What to know about packing special items in your luggage
Can I pack that? When it comes to packing, some things are harder than others. Here's what you need to know about guitars, surfboards, wine and more.
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Kayaks: Seattle-based Alaska Airlines is the only U.S. airline allowing kayaks as checked baggage, with the exception of on their smaller SkyWest- or Horizon Air-operated flights. Other airlines restrict kayaks to only the folding kind.
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Musical instruments: Small musical instruments like violins and wind instruments may be carried on the plane as cabin baggage, but do protect them with a hard-shell case. It's the larger instruments that require special accommodations, and in most cases airlines understand the value these items have for a guest, as well as their fragility.
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Bicycles: Bicycles, although common, aren't without their challenges and fees. Airlines require bicycles to have their pedals and other projecting pieces removed or folded, and the handlebars turned parallel with the frame before packing it into a cardboard bike box or hard-shell bike case. Fees per bike for domestic U.S. flights range from $75 on Southwest Airlines, to $150 on United, American, and Delta.
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Scuba gear: Air Tahiti is eager to fly scuba divers (and their gear) to the many islands of the archipelago. Divers should of course follow scuba decompression practice of waiting until 24 hours after a dive to fly, but when that time has passed remember to show a scuba certification card at Air Tahiti check-in to take advantage of the airline's extra 11-lb packing bonus for divers.
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Wine: Oenophiles with travel booked on Alaska Airlines will be happy to learn that the carrier recently expanded their popular "Wine Flies Free" program, which allows passengers to check for free a case of wine (up to 12 bottles) from vineyards in the states of Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and now, California.
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Surfboards: When it comes to figuring out fees, surfers have it easiest thanks to the work of the Wave Tribe surf gear company, which compiles an annual listing of surfboard boardbag fees. On it, airlines like Qantas, Singapore Airlines and KLM rank as "surfer friendly bros" for charging below $100 each.
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Horses: Leslie Byxbee, public relations and social manager for Virgin Atlantic, tells CNN Travel that the "most surprising piece of luggage," a horse saddle box, was checked at Antigua. "It looks like a small fiber-board drum, and is the trunk that the saddle and grooming supplies for a horse or two horses would be transported in. No, we do not accept horses as checked baggage!"