them, if you're going to (kite) then you're going at the wrong time for the nth hemi...
do a search for BALIWIND travel boards... they're great for long term traveling kiters and surfers... made in Turkey from memory... s visit Turkey and get a board there that splits in two so you can fit it in your suitcase...
OPTION 2: pack a foil kite and snowboard and go snow kiting... winter up there now, is a wild sport!!
good luck and windy travels
Posko
I've have always travelled QF/BA/AA or Virgin because they are so good with accepting my excess sporting baggage.
Virgin is not a problem anytime.
If its a RTW ticket you will have a baggage allowance of either 64kgs or 2 pieces at a max of 32kg per piece, with maximum length 277cm per piece.
I've never had a problem with QF as I give them a call and let them know that I am looking at purchasing a ticket with them but am travelling with sporting goods which I must carry. I tell them that Virgin have agreed to accept my additional or oversized baggage but I really like the service provided by QF/BA/AA. By the way measure your sporting bags before you call.
Everytime I have been told that it is fine for me to take my gear. Write down the name of the person, department, and location. If you are a QF FF get them to give you a reference # in your profile. I done this even when I have already booked. Then call them up when you book or with your booking number and tell them you spoke to such and such on this date and that they gave the OK before you purchased, get them to put a note into your booking that it has been pre arranged to carry your equipment along with the dimensions. Sometimes with my surfboard they tell me that I have to pay $50, but only had to pay it once on one sector with AA out of the BVI's. I had increased my equipment & I was so over on my allowance of 64kgs it was crazy so $50 was a bargain. Otherwise I've never parted with a cent at check in.
Posko had a great point about vacuum bags. Get the Large or XL one way valve bags from Kmart $9, that way you won't need a vacuum each time you pack. Just sit on it to get the air out. I've had mine for over 4 years now, they have done so many trips and they are still working.
I hope this helps.
Pm me if you have any other questions.
I've been in the US now for a bit over 18 months, and can tell you the same thing everyone else has said, it's a pain in the arse to travel (within the US especially) with your kiting gear. I travelled from Florida to Califoria for a week for work. I ended up leaving mine at homee and hired some gear from a shop because they can hit you with a charge for oversize AND overweight for the same bag. For US domestic flights the allwance drops to like 26Kg or so per bag before you start to pay through the nose.
I kite in winter in the Gulf Of Mexico, ONLY IF IT IS ABSOLUTELY GOING OFF (this happens only a handful of times in a year). The rest of the time it is TOO DAMN COLD. To do this I need a full steamer, wetty gloves and wetty socks. Even then, my hands still go numb within an hour. Bare in mind too that the water along the east and west coasts are colder (West, significantly). Check this page for the daily water temp of the world www.wunderground.com/product-sunset
(GOD I CAN'T WAIT TO BE BACK AT WOODIES AND SAFETY BAY)
Personally, I would leave it at home,
D
Took kite and board around and almost had a divorce over it! Meant we as a family had to reduce our luggage by 32 Kgs.........shoppers were not happy. All was resolved at the end though with myself being correct. Kite bag ended up being useful as it was easy to fit cheap African paintings and other crap.
Don't do it, there was no wind in N. America or Europe or Aftrica when I went. Got 1.5 hour in a "city" beach in N.Jersey (Sea Island City...check it)....memorable.
My total extra cost during the while excercise was US$180 )from LA to Chi, used Star Alliance). I did "tip" for storage in Dar Es Salaam and a dow ride to a remote island.........you can get a kit all around the world no problem, but lots of hassle if there is no wind...........don't do it...rent if you can at a kite beach.
I could have gotten lucky though, but have resigned myself to the thought that there is not wind much further from Perth. One wouldn't think even Perth is windy at the moment, dam troughs.
