British Airways will no longer carry surfboards

From next month, British Airways will no longer allow passengers to take surfboards and certain other types of sporting equipment with them on board flights.

New rules effective from November 6 will prevent customers checking in surfboards, windsurfing boards and sails, hang gliders, kayaks or canoes, pole vaults and javelins. People wishing to take these items will need to contact a separate freight company and arrange for the delivery of these items to their destination.

The change is due to "the large size and handling complexities" of the items, BA said, and will disappoint those surfers who travel with the airline to surf hotspots such as Newquay and further afield.

Sporting items which are still accepted on BA flights include bicycles, scuba diving tanks, and skis/snowboards.

These items must be packed in a travel case that is specifically designed for that piece of equipment, with bags weighing no more than 23 kilograms.

© Adfero Ltd

Comments

[Dave Hitchis]

This is a disgrace. How is a five kilogram surfboard more difficult to carry than 23kg of snowboarding or diving equipment?

If other airlines follow their lead then surfers and the surf travel industry is in serious trouble.

[Jenny Feast]

What a joke! What about those of us who have already booked trips to say Hawaii? I am a surf coach, how do I travel without my equiptment? I can't believe how insulting this is to athletes worldwide... If I had have known this when booking my ticket home i would have forked out my hard earned cash to another airline.

I hope surfers unite against this stupid decision and boycott an airline doing its best to disrupt the surfers travelling spirit.