Airport Bags for Gear

[hollywood703]

I use the same Bag as GA Underwater.....as a matter of fact I bought 4 of them. 1 each for me and my wifes gear, and 1 each for clothes. I like the fact that it has 2 seperate compartments. I plut my Mask, Fins and Snorkel on the lower half (BCD just a bit big when its a XL.) And the my BC and Suit in the top half. I Still have plenty of room for other stuff on top of it as well as several other pockets for knickknacks. Handle is good length for someone 6' tall or so.

 

[vfox]

We thought we'd consolidate to just 1 bag for both our sets of gear and the first thing we did at the airport was had to pay additional for over the limit. The other thing is that I couldn't help the hubby heave the bag in & out of the trucks, shuttles, racks, etc.

Having to do check-in is definitely one of the bad parts, but I prefer having my own gear so it's worth it in the end. And since I have to check-in anyway, I check all but the barest of necessities, (reg stays with me), and have just 1 small bag to handle through the airport (and layovers, etc).

 

[sarita75]

here is what I have and use

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5222987

Okay, checking in. I actually ended up getting one of these here cases for my gear and for my husbands. The price tag was "right" and we thought that, with the "in store pickup" option, it made sense to try. We love them. Each one fits one persons kit, minus regulators and lights which I prefer to carry on board. Weights less than 50#s, more along the lines of 31-33# total weight with all my gear inside. I am really impressed with them actually.

 

[MPR]

I know they are expensive and heavy but I use a Pelican box. They have wheels, can lock *securely* with a good padlock, and are nearly indestructible. Yes, I have paid the "extra weight fee", but I have never had an issue with my gear, even going to some nasty places, being compromised in any way.
Or you can stick a few "biohazard" decals on it and fill out the proper forms. That helps curious eyes and hands from fondling it too much. Call it a "custom oral air delivery system".

 

[CompuDude]

Speaking of overweight charges, does anyone actually know what those charges run? I've never had to deal with them before, but I may need to for an upcoming trip. If they're not excessive it will make packing a lot easier... if they're truly horrendous then I'll know what my limits are in terms of packing weight.

 

[sarita75]

I am not sure about most airlines (and can't find any information from UAL [the carrier I fly most])- but here is Southwest's and JetBlue, both of which seem to be quite reasonable:

Southwest:
Excess Baggage: Excess baggage will be charged at the rate of $50.00 each for the first (1st) through the ninth (9th) extra bag and $110.00 for each piece checked thereafter.

Weight and Size Allowance: Maximum weight is 50 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage. Effective March 1, 2005, overweight items from 51 to 70 pounds will be accepted for a charge of $25.00 per item. Items weighing from 71 to 100 pounds and oversized items in excess of 62 inches but not more than 80 inches (i.e., surfboards, bicycles, vaulting poles) will be accepted for a charge of $50.00 per item. Any item weighing more than 100 pounds must be shipped as Air Cargo. However, Customers cannot use SWA Cargo unless classified as a Known Shipper as defined by the TSA or TSA approved Indirect Air Carriers (IAC). For full details about shipping cargo, visit swacargo.com. <LI class=listDoubleSpace>From: http://southwest.com/travel_center/baggage.html


JetBlue:
Domestic Flights
Note: Flights to and from Puerto Rico follow the domestic baggage allowance.Free Baggage Allowance

• You may bring two bags per person free of charge.
• Each bag must NOT exceed 62 inches in overall dimensions (length plus widthplus height) and can NOT exceed 50 pounds.

Excess, Overweight, or Oversized Baggage

• Excess, overweight, or oversized baggage may be checked on a load availability basis per the guidelines below:
• Excess bags will be accepted for a fee of $50 per bag. Overweight Bags: 51 - 70 pounds: $20 per bag 71 - 99 pounds: $50 per bag Bags over 99 pounds are NOT accepted. Oversized bags: 63 - 80 inches: $50 per bag Bags over 80 inches are NOT accepted.

 

[CompuDude]

Ok, thanks! Here's hoping international flights (on other carriers) are as reasonable! It's totally worth $25 or so to not have to sweat every ounce quite so much. If I was looking at an extra $100 for each leg of the trip, however...

 

[sarita75]

Yeah, I would be worried about that too. I think it's always best to call the airlines about 1-2 weeks ahead of time. I have witnessed way too many unhappy travellers who got to the airport thinking they could just check a god-awful # of suitcases, weighing a ton, only to be told they can but it will cost them... alot.

 

[skynscuba]

Yeah, I would be worried about that too. I think it's always best to call the airlines about 1-2 weeks ahead of time. I have witnessed way too many unhappy travellers who got to the airport thinking they could just check a god-awful # of suitcases, weighing a ton, only to be told they can but it will cost them... alot.

Some airlines have "embargo season" when you cannot take addtional bags, even
by paying extra.

 

[Buoyant1]

Careful on some of the flights into the Keys...some of those have a bag limit (and if they are overweight, they start removing stuff from the plane) So make sure you have everything you need to dive in case a bag gets delayed!

For my trip to Florida in Jan 2006, I used a regular every day rolling suitcase, stuffed all of my equipment (Wetsuit, BC, Fins, booties as well as my boat bag and a few other things) and it weighed 49LBS! For the trip home I opted to ship a few things, only because I knew that if anything was still slightly damp, it would be overweight!

One nice thing for future trips by plane to the Keys...In Key Largo, there's a UPS store at the mall next door to the main marina where the dive boats go out (MM100) and the person there said if I wanted, the next time I come down, to have things shipped from our UPS store to there, and I could pick it up on the way through...not a bad deal depending on which way I get there!