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Ok. That's fair

For anyone flying with SriLankan Airlines from LHR.
Have flown with SriLankan Airlines a number of times from LHR to Male (Maldives) via Colombo, who were excellent and never had a problems with the luggage transfer including board when transferring for the flight from Colombo to Male.
At LHR, your board is checked in/ labelled like your normal luggage but is too long to be placed on the conveyor belt. In the past I was asked to take my board to the outsized luggage area, or your board is placed behind the check in staff and then collected to be put on the plane.
As for packing my board, I always use a board bag, remove fins and wrap the board in bubble wrap placing extra padding on the front & back for extra protection then place the board in the board bag.
It’s a belt and braces approach but believe the extra effort is well worth it.

hey, with RyanAir you don't need to order big sport luggage, 'regular' one is ok [and regular costs you 25euros if ordered with ticket and 33euros if added later]. Although, yes, I've heard that, if you ask them [whether hot-line or chat, don't remember - my friend was once asking them directly] and tell that your board length is about 140cm, yes, they'd tell you 'big luggage is required'. Not true!

Also, they are quite forgiving when it comes to weight limit with this sport equipment. This year I travelled with them 4 times with my kite quiver:
-Girona -> Trapani, Trapani->Girona [Lo Stagnone]
-Barcelona -> Sevilla, Sevilla->Barcelona [Tarifa]
on 3 of those 4 fligths I had about 23 kilos and no one said a word. [on 4th flight I had much less stuff]Cannot be treated as a rule, since probably depends on attendant humor, but, anyway. So, from my experience, both price & attandants' strictness are really good with RyanAir

Hi!

I wanted to make an addition regarding info for Etihad:
- it's one piece of luggage if you take the cheapest classes called "Economy Deal" and "Econmy Saver"
- It's two pieces from "Economy Classic" and above.
The two cheapest are not refundable (which for me always sound like a bad idea if I make a booking quiet a while in advance - shit can happen and you maybe can't fly because of illness, job, family...) and changing the date is more expensive.

Emirates is 32kg (or 30kg depending on ticket). Can check in your kitebag as part of the normal luggage allowance. No issues. Only problem is if you need to bring more than 30/35kg (depending on ticket). Many destinations you can’t buy an extra bag - you got to pay per kg which is ridiculously expensive (€50 per kg for me going to Zanzibar - if I had needed to).

Also used Eurowings. Part of normal checked in luggage. Even if they don’t mention kite equipment they allow snowboards. I just argued it was the same - they accepted it at both ends. Know with others they have never had issues with Eurowings.

SAS have updated their policy slightly (I believe from May 2018 or something). You now got to book the bag in advance (can be done by phone or through their homepage). Still no specific fee for kite equipment.

American just lower their fees from 150$ to 60$, YEAH!!!

anybody flew with AirFrance recently? is that .....

Toby wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:07 am

2017 Airline Sports Baggage Fees & Rules
[......]
Reader comments: Peg Leg Rik, Paul Phelan and many others strongly urge you avoid Air France at all costs. [.......]

.....still true? I'm planning to fly Brasil with them since they have best connections to FOR from Poland, and I'd need 25-27 kgs approx in my quiver, hence my question

rw30 wrote: ↑

Fri Aug 06, 2021 4:45 pm

anybody flew with AirFrance recently? is that .....

Toby wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 05, 2017 11:07 am

2017 Airline Sports Baggage Fees & Rules
[......]
Reader comments: Peg Leg Rik, Paul Phelan and many others strongly urge you avoid Air France at all costs. [.......]

.....still true? I'm planning to fly Brasil with them since they have best connections to FOR from Poland, and I'd need 25-27 kgs approx in my quiver, hence my question

Went with AF right before Covid and I had no issues. I can't remember if you have to notify them about the bag beforehand? I think you might. If I remember correctly I called them up after I made the booking and they confirmed verbally that the bag was OK after 2-3 days.

KLM is better (with their alliance you would think they would have similar systems). I flew KLM to Brazil and then I just pre-booked the bags. Got a receipt and everything - which gives you some peace of mind going to the airport knowing there won't be an issue.

I would always book in advance...and sometimes booking ahead gets a discount as well.
If you don't reserve your sports bag before traveling to Brazil from Europe during main season pretty sure they won't accept it.