Hi,
I'm updating information on my sites regarding flying with windsurfing gear on Qantas Airlines for 2022, and noticed that Qantas doesn't officially allow windsurf gear on domestic flights, they only accept it on international flights. What is your experience flying with gear on Qantas domestically - did they make any issues about it, or accepted it without any difficulties? Thanks for your input!
The official policy from the Qantas website is as follows:
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One sailboard kit consists of not more than one board, mast, boom and sail, and the length does not exceed 277cm (109in).
Australian domestic
Windsurfers cannot be carried as baggage domestically due to the length of the sail mast. They must be sent as freight and freight charges will apply.Due to size restrictions some equipment may not travel on the same aircraft as the customer.
International routes USA/South America
Only accepted if enclosed in a bag and does not exceed 32kg (70lb) in weight nor its length exceed 277cm (109in).
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Thanks for your help!
Tom
taken windsurf gear many times on QF, back in good old days - policy left over from one piece mast days ...?
go Business if you can to avoid excess baggage charges ....
This is partially a hangover from the days when windsurf masts were one piece and 360cm in length. For some reason they have never updated that text.
That said on some routes they seem to do last minute aircraft changes. The worst I have heard was from Sydney to Hamilton Island were they changed the entire service over to Jetstar. Domestically Jetstar packs everything into containers that have baggage limit of 190cms in length meaning they won't take any kind of board over 190cm.
However on the main routes between the big cities you shouldn't have problems with 250cm board bag.
The important thing with qantas is to buy the excess baggage allowance (if you need it) when you make your booking. If asked in the booking form say "surfboard" not "wind surfboard". Again this because the average person in Australia thinks a windsurf board is the original windsurfer from 1982.
Flew to Perth in December on Jetstar.
Flew Perth to Brisbane on Qantas in early Feb 2022 (after Jetstar rescheduled, twice, then cancelled completely).
Put boards in the board-bag, put sails+boom+masts in another board bag.
You need to keep the length under the plane's max-length, eg: 270cm Qantas, 230cm Jetstar.
Keep the weight of the bags below the single-bag-weight, say 20kg
The baggage-security lady in Perth airport, was even an ex-windsurfer having spent 10yrs sailing at Coros.
Perfect, thanks for the info! Yeah, I figured it was no problem as most gear fits within the plane and within the dimensions accepted for surfboards (32 kg / 277 cm), but I wanted to confirm how strict they are regarding their own rules.
Thanks!
Tom
Dont go over 23kg - there is a small little note that says over-23-kg may need to be shipped, which wont happen for luggage but may happen for gear. Which is probably a bad thing.
When they ask "what is in it?", just tell the truth... "surf gear". 
I'd also suggest, dont scrimp on purchased-baggage... give yourself every reason to be confident that they aren't going to query anything, which just drives up stress levels just at the time where you dont have an option to leave gear sitting in the airport.
