The Ultimate Guide to Flying With Sports Equipment

The thought of flying with sports equipment can be daunting. Besides the obvious hurdle of packing the gear, choosing an airline to fly with is a challenge in and of itself. Every airline has its own set of rules and fees for checking sports equipment — and those often vary based on the sport.

We want to help alleviate some of that stress, so we’ve done the homework, read the fine print and added up the fees involved with flying with sports equipment. The next time you're planning a trip to shred mountain trails, catch fish, hit the slopes, play golf or ride some waves, you can reference this guide for the full rundown.

Note that both American Airlines and Delta recently updated their sports equipment oversize bag fee policies, and that's good news for passengers traveling with their sporting equipment. The $150 fee for oversized bags is now no longer charged on almost all categories of sports equipment as long as your equipment meets the airlines' size requirements. For elites and co-branded cardholders, this means that a $150 fee could now become a $0 fee to check your equipment.

All airlines have different policies, but typically, a checked bag can weigh up to 50 pounds and have a combined size (length plus width plus height) of 62 inches before incurring additional fees. If your gear falls within those limits, great, there's nothing you need to worry about — but unless you're traveling with a foldable bike or a set of miniature golf clubs, that probably isn't the case. We've estimated the measurements of sports equipment you might be traveling with, including the extra weight from their cases, but of course, your gear might differ. Additionally, you'll want to keep in mind that while some airlines charge fees for sports equipment outright, others charge the fees in addition to the usual checked baggage fees, again, varying based on the sport.

Bicycles

The bulkiest piece of sports equipment you could fly with is probably a bike. To package it, you could either use a cardboard bicycle box or a custom bike case. Regardless of the method you choose, all airlines require you to remove the pedals and handlebars and fix the handlebars sideways to the frame. To prevent damage, you'll also want to deflate your tires, so don’t forget to bring a pump as well as all the other tools required to reassemble your bike. For the most part, carriers do not allow you to fly with bicycles that contain a motor or more than two seats.

For our example, we'll assume that the packed bike measures 90 linear inches and weighs 40 pounds.

*Fee is in addition to usual checked baggage fee, if applicable.

Fishing

Flying with fishing gear is pretty straightforward. Most airlines explicitly define a fishing bag to include two rods, one reel, one landing net, one pair of fishing boots and one tackle box. While we're focusing on checked baggage for this guide, it's worth noting that fishing poles (within the size limits) are allowed in carry-ons, though sharp fishing tackle is not.

Although many fishing bags are smaller and fall within the usual size limits, for our example, we'll assume that the bag of fishing equipment measures 70 linear inches and weighs 30 pounds.

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*Fee is in addition to usual checked baggage fee, if applicable.

Golf Clubs

Flying with golf equipment is a breeze and probably won't cost you extra. That said, some airlines have quirky rules you need to be aware of, such as a limit in number of balls which could be in your golf bag. Remember, you should always have head covers on your clubs whenever traveling. Additionally, if you use a soft-sided bag, you'll want to pack a "stiff arm" to absorb some of the impact from the bag being thrown around and help protect your clubs.

For our example, we'll assume that the golf bag measures 72 linear inches and weighs 40 pounds.

*Fee is in addition to usual checked baggage fee, if applicable.

Skis and Snowboards

Skis and snowboards are bulky, but fortunately, there are many airlines which won't charge you an arm and a leg to bring them. And yes, the rules are the same for water and snow skis.

For our example, we'll assume that the equipment bag measures 90 linear inches and weighs 20 pounds.

*Fee is in addition to usual checked baggage fee, if applicable.

Surfboards

Unfortunately, airlines aren't as lenient about checking surfboards as they are with snowboards, and most charge extra for doing so. Although baggage-handling staff could tell surfboards apart and know that they're fragile, you'd be best off covering your board with a surfboard sock (in addition to the carrying case, of course) and possibly even wrap it with some towels. You'll also want to use a bag that is a few inches longer than your board and remove keels and fins to prevent damage.

For our example, we'll assume that the surfboard bag measures 90 linear inches and weighs 20 pounds.

*Fee is in addition to usual checked baggage fee, if applicable.

**Fee is in addition to usual checked baggage fee, if applicable, and there is a $20 fee between Honolulu and Maui

***United reduced fees for surfboards, wakeboards and paddleboards effective Oct. 5, 2018 for those traveling to/from California. Travelers connecting through California must still pay the full fee.

Bottom Line

Flying with sports gear doesn't necessarily mean that it'll cost you more than a standard checked bag. Delta took the No. 1 spot in TPG's 2019 Best Airlines in the US rankings, and it may also be highly rated by people traveling with sports equipment as it almost never charges extra for doing so — the oversize fees are waived for most types of sports equipment. Another top choice is Alaska Airlines as it also waives overweight fees for most types of sporting equipment. Southwest isn't a bad option either as you get to travel with two checked bags for free and many types of sports equipment don't incur additional fees. As long as your bags aren't oversized or overweight, you probably won't incur any fees for flying with golf equipment, but as noted, there are some carriers that have quirky rules you need to be aware of. If you're traveling with multiple pairs of skis or snowboards, you'll probably want to choose United as it's the only major carrier which allows you to pack two pairs of skis or two snowboards in one bag.

Regardless which airline you fly with and whether or not the oversize or overweight fees are waived, their maximum baggage sizes and weights, which are usually around 120 inches and 100 pounds, still apply when flying with sports equipment. Although this isn't a published benefit, consider leveraging your status with the airline when flying with sports gear. It’s certainly not guaranteed, but there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that some fees associated with flying with sports gear are waived for guests traveling with elite status or who have purchased business- or first-class tickets, so it never hurts to ask. As a reminder, it's possible to get checked baggage fees waived when traveling in coach by having airline elite status or a co-branded airline credit card.

Related reading: The best airline credit cards