Charter Flight + Bag Fees for Scuba Gear?

[Brules]

So with charter services gouging you for $75 wach way for scuba gear, is it better to just stuff your gear in a normal suitcase and avoid their ridiculous fees? I was pretty torqued to find out just now they want $150 just for a bag of scuba gear! :depressed:

Whats everyone doing with their dive gear?

 

[scubamarketing]

I pack very light, most people I know are uncomfortable with how light I pack. I have a Patagonia MLC (Maximum Legal Carry-on) that most of my dive gear fits into perfectly. Then I use a 5.11 Tactical "computer bag" as my personal item. In it, I pack my iPad, electronics accessories, clothes and any other dive gear I can't cram into the MLC. I once had someone say I had two carry-ons, but when I pointed out that my backpack had my "laptop" in it (iPad) and that it did fit under the seat in front of me, they left me alone.

 

[diversteve]

I've always done that (gear in regular bag) I have a rolling duffel that's the largest legal size the domestic airlines accept. It's actually a tennis gearbag with an external racket pocket - my Tusa's fit tightly in it. And protect that side. The bag is pretty lightweight, has wheels, extending handle and a hard plastic grooved bottom. It's been on every dive trip since 2003 (at least twice/yr) and is still relatively unscuffed. Cost me under $50 new IIRC. It takes BC, Fins, light wetsuit, spare mask in a hard case, snorkel, 2 pairs of boots, lights, a lot of clothes, extra shoes, all my misc. non-breakable gear. And still maxes out around 42-45 lbs. I often take some of my buddy's gear - he has an Akona bag.

Regs, video camera/housing, mask, laptop, plus 2 changes of clothes go in my roller bag. It's the max carry-on size. I also roll all the clothes - saves space and they don't wrinkle as bad.

I have but almost never bring a laptop backpack - like above ^ - I've been stopped but allowed to board with both.

 

[Damselfish]

How do they know it's dive gear if you don't tell them? It's the TSA folks who might actually look in your bag, and as long as it's stuff you're allowed to have I don't think they give a rat's patootie what the airline says. Most of the time the TSA agent looking at your stuff probably won't even know what airline you're on or what rules they dreamed up that week.

As far as just stuffing my gear into a "normal" suitcase (in my case a rolling duffel) I wouldn't dream of doing anything else. All my bags are a mixture of dive gear, clothes, and other stuff depending on weight, where stuff fits best, how fragile/valuable - whatever makes the most sense. I don't travel with a "gear" bag. As far as I'm concerned if it's within size and weight restrictions that's all that matters, and I've experienced nothing else when flying. If overweight or an extra bag, you pay the same as any other excess baggage. It's true that charter flights tend to be stricter than others on luggage allowances in general but that's a different matter and a trade-off you are making for presumably a cheaper flight.

Apparently some airlines do have words in their rules about scuba gear, but I suspect most of these originated long ago and were more intended for someone bringing along tanks, and just live on like zombies. I've never had it come up and I've traveled a fair amount. I think these rules got written by uninformed folks and likewise if they ever do get enforced it's also by uninformed employees. But, it is yet another argument for not using bags with scuba logos though, there's just no good reason to attract attention.

 

[Brules]

Yeah I have a Deep Outdoors scuba bag that by itself seems to weight 20lbs! I think I will get a normal suitcase that is ultra light and pack my gear in it this time. I like the MLC thing, but wow are they proud of it!

 

[Mossman]

The problem with "maximum legal carry-ons" is wishful thinking. There are times when no more carry-ons will fit in the overheads, so carry-ons are gate checked. There are planes that don't have overheads big enough for "maximum legal carry-ons", so those get gate checked. There are airlines (namely charter flights) that restrict the maximum carry-on to much smaller than the "maximum legal carry-on" so those get charged and carried as checked bags. There are airlines (namely small planes and even some larger planes outside the U.S., especially in Asia) that severely limit the weight of carry-ons, so "maximum legal carry-ons" are either charged and carried as checked bags or are gate checked. Also, even when a carry-on fits in an overhead, it's still subject to being squashed, smashed, dropped, etc., by flight attendants or other passengers, so it's never a good idea to put anything too delicate in there without lots of padding. I managed once to catch my fanny pack filled with $4500 in lenses and back-up camera inside before it hit the floor after another passenger pulled out his "maximum legal carry-on" and took my fanny pack with it, but only because I was standing right there. I had secured it really well, but apparently the guy moved things around trying to jam in his "maximum legal carry-on".

 

[Diver Kat]

We've always used regular suitcases for our scuba gear on trips. These days we each take a medium sized Delsey bag which gets checked with our fins, wetsuits, BCDs, clothes, etc. Cameras, computers, regs & masks all go in a small rolling carry-on or our small personal bags. Never had any problems.

 

[stevenq99]

I figured the extra $75 was a liability thing. If they happen to loose your bag then they might not pay to replace the scuba gear if you don't pay the fee.

 

[Damselfish]

on an international flight the airlines liability for lost luggage is pathetic. Unless they specifically state the $75 is insurance (which I doubt) then don't expect them to pay for anything more.

 

[Diver Kat]

I figured the extra $75 was a liability thing. If they happen to loose your bag then they might not pay to replace the scuba gear if you don't pay the fee.

Then you'd probably be better off buying trip insurance. I would guess the baggage coverage would be much better than anything the airlines would offer.