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Flying With a Surfboard

What the official policies of the airlines we cover say about travelling with a surfboard, including charges and packing rules.

All quotes below are from the airlines' official policy pages, checked 30 October 2026. Rules change — confirm on the official page before you travel.

AA

American Airlines

Standard 1st/2nd/additional or overweight bag fees apply for most listed sports equipment (golf, skis, snowboards, bicycles, fishing, etc.); $150 sports fee up to 70 lbs / 32 kg for antlers, scuba gear with tanks and windsurf

PA

Philippine Airlines

Snow skis, golf bag, bicycle, fishing equipment, surfboard/wakeboard etc. listed as special baggage; several items FREE if within free baggage allowance and within 62 in (158 cm), otherwise Excess Baggage Charge applies

AF

Air France

Sports equipment up to 23 kg counts as a standard bag (exceptions: surfboard 107-300 cm, scuba tank); golf bag counts as a regular checked item; bicycles/tandems charged as special baggage.

S

Scoot

Sporting equipment (golf clubs, surfboards, canoes, scuba gear, skis, bicycles) counts towards the pre-purchased baggage allowance; excess is charged at usual additional baggage rates. Items over 32kg are not accepted as checked baggage.

AA

ANA (All Nippon Airways)

Sporting equipment (bicycles, surfboards, golf bags, fishing, diving, rackets, ski/snowboard) is checked free if within the free allowance; oversize sports items 158-292cm carry no excess fee, over 292cm not accepted.

Good to know

Special items are the most common reason for surprise airport fees. The pattern across airlines: items that are part of your allowance travel free, items above it need a pre-booked sports/special allowance, and buying at the airport almost always costs more than pre-booking. Use the baggage checker for your airline's standard allowance first, then add the special-item rule from this page.

Board bags are measured by length, so a longboard can breach oversize limits that a shortboard clears. Several airlines price surfboards per board inside the bag, not per bag — declare the real count when you book the sports allowance to avoid airport repricing. Remove fins where they unclip, pad the nose and rails (they take the handling knocks), and photograph the board before check-in: damage claims for boards in soft bags are routinely rejected, so the hard case is worth its weight on long-haul trips.