With the summer holiday period nearing, many water sport enthusiasts will be planning on travelling abroad in the next few weeks in search of warmer climates. Airport Parking & Hotels (APH) has therefore created a guide comparing airline policies to help travellers prepare for their trip. The research can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website at http://www.aph.com/water-sports-equipment.   

The research reviews the policies of 15 airlines, including British Airways, Emirates, and Virgin Atlantic for travelling with water sports equipment abroad and compares checked baggage allowances, additional costs for equipment and which diving, fishing and board sports equipments are allowed on flights.

The checked baggage allocation differs between airlines, but starts at 20kg, as offered by six of the airlines, including bmi regional, Jet2 and easyJet. Of the 15 airlines researched, booking First Class flights with Emirates provides the highest maximum weight allowance of 50kg.

In relation to supplementary fees, 10 of the airlines researched charge for additional baggage, including Aer Lingus, Delta Air Lines and Icelandair, with the lowest additional baggage fee costing £11-£14 for surfboard equipment on a British Airways flight between Honolulu to Maui in Hawaii, and the highest additional charge costing £187-£242 for excess items and oversized bags on flights with Emirates. The additional baggage fees do of course vary by destinations, equipment dimensions and boarding classes.

For those looking for an adventure beneath the ocean, diving equipment is permitted on 13 of the airlines researched, including KLM, Qantas Group and Virgin Atlantic. Passengers should note that Icelandair does not include diving equipment in their standard baggage allowance and that all airlines' particular guidelines must be followed when it comes to packing diving equipment. For example, Aer Lingus and British Airways state that diving equipment must be packed in recognised kit bags, whereas Monarch, Flybe and Air France specify that scuba diving tanks must be empty.

Fishing equipment is permitted on 10 of the airlines consulted including Jet2, Air France and bmi Regional. Policies for carrying the equipment differ between airlines though, with Norwegian Air specifying that fishing rods must be packed in suitable hard casing and Aer Lingus accepting equipment no longer than 2.05m.

Board sporting baggage is welcomed on all 15 airlines and includes surfboards, windsurfboards, kiteboards, bodyboards, longboards, sailboards, kneeboards, wakeboards, boogie boards and skim boards. Travellers should note that Virgin Atlantic enables passengers to carry either windsurfing or kitesurfing equipment, but will not permit both, and that the carriage of windsurfing equipment, surfboards and wakeboards on Flybe flights is on a standby basis only. Furthermore, water skis are permitted on four airlines, such as bmi regional and Qantas Group, however, Delta Air Lines passengers must note that canoes and kayaks are not allowed. Travellers with Jet2 should also observe that all water sports equipment for carriage must be pre-booked via the Jet2 website or contact centre prior to departure.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH),
Visit www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

ENDS

About Airport Parking and Hotels (APH)
Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is an award winning airport parking operator and retailer, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a sixth year running at British Travel Awards 2015. This year APH also celebrated its 36th year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

Whether you're taking golf-clubs, a snowboard, a bike or a baby seat on holiday, finding out which regulations you have to adhere to can be a headache. To help cut through all the mouse-clicking, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has created an online baggage allowance finder which is easy-to-use and regularly updated with the latest information. The tool can be accessed at:  http://www.aph.com/community/baggage-allowances/.  

Media Enquiries
Fiona Anderson / Libby Hughes / McCluskey International / 020 8747 2170 / aph@mccluskey.co.uk