Hello all!
Anyone know the best way to fly my longboard with me from California to Biarritz? I’m having a hard time finding what airline will allow one from Paris to Biarritz since they are smaller planes, they are saying board is too big? Let me know who has had experience and what airline is best!!!
Jenni,
Why do that? Buy 1 in BTZ. There is a world of options down there.
Wouter
if you have not already left, most major airlines (Delta, United) have a option for checking “oversize” or sports equipment. surfboards are included and you can see fees and the type of carry bag or box required. be aware surfboards can be handled roughly and may arrive damaged. good luck.
Welcome, Jennifer1. When I went to California in 2010 with United, I brought two longboards with me. Spent hours properly protecting them with foam, bubble plastic and the likes, and finally put them inside a special “coffin” bag on wheels. I was pretty sure they were safe but in fact, when I opened the bag in LA, both were dinged, one on the bottom and one on the deck.
Many good shapers here in France (Axel Lorentz, for one, took third place at the Icons of Foam contest a few years ago) will be glad to provide you with a very good longboard, perfectly suited to our waves.
Oversized baggage for Airlines is/are very limited in dimensions - usually height/width/thickness all measured via tape-measure (outside of the board bag - not the board internally wrapped!) and must be less than some arbitrary amount (depends on the airline and sometimes the route for that airline which dictates the plane and thus the cargo hold dimensional restrictions). It can be very confusing. It might be better to ship your board w/ international shipping (DHL, UPS) as you don’t have to deal w/ arbitrary cargo-hold dimensional restrictions. I think most airports have an “air freight” area that is separate from the passenger terminals where you can drop off goods to be shipped. You may want to investigate that option and have your boards flown to the airport of your choice (CDG?) prior to your arrival and then collect them when you arrive w/ your rental car? I also agree that buying a board in France can be a fun option but then you have to decide if you sell or ship it back to the states again which is a whole new set of issues in a (potentially) foreign language. Good luck!