Some airlines will give extra baggage allowance for scuba gear. But that too is disappearing. You can always ask.
However you need to verify in advance all current details on baggage allowance and
excess baggage charges (
they can be HUGE) and it would not be a bad idea to print it out just before you leave (so it will have a recent time stamp) just in case you have problems as the others have had. If you have some kind of elite frequent flyer status often you will get extra baggage allowance
Silk Air used to have a extra baggage allowance for scuba gear, but I can no longer find that at the web site.
However, you may want to do the math on your potential excess baggage charges. It could get pretty expensive very fast
From 1 April 2008, SilkAir and Singapore Airlines will adopt a zonal matrix to calculate extra baggage charges.
Until 31 March 2008, excess baggage charges per kilogram were based on a
flat 1.5 percent of the highest one-way published Economy fare, from point of departure to your point of arrival.
So if the
highest published fare ONE WAY FARE were USD $1000 (based on a flight leaving LAX for Bali next week on a quote I just got online) (you may have paid much less than that on a round trip basis) it would be about
USD $13 a pound if Cathay Pacific had the same policy as the old Singapore policy.
Something to think about.[/B][/B]
From the Cathy Pacific Web site
Cathay Pacific - FAQs : Baggage Information
2. How much do I need to pay for excess baggage allowance?
All excess baggage will be charged at the applicable local rates.
Please contact our reservations office at your departure city for exact rates.
Cathay Pacific - Contact Us : Worldwide Contacts
Los Angeles Centralized Reservations Number: 1(800) 233-2742
Also in general, you try various methods to get more baggage allowance. Firstly get there early before it gets to busy. Often a friendly airline employee will let you slide.
Weighing your baggage with others on the same flight who have much less than the max. Some airlines (Air New Zealand in an old brochure from 1997) encouraged this in past. I have used this technique several places.
I was
"adopted" back in 1997 in Auckland by a Fijian family who saw I had only hand luggage. We weighed in as a group but were still overweight. The woman at check-in said, "OK, I will give you each 30 KG instead of 20 KG per person". We were still way over. Then she checked passenger load on the flight and said "OK, there are few passengers today, you can take everything, no extra charge, this time." Remember this was New Zealand (never had a single problem there, lovely people) and it was over 10 years ago.
One desperation measure is (if you are willing to look foolish) wearing a lot of clothing. I once boarded in Bangkok heading to Nepal wearing heavy mountaineering boots and a thick Down Jacket.
I have used the leaning the back pack against the side of the scale, while partially supporting some of the weight with my boot to try and decrease the weight on the scale.