Kiteboard Fees - Flying with Kitesurfing Boards and Equipment

When planning on taking your kitesurfing gear with you, make sure the airline you are flying with will accept your kiteboard and kites as checked luggage.

Even though kites pack up quite small, and kiteboards are typically the same size as wakeboards and small surfboards, some airlines will charge an excessive amount for taking your gear on your flight. [AMZ asins='B01BN1W5G6,B01465RK8E,B00NIYJF6U,B003EBV7XG']

Look for airlines that will accept your kitesurf gear for free, in place of one of your checked bags, or for just a small fee. Another option is to pack your kites and lines into your regular suitcase, and simply rent a board at your destination.

If bringing your kiteboard with you on an airline that charges an excessive amount for kitesurfing gear, you could pack your kites into your suitcase, and claim the board as a surfboard, wakeboard, or snowboard (depending on your destination) to pay a lower fee.

Some travelers have had success avoiding airline fees by packing their kitesurfing gear into kiteboarding travel bags labeled as golf equipment, as many airlines accept golf equipment for free or at a reduced rate. Keep in mind that some airlines are catching on to this, so you may have some difficulty passing it off as golf clubs. Some people recommend to pack to pack a golf club or two into your bag bag, to be able to prove that it is in fact golf equipment in the bag.

Airline Name	Accepts Kitesurfing Equipment?	Included in Allowance?	Cost	Policy / Comments
Aer Lingus		No	40-50 EUR	View Policy
Aeroflot		Yes	Free	View Policy
Aerolineas Argentinas		No	$50 - $100 USD	View Policy
Aeromexico		No	$75 - $165 USD	View Policy
AHA! Airlines		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees	View Policy
Air Algerie		Yes	Free	View Policy
Air Belgium		No	100-175 EUR	View Policy
Air Berlin		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
Air Canada		Yes	$100 CAD/USD	View Policy
Air Europa		No	EUR 150	View Policy
Air France		Yes	Included / 65 - 125 EUR	View Policy
Air New Zealand		Yes	Free - Standard Baggage Fee	View Policy
Air Panama		Yes	$20-$30	View Policy
Air Transat		Yes	Free - Standard Baggage Fee	View Policy
Alaska Airlines		Yes	$35-$45	View Policy
Allegiant Air		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees	View Policy
American Airlines		No	See Policy	View Policy
Andes Lineas Aereas		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
ArkeFly		No	EUR 65	View Policy
Arkia Israeli Airlines		No	See Policy	View Policy
Aserca		No	$15 - $75 USD	View Policy
Austrian Airlines		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
Avelo Airlines		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees	View Policy
Avianca		Yes	$150 ($25 - $150 USD)	View Policy
AZUL Brazilian Airlines		Yes	$150	View Policy
BahamasAir		Yes	$75 USD	View Policy
Belavia		No	Free	View Policy
Boliviana de Aviacion		Yes	Free	View Policy
Breeze Airways		Yes	$40-$50 USD	View Policy
British Airways		Yes	Free - Standard Baggage Fee	View Policy
Brussels Airlines		Yes	See Policy - FREE	View Policy
Bulgaria Air		No	See Policy	View Policy
Bulgarian Air Charter		No	Free	View Policy
Caribbean Airlines		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees + $75 USD	View Policy
Cathay Pacific		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
Cayman Airways		No	$95 USD	View Policy
Condor		No	50-135 EUR ($115-$160 USD)	View Policy
Contour Airlines		Yes	Not Accepted	View Policy
Copa Airlines		Yes	$150 USD	View Policy
Croatia Airlines		No	See Policy - FREE	View Policy
Czech Airlines		Yes	See Policy - FREE	View Policy
Delta Airlines		Yes	Free - Standard Baggage Fee	View Policy
Eastern Airlines		Yes	Free	View Policy
Eastern Airways		No	30 GBP	View Policy
EasyJet		No	45 - 55 GBP	View Policy
Edelweiss Air		No	Free	View Policy
El Al		No	$100-$200	View Policy
Emirates		Yes	Included as Checked Bag	View Policy
Etihad Airways		Yes	Free - Overweight Fee	View Policy
Eurowings		No	from 50 EUR	View Policy
Fiji Airways		Yes	See Policy - $65-$200	View Policy
Finnair		Yes	See Policy - 150-300 EUR	View Policy
Flair Airlines		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
FlyNiki		No	See Policy	View Policy
Frenchbee		No	100 EUR - 125 EUR	View Policy
Frontier Airlines		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees + $75 USD	View Policy
Germania		No	60 EUR	View Policy
Germanwings		No	from EUR 50	View Policy
Gol Airlines		Yes	Included	View Policy
Hainan Airlines		No		View Policy
Hawaiian Airlines		No	$25-$475 USD	View Policy
Iberia Airlines		Yes	0 - 45 EUR	View Policy
Iceland Air		No	$83-$116 USD (77-108 EUR)	View Policy
Insel Air		No	USD 100 + 40	View Policy
Interjet		Yes	Free - $30 USD	View Policy
ITA Airways		No	40-90 EUR	View Policy
jet2.com		No	30 GBP	View Policy
JetBlue		Yes	$100 USD / £80 / €90	View Policy
Jettime		No	51 EUR	View Policy
KLM		No	40-250 EUR	View Policy
Korean Air		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
LAN		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
LATAM		Yes	$40-$150 USD	View Policy
Level Airlines		Yes	95 EUR / 105 USD	View Policy
LIAT Leeward Island Air Transport		No	$80 USD	View Policy
LOT Airlines		Yes	Free	View Policy
Lufthansa		Yes	Free	View Policy
Lufthansa		Yes	Free	View Policy
Monarch Airlines		No	See Policy	View Policy
MyAustrian Holidays		No	30 EUR	View Policy
Neos Air		No	$230-$250 USD	View Policy
Norse Atlantic Airways		No	$130-$175	View Policy
Norwegian		No	35-60 EUR	View Policy
Pacific Coastal		No	$78.75	View Policy
Pegasus Airlines		No	See Policy	View Policy
PLAY Airlines		No	$83-$190 USD / 51-145 EUR	View Policy
Porter Airlines		Yes	$100	View Policy
Qantas		Yes	FREE	View Policy
Qatar Airways		Yes	Free - See Policy	View Policy
Ryanair		No	35-65 EUR / GBP	View Policy
SAS Scandinavian Airlines		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees	View Policy
SATA Azores Airlines		No	25-55 EUR	View Policy
Silver Airways		Yes	Standard Baggage Fees	View Policy
Sky Airline		Yes	$29 USD - $61 USD	View Policy
Skywest Airlines		No	See Policy	View Policy
SmartWings		No	59 EUR	View Policy
Southwest		Yes	$75 USD	View Policy
Spirit Airlines		Yes	$100 USD	View Policy
Star Peru		Yes	Free	View Policy
Sun Country Airlines		No	$100 USD	View Policy
Sunwing		No	$75 CAD	View Policy
Surinam Airways		No	$50 - $185 USD	View Policy
Swiss International Airlines		Yes	Free - See Policy	View Policy
Swoop Airlines		No	Standard Baggage Fees	View Policy
TACA		Yes	See Policy	View Policy
TAME		Yes	Included	View Policy
TAP Portugal		No	60-130 EUR / 77-162 USD	View Policy
Thomas Cook		No	45-65 GBP / 50-75 EUR	View Policy
Thomson Airways		No	See Policy	View Policy
Transavia.com		No	52 EUR	View Policy
TUIfly		No	65 EUR	View Policy
Turkish Airlines		No	30-60 EUR	View Policy
United Airlines		Yes	$100-$200 + USD/CAD	View Policy
Virgin America		No	$50 USD	View Policy
Virgin Atlantic		Yes	Free - Standard Baggage Fee	View Policy
Virgin Australia		Yes	Free - Standard Baggage Fee	View Policy
VivaAerobus		No	$30-69 USD	View Policy
Volaris Airlines		No	$40-$200 USD	View Policy
Vueling		No	55+ EUR	View Policy
Westjet		No	$150-$250	View Policy
Wizz Air		No	45 - 65 EUR	View Policy
XL Airways France		No	See Policy	View Policy

Comments / Discussion / Questions

Let us know your personal experience or ask any questions here in the comments section below. You will need to login using your Emote or Google account. Be sure to upvote any helpful comments for other travellers preparing for their trip :-)