Flying w/ your wakeboard

[JRock*Girl]

I have been to flordia twice this summer and I have never been charged for my wakeboard. Somehow on my way back this time the lady charged me $80 for "special handling" I tryed to explain to her why its always been free and she wouldn't listen at all. So when I got home I spoke to one of the people at the counter and no luck. So supposedly a snowboard is free, and a surfboard is usualy extra. I only brought one bag. I threw a few pairs of shorts and some t-shirts in my board bag. The lady at the counter said that because I put even 1 item other than my wakeboard in the bag its immediatly "special handeling" and $80. Even 1 freaking t-shirt!? What a joke. She said that if I owuld have taken two bags I wouldn't have been charged. How retarted is that? I actually saved room on the planes compartment by putting my clothes in my bag, and it it just extra padding for my wakeboard. I still had plenty of room in the bag. I dont understand how my snowboard is a 149 and my wakeboard is a 132 and it costs more to travel w/ my wakeboard and how does 1 shirt make it "special handeling"????

[llenta]

that suck i would have pulled the shirts out of the board bag at the counter and carried them on with me. paying extra to carry shirts in a board bag is absurd. at least you know next time to take two bags.
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Motorcycle Tires

[JRock*Girl]

The lady that charged me $80 didn't know I also had clothes in the bag. It was when i got back and was trying to get my money back that the other lady found out and explained all the bs to me. I just e-mailed the airline though, we will see what happens. Two bags is a pain in the ass, especially when im not bringing that much stuff, just some boardshorts and shirts.

[Nor*Cal]

JRock*Girl, sucks to hear that. When I was living in SoCal I would fly back and forth for vacations. I only brought my wakeboard bag and never got charged.

[buttafly]

What air line was it? I have experienced this with continental when I went to Boardstock. If you say it is a trick ski they do not charge you extra but if you say it is a "wakeboard" they charge you.

Sorry to hear that. It helps to read up on the airline web sites about rules and regs before you leave. Find a way around it like I did and to avoid questions from the under dogs who wanted to PLAY BOSS. I took the print out from the web site to show them in their own words. Worked like a charm.

B

[BR_WB]

Just tell them it's a snowboard and they won't charge you.

[holdsworth]

maybe they don't like us because of our wakes or something

thats really stupid though

[toothpick]

Yeah, I've dealt with that same thing when I've flown out of Orlando. Each time I've gotten out of it by telling them I wasn't charged on the way there, and getting all "worried" because I'm a poor college student and I don't have enough to pay for it and so on.

If you put up a big enough fuss, (at least from my experience) they will just waive the fee. But yeah, it really is ridiculous and they never have a good reason for it.

[wannabe]

I fly alot with my job and find everyone reads the rules a little differently. But as above knowing the rules and having them with u always helps. Sometimes u just catch them in one of those moods though. Better luck next time

[Stephan]

Everytime I go, they Say, "is that a surfboard?" I say Nope, then they go "is that a snowboard", again I say nope. That usually throws them for a loop. They don't understand a wakeboard, I can tell they are jus itching to hit me with an additional charge. bastards

[bigfoot0922]

that is bullsh!t how they charged you for having shirts in your bags. I think them making you pay for carry-ons like stuff like that is ridiculous.