Baggage allowance for divers to Statia using Winair

[nitrogenfixx]

Would anyone have recent knowledge of the baggage weight allowance for divers using Winair, flying from St. Maarten to Statia. The Winair website indicates each person is allowed one bag at 50 pounds. However; I have read that divers are allowed additional baggage. If so, how much additional baggage , per diver, is allowed? We are going to Statia on Dec. 26, 2009.
I would appreciate any information.
Thank you.
Safe Travels and Good Diving.
:blinking:

 

[Jeff Toorish]

I don't know this airline specifically but I have written a good deal about traveling with scuba gear and here are some general considerations.

First of all, call the airlines not once but twice. Ask them specifically about scuba gear and exactly how it is handled. A couple of days later, call again. If you get the same basic information on the second call, you can probably bank on it being accurate. But if there are substantial differences, the chances are their policies are not specific or else someone on the other end is freelancing an answer. It is remarkable how often someone gives an answer that is reasonable and pretty straightforward sounding, only to find out it is absolutely false.

Based on what I see on their website, most likely the scuba gear will fly standby if you check it. That means it will be put on your plane after pretty much everything else. It could be days before your gear shows up.

For some reason, airlines seem to treat golf equipment differently and I know several people who are in the dive industry that carry their gear in a hard golf case. You might consider that.

It is actually remarkable how easy it is to get most scuba gear into a carry-on, so consider carrying on your gear and checkng everything else. Personally, I can live without most of the things I travel with, but not my gear. Carrying on your gear works for recreational diving in warm water but not for technical gear. If you can't carry on everything, then carry the things you really need and check the rest. If you have custom regs or prescription masks, carry those on. The same goes for camera gear.

Here are some other tips for traveling with dive gear: Tips for traveling with dive gear | Trends & Tips | Expert Advice | Club Med Insider

I would be interested to know how you make out if you want to shoot me an E-mail after your trip.

Jeff

 

[nitrogenfixx]

Jeff:
Thank you for taking your time to furnish me with info.
The "problem" with the Winair flight is that you are allowed only a six pound carryon.
That must include your personal item, such as a purse. The carryon item must fit below the seat. These are small aircraft and their web site states they are not allowed to have any "carryon baggage" inside the aircraft, other than what i indicated.
We have traveled on many dive trips, but have not encountered this strict a baggage policy.
When we contact Winair, their reply is: one bag/50 pound per person, and must be checked. Frankly, we don't know how any diver can get all their equipment and clothing for a 9 day trip, along with a few backup items, such as a spare regulator setup.
Thank you again for your help.
Safe Travels and Good Diving.
Sandy

 

[ScubaMarc]

Be very skeptical about winair, 1st time using them in 2007, they left the luggage to travel on the next flight and when I inquired why, they said "we did not think you needed it"

2nd flight, 2008, we were bumped off the flight to saba. So we took the ferry instead, when we got to saba, we found someone who was on the 20 seater plane. There was only 4 passengers on the flight, plenty of seats.

I know this does not help you directly.

If you can, take any other way.

 

[joystershell]

Jeff:
Thank you for taking your time to furnish me with info.
The "problem" with the Winair flight is that you are allowed only a six pound carryon.
That must include your personal item, such as a purse. The carryon item must fit below the seat. These are small aircraft and their web site states they are not allowed to have any "carryon baggage" inside the aircraft, other than what i indicated.
We have traveled on many dive trips, but have not encountered this strict a baggage policy.
When we contact Winair, their reply is: one bag/50 pound per person, and must be checked. Frankly, we don't know how any diver can get all their equipment and clothing for a 9 day trip, along with a few backup items, such as a spare regulator setup.
Thank you again for your help.
Safe Travels and Good Diving.
Sandy

I was part of a group that traveled to Saba last summer. I traveled by ferry, so had no baggage restrictions. Others took the plane, and had to pack very frugally. New, lightweight dive bags, stuffed to the max with minimal gear, minimal clothes and even an underwater camera. Everybody made it, with all of their baggage.

 

[nitrogenfixx]

Thank you all, for your info.
We much preferred using a ferry, however; one is not running to Statia from St. Maarten. We do use lightweight luggage.
Winair said they would allow an additional 22 pounds, per diver, but it must be a separate piece of luggage and contain only dive gear. That statement leads us to believe we may not get that additional piece of luggage on the same flight with us to Statia.
YES, we are quite concerned about using Winair, but have no other method of getting to Statia.
Safe Travels and Good Diving.
Sandy

 

[smsacumen]

I have flown Winair from SXM to Saba multiple times and always had a good experience with no baggage issues. Will be flying them again to Statia and Saba this February.

 

[jlbdiver]

I too have flown Winair several times to Saba without an issue and will fly them in October 2010 to Statia for a week and then on to Saba for a week. The ferry is always an option if the plane is a bother. I wonder how my Dive Caddy will work? Certainly more than 6 pounds but I can probably check it plane side. At least I should be able to see it get loaded. But hey at least Winair is not Liat.