Flying Delta with gear

[wilky]

Hi, I'm new with diving (1 year & loving it!) this will be the frist trip flying with our own gear. We are flying from Canada (mtl) to US (key's).We our going to bring our reg's,masks & dive computers in the carry on's, but Delta still wants to charge us $200each way for one scuba gear bag with bc's,fins,gloves,& boots under 50lbs. Is this the normal charge? or is Delta ripping us?

:shocked2ave.

 

[Bappelt]

I fly with my scuba gear on Delta all the time and pack just as you have said. However, I don't tell them specifically that it's scuba gear, just a checked bag and I've never been charged like that.

 

[herman]

A lot of airlines have a scuba gear policy but it really seems they mean tanks. In any case, just pack it in a normal suit case along with your other items and keep your mouth shut. Bottom line is, it is none of their business what is in the case, just that it is yours and within weight limits. TSA on the other hand does care what is in your case but since all scuba gear (tanks too with some limitations) is acceptable to have in your checked baggage they could care less as well. I have flown Delta a lot of times as well as a lot of other airlines, as long as my luggage is under their weight limit, they don't ask and I don't tell.

On a side note, I highly suggest you buy a digital fishing scale (50 lb version) to weigh your bags. Airlines are getting real picky (money grubbing is more accurate IMO) about overweight bags, even by a pound or 2 so having an accurate way of weighing your bags has become improtant. When packing don't push your bag to the limit, keep it at least 2 or 3 lbs less just in case. And remember, you are likely going to buy stuff to bring back home from your trip, leave weight for that as well....I pack the scale so I can check my bags after packing for the return trip, that saves the shifting of items at the check in line with everyone watching.

Also, I always travel with my regs, mask and computers in my carry on. They are the most expensive part of my gear, the parts I care the most about and are also the heavest one. Often TSA wants to look at them but so far could care less after they see it's dive gear.....just leave the dive knife in the checked baggage. So far, I have never had any airline weight my carry on.....good thing too.

 

[DeputyDan]

Hi, I'm new with diving (1 year & loving it!) this will be the frist trip flying with our own gear. We are flying from Canada (mtl) to US (key's).We our going to bring our reg's,masks & dive computers in the carry on's, but Delta still wants to charge us $200each way for one scuba gear bag with bc's,fins,gloves,& boots under 50lbs. Is this the normal charge? or is Delta ripping us?

:shocked2ave.

Everything Herman says is dead on.

Pack in an ordinary suitcase and keep quiet about its contents.

 

[Marek K]

I agree with the others. As long as each of your bags doesn't exceed the 50-lb and max dimensions limit, doesn't require -- to use the wording off the Delta web site -- "special care," and doesn't include scuba tanks, it just goes as normal checked baggage.

I don't think it's a matter of particularly keeping quiet about the contents, as in you're hiding something. It's just if you highlight -- for some weird reason -- that the bags have scuba equipment, the check-in guys may assume you want "special care" -- which to me would mean manual handling, for the $200 fee.

We find that if we put our regulators and our heavy masks into our carry-on bags, we can easily fit two people's worth of gear (to include BCs) into one 50-lb bag.

 

[wilky]

Thanks, for the info!
Dave

 

[ronbeau]

Hi, I'm new with diving (1 year & loving it!) this will be the first trip flying with our own gear. We are flying from Canada (mtl) to US (key's).We our going to bring our reg's,masks & dive computers in the carry on's, but Delta still wants to charge us $200 each way for one scuba gear bag with bc's,fins,gloves,& boots under 50 lbs. Is this the normal charge? or is Delta ripping us?

:shocked2ave.

I travel with a regular rolling carry-on which contains the following:

BC
Regulator
Dive Computer
Mask (prescription)
Miscellaneous other items

Wet suit and fins go in to checked luggage.
All of my luggage has no logos and no dive related markings.

As suggested by another poster Iis use the following $20 Balanzza portable luggage scale.

::: Balanzza ::: Products Balanzza

I have never been charged such outrageous fees. I have been charged an extra $50 each way but it had nothing to do with the fact I had scuba equipment since the airline has no clue what had in my suitcases.

The only people that know I am traveling with scuba equipment is the TSA.
They happen to know because they Xray the rolling carry-on and occasionally hand search it.

It must be random since I have had times that my wife's carry-on was searched and mine was not and vice-versa even though each contained a BC, regulator, dive computer, batteries etc.

 

[AquaExplorer]

Seems a rip-off to me. Just do not tell them that it is SCUBA gear and have it under the weight limit.