Author Topic: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?  (Read 13100 times)

14 West

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Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« on: February 08, 2014, 04:30:35 PM »
Heading O'er to Maui for 15 days in just under 2 weeks, flying Alaska. As per usual I am trying to interpret the ambiguous set of baggage rules.

Seems to me Windsurfing or Surfing gear is regular checked bagged if it is under 50 lbs and linear (L+W+H) 62", and $75 if it is over and up to 100 lbs and/or linear 115". The confusing part is of course is the linear inches bit.

Near as I can tell most 85L Windsurfing boards are about 89" x 23" x 4" or so for a total of 116". So it sounds like they allow windsurfing boards, but since no board is under what they allow they don't really allow it. Likewise with my 7'7" x 27" SUP i'll encounter similar issues.

Anyone done it recently and how did it work out?
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daswusup

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2014, 05:00:17 PM »
I would be more worried about them wrecking or loosing your board. Maui is a sup renter's paradise. I reserved a star board for 8 days for $172 US with paddle leash and car rack. They have some pretty small boards available too. here is where I got it:

http://www.kanahakai.com/gear-rentals.html
I would guess that you will pay close to that for bringing your own.
I will be there from 2/17-25th see you out there!

PonoBill

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2014, 05:28:58 PM »
Did it recently, but with Hawaiian and a 8' 9" simsup. It's pretty random. I didn't get charged anything from PDX to Oahu, but Oahu to Maui they charged me $75 and said the PDX folks made a mistake.

Print out a copy of the rules and bring it with you. They generally back off pretty quick when they aren't certain. Often worthwhile to use curbside check in if you can since those guys care a lot more about their tip than they do collecting for the airline.

If your board is in a good bag you are unlikely to have a damage problem. I find Hawaiian treats surfboards with extra care, but Alaska is fine too.  

Take the fins off of course. I would expect anyone to understand that, but I saw the result of someone who didn't.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

starman

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2014, 05:32:32 PM »
 The cost and hassle of flying a SUP to Hawaii makes zero sense these days. Only thing you may consider is your paddle. Lots of really nice boards available however the rental paddles can be a joke. The airlines have made flying with oversized luggage near impossible and VERY $$$.

Cardiff Sweeper

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #4 on: February 08, 2014, 06:01:56 PM »
$50 each way for my Sup.

8'0"x28"

They ask how big your board is at the desk, but not if its a standup.

The benefit of having a smaller one pays off. :)


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14 West

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2014, 03:31:05 PM »
I would be more worried about them wrecking or loosing your board. Maui is a sup renter's paradise. I reserved a star board for 8 days for $172 US with paddle leash and car rack. They have some pretty small boards available too. here is where I got it:

Unfortunately no one rents 7'7" Pro's or similar, so I have no choice but to bring my own. Sounds like Cardiff had no issues on the same airline last month so I should be fine as well. $50 each way is a lot cheaper than $172 x 2 (there twice as long) and having to ride some barge.

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Cardiff Sweeper

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Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2014, 04:41:17 PM »
14

Schweitzer Paddle Sports should have a 7'7"!

Check with Bart DeZwart at Kanaha Kai. He does carry smaller Starboards.

Hi-Tech also has a 7'10" Airborne (the orange one) to demo. I saw it with my own eyes!

You have many options, my friend. :)



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14 West

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2014, 05:15:10 PM »
I tried the airborne a couple times, not a fan at all :-(

Maybe if I used it more, but it just isn't the same ride as the 7-7.
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supdiscobay

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2014, 05:25:33 PM »
We took ours over on Hawaiian Air, at a cost of $100 each way, with up to two boards per container (bag), up to 50lbs.  Stuffed my shortboard into my SUP bag.  We were going for three weeks, so taking our boards was cheaper.  

The only problem was when I opened up my boardbag, I had six 1/2" holes punctured into the board.  Got some epoxy and cloth and a few tools at Lowes, and fixed them myself. Last year I had no board problems flying them over.  

Our friends rented boards from Bart at Kanaha Kai.  He was great and had a good selection of boards (Starboards). Between, Hi-Tech, Second Wind, and several other shops, within 1 mile of the airport, you can rent just about anything. SUP for a week tends to run around $190+/- a week. Downwind boards are about $35-50/day, depending on what you want.  SIC's are higher.
Enjoy!!
8'5" Starboard Pocket Rocket, 8'0" Kazuma Fugu custom,  8'10" Kings Sidewinder, 10' Starboard Noserider, 14' BARK Carbon Dominator, SIC F16 V3, KeNalu and Quickblade paddles, 19' Eaton Prone, 67" Goode 9700

Menlo SUPr

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2014, 06:35:53 PM »
14

Schweitzer Paddle Sports should have a 7'7"!

Check with Bart DeZwart at Kanaha Kai. He does carry smaller Starboards.

Hi-Tech also has a 7'10" Airborne (the orange one) to demo. I saw it with my own eyes!

You have many options, my friend. :)


The Schweitzers at Maui Sports Adventures had a great selection of high performance boards (most of the Starboard line), and they're great people.

14 West

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #10 on: February 10, 2014, 11:01:51 AM »
FYI - I got in contact with MSA and the smallest board they currently have is the 8'5" Pro which is the same as what Kanaha Kai has. They did however say they might be getting a 7-7 and 8-0 in the future. It's not clear in either case whether these are AST or Carbon boards, but I suspect the prior. So renting really isn't an option.
Don't forget to bring a towel!

LeftSide

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #11 on: February 10, 2014, 11:21:32 AM »
Just call Alaskan?

14 West

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #12 on: February 10, 2014, 12:07:37 PM »
Just call Alaskan?

Haha, have you tried calling an airline lately? I did a month or two ago... the hold message said, "The approximate wait time is 1.5 hours...." and as some noted, what someone tells you on the phone has little bearing on how they interpret the policy at the ticket gate.
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blackeye

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #13 on: February 10, 2014, 03:11:04 PM »
...I had six 1/2" holes punctured into the board.  

Is a hard shell case for a board practical?

Cover your board with plastic, then laminate a few layers of glass on one side, then the other. Maybe incorporate some half-round ribs as stringers. Strap the two halves together clamshell style. Not bulletproof, but might prevent some stupid damage.

downwinddave

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Re: Heading to Maui - Anyone flown Alaska w/ a SUP lately?
« Reply #14 on: February 10, 2014, 09:24:29 PM »
It's not clear in either case whether these are AST or Carbon boards, but I suspect the prior. So renting really isn't an option.
OMG The horror!   >:(

 


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