European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse An airline passenger Waits in line with a pair of skis which usually Fly for Luggage what flies and what does t by James t. Yenckel the Washington Post the tall Young Man in front of me in the Airport Check in line rolled a sleek Bic Cycle Forward As the line progressed. Dressed in hiking shorts and a baggy to shirt he was c Learly bound for a bicycling Holiday but his plans took a bit of a Tumble before the trip had even begun. Quot nothing doing a said the Check in clerk eyeing the bicycle. The airline could not accept the Bike until it was properly packed in a bicycle Box a a task requiring that it be partially disassembled. And there was t time enough before the flight departed. In the end the Eye list c aught his plane and his lather set about boxing the bicycle according to the airline s Rule s so that it could go out on the next flight. Like other travellers before him the Young Man had discovered the hard Way that special restrictions Are imposed on Bulky or Odd shaped objects they Hope to take along on a flight. What s More airlines often charge an additional Loo to transport larger items of sporting equipment such As bicycles surfboards sailboards hang gliders kayaks and scuba diving gear. For a bicycle the one Way baggage charge1 on i Donu Stic i Light generally Range s from $18 to $4 5, according to Bud Reed of Vermont bicycle Louring of Bristol vt., who says he has Quot schleppy d bicycle s ill Ove r the on International a lights Howe Vor Bike s usually try tree. I the years passengers have shown up at the Airport with the1 oddest of items to be diet ked and nowadays the airline s Are ready for Lyle ill. Should you Happi n to be Pae King a vaulting pole along 011 your Holiday United airlines has establish ii a one Way i in of $45, provide d the pole Ini lulling i use is no longer than i it feet. Any longer and it won t lit into the i Urgo hold of a booing 727 or a ii of Aie a Suci Essul big Gume Hunter i Hei King the in leis As baggage on the flight Home is also a $ is i Large and the Antler tips must be covered so that they cannot cause an injury or damage other Luggage. United s fee schedule also lists the one Way charge for surfboards under 9 feet in length at $45, and the Cost is the same for scuba tanks which must be empty. Northwest airlines charges $45 one Way for so called Quot Boogie boards Quot popular for body boarding at the Beach and $50 for a kayak and paddles. Unlike United it assesses no fee for scuba gear according to spokeswoman Christy Clapp. Cellists and other musicians carrying Large instruments to an International musical festival or school also May find they have to pay an additional Cost to be sure the instrument arrives safely. The Best but also the most expensive Way is to buy a second ticket for the instrument a usually for the same amount As your ticket a and Reserve the seat next to yours. Hang gliding enthusiasts face a different problem. They grumble that most airlines Are reluctant to accept their flight gear As checked baggage requiring instead that it be sent As air cargo which is More expensive. The glider pilots argue that their equipment can be As manageable packaged As windsurfing gear and should Fly at the same rate which generally is $75 one Way. Sometimes an airline representative will agree but usually they Don to says p. More of the . Hang gliding association in Colorado Springs Colo. As a Rio sult Quot very few i Ople Fly to a hang gliding destination big cause the airline s give them such Grid Over 1 he airlines c two major reasons for charging Lees on sporting equipment Bulky items take up valuable cargo space according to spokeswoman i is t Lson of american airline s and Nam v Vaughan of us air. And they require special handling. American i barges $75 one was on Domestic flights to transport a Sailboard Sas Olson by cause it has to i hand carried by baggage personnel then Moed in i Horneyer bilt. Generally am item is i considered outsize it it weighs More than Al pounds and the sum of its external dimensions length height and Width a exceeds 62 inches. Two or three pieces of Luggage not exceeding these limits can be checked free on . Airlines depending on the Carrier. On some foreign airlines the Luggage allowance is based on weight. Passengers usually Are limited to no More than 44 pounds of Luggage for each Economy class ticket and 66 pounds for business and first class travel. On Domestic flights however some Large items such As ski equipment Golf clubs fishing gear Bowling balls backpacks bows and arrows and sporting firearms usually Fly free. They Are considered a substitute for one piece of the free baggage you Are allowed to Check with each ticket. For Security reasons Hunting rifles and other firearms and Archery gear Are never permitted in a plane Cabin and must always be checked. On International flights the rules Are different. Many major airlines Fly skis and bicycles free but there is a charge for Golf clubs. A typical charge for a bag of clubs is $40 one Way. The fees for checking outsize items vary by airline As clothe requirements for special packing. Some sporting gear May not fit on Little commuter aircraft. It you know you will be flying with a Large or unusual object you should phone the airline in Advance to obtain specific details. Reservations clerks have the information stored in their c computers. It is Wise to get the name of the person who provides the information noting the Date and time you called. Some airlines offer free boxes for bicycles and other sporting gear although not All of them do so. But Don t count on the airline always having a Box on hand at the Airport you Are flying from warns Reed. You May want to Call ahead to the Airport to Detis mine if there Are boxes in plentiful Supply or who could Pic k tip a Box in Advance at the Airport or get one from a local bicycle shop. For the traveler the Inco menies nce of Pai King and toting sporting eco ii ment and the Cost of i Hei King it i m an airline11 Ouzel lie important Tai tors m deciding whether to take along sporting gear or to rent it at it our destination. In some casts renting is cheaper or More practical or both Tor the average vacationer. 24 stripes Magazine november 28, 799/ and
