matthewlavin - 4-5-2011 at 10:45 AM
Hey guys. I'm going on a plane and want to bring my landboard and a couple kites.
I want to go the "golf bag" route to avoid extra charges. Does anyone have any suggestions or experience?
My mbs comp 6 board is 16" wide and 42" long.
http://www.powerkiteforum.com/images/smilies/wee.gif
thanks,
matthew
adam48 - 4-5-2011 at 11:05 AM
The Peter Lynn gear pack pro has tons of room. If you throw your board in there with it, then take the trucks off. I travel with mine to the events in
the states and I always fly. DON'T TELL THE AIRLINES that you have kite gear or they will charge you 80$ for that bag! Just say it's your skate board
and it'll only be 20 or 25
indigo_wolf - 4-5-2011 at 11:24 AM
Caveats:
Some airlines are very strict about what they will and won't allow in "golf cases" and not charge a baggage surcharge. Check in advance. Yeah,
there is some discrimination here, but that's the world we live in.
Prices vary wildly on these cases depending on region, overstock, and shipping charges (sometimes free, sometimes not). This is definitely one
of those item classes where shopping around is in your best interest.
SKB cases a certain level of travel damage insurance, the airlines carry some (very minimal) and depending on what credit card you purchase your
ticket with, there might be some coverage afforded there. Again, check ahead to avoid surprises.
ATB,
Sam
flyjump - 4-5-2011 at 11:26 AM
+1 for the PL bag, but i also have a trampa bag that travels nice too :bigok:
indigo_wolf - 4-5-2011 at 11:57 AM
Trampa Bag:
Bag Details
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_
ATB,
Sam
shehatesmyhobbies - 4-5-2011 at 12:51 PM
And who better to add pics! Plus another 1 on PL gear bag and Adams Trampa bag!
bigkahuna - 4-5-2011 at 01:31 PM
I'll let you in on a little secret, although it may not help in your particular case. When I went to Hawaii last fall I took an entire quiver of
kites and didn't pay a dime extra, and my "case" cost me $10 at Walmart. What I did was I bought one of those big Rubbermaid clone plastic storage
tubs (you know the kind you store all your junk in the garage in), a roll of duct tape, and a pack of "space saver vacuum bags". I rolled my kites
tightly so they would fit in the tub, put it in a vacuum bag, and sucked it until it shrank. Threw that in the tub and used duct tape to secure it.
I packed 3 kites, 2 harnesses, 2 bars and one pump in one tub. The beauty is that some tubs are just small enough to conform with airlines "maximum
dimensions" for standard luggage. And even though those tubs sell for $3 or $4, they are 10x beefier than any kite travel bag I've seen. When I
checked in at the gate, they didn't even ask what was in the tub. As for boards, I managed to borrow a couple boards while I was there.
Bladerunner - 4-5-2011 at 04:47 PM
The NCS deciever has been the bag of choice around here for years. Passes as a golf bag. Used to go free . Not sure the rules from one airline to
another these days?
http://www.kiteboarding.com/proddetail.asp?prod=nsidecieverb...
bigkahuna - 4-5-2011 at 05:38 PM
I thought about buying a deceiver golf bag for my last trip, but the reasons I didn't were: a) they cost $100 and up, which is kinda pricey and b)
you won't know if it works until you're at the airport, checking in line to get on your flight. You are, after all, "cheating" and you're depending
on your luck (and a bit of dishonesty) to get through without paying a fee.
Another option is to just pack it up and ship it ahead via USPS, UPS, or whatever carrier you choose. This means that you'll likely be without your
gear for a couple extra days, but UPS can often be cheaper than excess baggage fees. Plus, you can insure your gear for their full value. We used
those same plastic tubs to ship gear via USPS. They worked great, and believe it or not, postage stamps stick to the tubs just fine. 
Kamikuza - 4-5-2011 at 06:18 PM
For the landboard, I use my snowboard bag :D no charges or even questions so long as that and my check-in didn't blow the weight limit ...
I have a Naish "Golf" bag too but it's only 140 ...