restrictions on rod length when flying

[bigcreekdad]

thinking about flying up to NW ontario ratherthan driving. Does anyone know what the length restrictions are? Going to be flying Northwest. Also, are there any decent 2 piece muskie rods out there?

[HTHM]

I flew from BC to Hamiltonvia westjet with a 2 piece 10'6" with no problems at all. Just pack it in a piece of 2" diameter poly pipe cut to the right length with padded caps on each end. It will go on the aircraft as oversize luggage.

If you are on a small carrier I would suggest asking them.

[jace]

the size restriction limit for outdoor gear is 115 linear inches for L,W, and H (as opposed to 62") and that will count as your one free checked bag. ..so now i'll be travelling very light this year with everything that can fit in carry-on, and i'll have to buy everything else i need when i'm there.

 

 

the other fees that might affect you are $25 for additional bags, another $50 if it exceeds the 62", and an additional $50 if it's over 50# with a 70# max.

This is pretty much all airlines going anywhere. There are a few exempt flight destinations but not enough to matter. There are some smaller flights with no free checked baggage allowance.

[JohnF]

My experience is that the rules have all changed in recent years. Any time I'm flying and carrying rec gear (golf or scuba gear) I contact the airline ahead of time and ask what their rules are. I see folks carrying beach rods onto the planes going to Mexico and Florida all the time. It appears that some airlines let you actually carry it onto the plane if it will fit in the overhead compartments. But it may be cheaper to carry yer reels and buy a rod there. You might even be able to sell it when yer done, or give it to the guide who was most helpful. I've found that no matter where yer going, it's usually possible to get in touch with someone there about gear. Ask around.

 

JF

[solopaddler]

I'm travelling to Alaska in September, meeting a friend who's out there.

After mulling over the potential problems involved in transporting a bunch of rods worth a fair bit of coin I've come up with a solution that works for me.

I'm going to mail my rods expresspost to my bud in AK, and mail them back to my home before leaving Anchorage.

[JohnF]

I'm travelling to Alaska in September, meeting a friend who's out there.

After mulling over the potential problems involved in transporting a bunch of rods worth a fair bit of coin I've come up with a solution that works for me.

I'm going to mail my rods expresspost to my bud in AK, and mail them back to my home before leaving Anchorage.

 

I know some divers who do that with their expensive gear.

 

JF

[mikeymikey]

As a airline employee...I say it depends on a aircraft.

 

Smaller Regional Jets or Dash 8s can not hold anything longer than... say~ 6'6" or so. There just isn't much in the cargo bin. If it's something Boeing 737s you can even check in your 1 piece 10' rod if you want. I have seen even longer items.

 

Like I said, you need to call the airline and find out what type of aircraft it will be.

 

btw my guess is that it'll be a regional jets or small prop.

Edited August 5, 2008 by mikeymikey

[jace]

I'm travelling to Alaska in September, meeting a friend who's out there.

After mulling over the potential problems involved in transporting a bunch of rods worth a fair bit of coin I've come up with a solution that works for me.

I'm going to mail my rods expresspost to my bud in AK, and mail them back to my home before leaving Anchorage.

 

 

This is actually the best idea because mailing it will cost less than the airline surcharge for additional checked bags.

[jace]

I know some divers who do that with their expensive gear.

 

JF

 

 

Maybe they don't know this, but mailing expensive items is smarter than checking it. I get fidgety every time I check my rods becasue you CANNOT buy extra insurance for "excess valuation" on outdoor gear. It's all a big scam because they know they're rough with our baggage and they don't want to be liable for for a pair of $800 Sage or Loop fly rods packed into a case. So if they smash your rods and flight case, you'll probably get a few hundred bucks out of it. The maximum is something like $600/bag up to $1500 max per passenger. I'm partly making up those numbers but they're in the ballpark. For peace of mind, mail and insure the rods if you can arrange for somebody to receive them.

[charlesn]

Not sure what the other airlines do, but 3 of us flew JetBlue down to Houston, TX this past spring and our rod tube made it fine. The rod tube was about 8' long and 8-10" diameter. We fit 3 guys worth of flippin' sticks and 1 sissy stick each in there, about 17 rods. These were all 1-piece rods so needed the long rod tube. We stuffed the rod tube with socks and stuffing to keep the rods from chattering too much.

 

We were worried the baggage handlers were going to play airport baseball with a couple thousand dollars worth of our graphite, but it turned out fine in the end.

 

There was no surcharge.

 

Charles

[JohnF]

There was no surcharge.

 

Some airlines still have an exemption for rec gear, but you gotta tell 'em what it is.

 

JF

[troutologist]

Ive found it quite variable 1 guy will pay another won't seems to depend on the attendant serving you. I know Air Canada recently cracked down on this and the overage fee is off the wall.

 

My rod case is 7'4"x 4" dia.

 

I shipped my stuff to edmonton or yellowknife on the greyhound while I flew out that way a couple times. Another time flying from the Soo-TO-Edmonton I was scolded for having oversize luggage but no charge.

 

I'd suggest making a few phone calls, if its AC's phone service get 6 beers and your conversation hat.

[jace]

Not sure what the other airlines do, but 3 of us flew JetBlue down to Houston, TX this past spring and our rod tube made it fine. The rod tube was about 8' long and 8-10" diameter. We fit 3 guys worth of flippin' sticks and 1 sissy stick each in there, about 17 rods.

 

There was no surcharge.

 

 

No surcharge because 8'10" plus your diameter is in the 115 linear inch limit for outdoor gear. and that would ahve counted as the free checked bag for one of you. The limit is only 62" for suitcases and other non-outdoor gear. 17 rods for 3 guys. that's as bad as I am. I go with a bag of reels and toys as my carry-on, who needs clothes and deodorant.

[jace]

Ive found it quite variable 1 guy will pay another won't seems to depend on the attendant serving you. I know Air Canada recently cracked down on this and the overage fee is off the wall.

 

My rod case is 7'4"x 4" dia.

 

I shipped my stuff to edmonton or yellowknife on the greyhound while I flew out that way a couple times. Another time flying from the Soo-TO-Edmonton I was scolded for having oversize luggage but no charge.

 

I'd suggest making a few phone calls, if its AC's phone service get 6 beers and your conversation hat.

 

 

you must ahve been on one of AC's smaller flights, AC's allowance is also forl 115 total linear inches What a lot of people do these days is print out any applicable policy details regarding anything that concerns them where they may be on the borderline, and hold the paper in their face when an employee tries to tell you otherwise. You should always be in the clear most of the time if you do.

[Billy Bob]

Stuff the rod tube with hand towels to take up the extra space and keep the rods from banging around in the tube. You will need the hand towels while fishing or at least I like a couple to dry off my hands.

 

Bob

[craigdritchie]

mikeymikey is absolutely right on the money. Your ability to check a rod tube depends on the aircraft being used.

 

Twinjets like 737s, 757s, A319s and such can swallow canoes in their cargo holds, never mind rod tubes. The problem comes when you have to fly on a small regional jet or a turboprop, since most of those were designed for business travel and can't handle anything bigger than one overnight bag for each passenger.

 

If you're going to a small town in NW Ontario on a scheduled flight, you will almost certainly be in a small turboprop like a Saab 300 series, a Beechcraft 1900 or maybe a Convair 560, and none of those will take a tube much over four feet in length. You better call the airline ahead of time and confirm what kind of plane you're on, and what size tube it can accommodate. Otherwise, you might have to leave your rods behind. (That happened to me on my first trip to Kesagami. Air Ontario couldn't fit my rod tube on their Beech 1900, so my rods spent a week in storage at Pearson Airport. Of course they only told me this after I arrived in Cochrane and the rods didn't appear. Thankfully, I bumped into Bruce Leeson at the lodge, and he was kind enough to loan me a couple of his outfits for the week. Thanks again, Bruce!).

 

You can fit large rod tubes on small float planes (Cessnas, Beavers) by running them down the floor under the seats, but they won't do that on scheduled commercial flights. Having worked for a couple of TV fishing shows and a few fishing magazines since the early 1980s, I've taken hundreds of flights with rod tubes, and on just about every type of plane imaginable. Trust me, don't leave anything to chance. Call the airline and confirm exactly what they can handle.