Question for fellow Canadians flying Air Canada to Caribbean

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BettyfromToronto

Contributor
Messages
679
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Location
Cozumel, Mexico
# of dives
200 - 499
Well we've booked our flights to Montego Bay, Jamaica using Air Canada Aeroplan points. Now I'm checking baggage allowance and it seems to only be one bag (50 pounds) per person. How do you take your own gear + clothes, etc????

We usually fly Sunwing (to Cuba twice plus to Roatan in February). Their weight allowance is lower at 44 lbs BUT they do allow our dive bags to go for free.

Website says we can pre-register our dive bags for a cost of $20/flight. That's an extra $80 both ways. Unless we can get everything in the one larger dive bag and keep it under the 50 lb limit. :shocked2:

Now I'm wondering if we even need to take our own BCD & regs as we are going to Couples Negril and everything (except the wetsuits) are free to use. Maybe our wetsuits, fins & booties x 2 can fit in one bag under 50 lbs. Our masks are prescription so they always go in our carry-on along with our dive computers.

Hmm. What have other fellow Canadians done when flying AC to the Caribbean?
 
take fewer clothes! and pack your carry on wisely - they do not weigh it.

100 lbs between 2 people is a lot of stuff when you think about it.

if your focus is diving then cut down on non dive stuff.
if you are fairly casual about diving, then cut down on dive stuff.

since my trips are very scuba focused i take minimal clothes: i wear a single pair of sandals and do not pack any other footwear (this approach is fairly extreme and backfired a bit when we got stranded in newark snow storm on our return from bonaire at xmas - slush and sandals do not mix well). my whole point is to serious question each item you stick in your luggage.

and you may just have to get used to including the hidden cost of extra luggage in the price of your flight.
 
Air Canada also allows for a second bag for sport equipment. Scuba gear qualifies for ''sport equipment''. Check Air Canada web site for laugage allocation.
 
They don't include sport equipment anymore. Pack as much as you can in your carry-on and try to fit the rest in one large luggage. Don't forget you can also have a "personnal item", which can be a computer bag, purse, camera, etc... Otherwise, 20 bucks isn't a big deal when you spend a lot for a scuba trip...

My carry-on is only for photo gear, laptop and a swimsuit, and then it's full. The rest goes in 2 checked bags and I pay the fee.
 
My wife and I each have a large hard side suitcase that takes a few clothes and all our dive gear (except regs) and my camera gear, and still weighs under 50 pounds. And we each carry a "well packed" carry-on bag for the regs and clothes. No problem. :D

I actually have AC Super Elite status and could take lots more, but I find that's more than enough luggage to schlep around in the heat.
 
D4mn... They don't include sport equipment anymore! One more reason to deal with Transat, Canjet or Sunwing... Those three also include meal and wine.

Air Canada no longer deserve my business!
 
Thanks everyone. Great advice.

Yes Polar Diver no more free sport bags on AC. $20 for each flight. That would be $80 more. That's why we like Sunwing too. But we're using points so only $136/ticket versus $503.

I think I'll take pjhansman's advice and just take two large hard sided suitcases with our dive gear + clothes. They won't know what's in them. :D

I'm reading that Couples AI is very casual. Swimsuit + coverup all day; shorts the rest of the time including dinner except at one fancy restaurant. But how much can a pair of pants & proper shoes weigh? (Yes men have to wear closed toe shoes at this one restaurant). The rest all allow shorts.

On a side note; we are going to Hong Kong in January 2012 and AC says we can have two suitcases each. BUT if one is a dive bag then it can only have dive related stuff in it. Huh??? My two baggage allowance should have whatever I want in them. We'll have to think this one thru a bit as we need to be able to fly HK to the Phillipines on an airline with a baggae allowance that is very small from what I hear. :shocked2:

Whoa...the troubles we have. :D

Thanks again everyone
 
My wife and I each have a large hard side suitcase that takes a few clothes and all our dive gear (except regs) and my camera gear, and still weighs under 50 pounds. And we each carry a "well packed" carry-on bag for the regs and clothes. No problem. :D

I actually have AC Super Elite status and could take lots more, but I find that's more than enough luggage to schlep around in the heat.
So are you saying you pack your scuba gear and clothes in the same checked bag? I am really confused about this, on the AC website they specify "only" dive gear and no other items in checked bag? Doesn't make sense you have to pay for the weight anyway, what does it matter whats in the bag??
 

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