Fly the Cattle Cars of United!

[Green Mountain]

Yesterday I just got back from a dive trip to Belize. In the last week I had to fly on 4 different air lines.

I do have a pretty substancial dive back. That is the whole idea of a dive bag. That is to protect your dive gear. I never had a problem taking this bag anywhere. Until I tried to fly out of San Francisco. The check in lady said that my bag was 10 lbs. over weight. And she wanted an additional $25 bucks to take it on. Of course there was a long line in back of me so I guess I was suppose to just pay the extra $25 bucks.

After I told her what I tought of her stinking air line. I opened my dive bag right there. I took out my BC and fins. I draped them around my neck and boarded the plane. Ususally, I only bring on a small camera case and a folder for my travel documents as carry on luggage. The plane didn't weight any less because I took the stuff into the cabin.

So I had to hit all the seated passengers in the noggen with my BC trying to get my stuff on board. Plus I held up all of the folks in the check in line just because United wanted to hussle me out of a few bucks. If United doesn't want scuba divers to fly on thier cattle cars why don't they just say so.

Has anyone else been harassed like this?

 

[Humuhumunukunukuapua'a]

I'm not sure I'd call it harassment, but, yeah, various airlines have wanted to charge me for heavy bags. I either paid it or shuffled stuff to other bags.

It is their rules after all. You could always buy your own plane, since you don't seem to feel they offer a service you need badly enough to comply with their policies

 

[Skeeter1097]

I guess I had better ck my bags. I cary a lot of stuff. My bag must be 50lbs or more. not counting tanks or weights

 

[Diver Dennis]

There are a few airlines that still have the 70 lb. limit, like Cathay who we are flying to the Philippines on Saturday. Westjet in Canada still has the 70 lb. limit but Air Canada doesn't.

 

[ShakaZulu]

I opened my dive bag right there. I took out my BC and fins. I draped them around my neck and boarded the plane. Ususally, I only bring on a small camera case and a folder for my travel documents as carry on luggage. The plane didn't weight any less because I took the stuff into the cabin.

So I had to hit all the seated passengers in the noggen with my BC trying to get my stuff on board.

Get a BP/W setup, much smaller volume.........haha.

When you check in your bags, put another bag in front of the scale and let the bag you check overhang and rest on that one. I get into this all the time with my kiteboarding gear. Also remember that wet gear weighs a lot more....let it dry.

 

[dherbman]

Has anyone else been harassed like this?

Policy is pretty clear. I go heavy on two bags and pay the $25 per bag extra.

I've got a bigger issue with the people that think they should be an exception to the policy, get called out at the counter and waste my time arguing with the people at the counter only to repack their bags the way they should of had them in the first place while holding up the entire line.

Yep, I'm the guy that called you numbnuts as you schlepped your gear to security.

 

[Diver Dennis]

Someone suggested to me that they should have scales before you get into line for those who are not sure. How often are the scales calibrated? I've seen problems when people have been just a couple pounds over.

 

[dherbman]

Someone suggested to me that they should have scales before you get into line for those who are not sure.

That would be a good idea. A better idea is to weigh at home.

 

[scubamickey]

Policy is pretty clear. I go heavy on two bags and pay the $25 per bag extra.

I've got a bigger issue with the people that think they should be an exception to the policy, get called out at the counter and waste my time arguing with the people at the counter only to repack their bags the way they should of had them in the first place while holding up the entire line.

Yep, I'm the guy that called you numbnuts as you schlepped your gear to security.

dherbman: I was the lady behind you shaking my head and agreeing.

The weight limits have nothing to do with scuba divers. Every airline has limits and you need to be prepared to pay, as I have, or very quickly pull out one heavy item and repack.

Now, if they said that you had to pay extra because you had dive gear---then I would get ticked off. But then again, I would have researched this before hand and not found out at the counter

 

[Diver Dennis]

That would be a good idea. A better idea is to weigh at home.

I agree. And if you are going to be over you might as well get close to 70lbs.