Travelling with sporting equipment

Sometimes vacation isn't just about relaxing...it's about practising the sport you love, whether it be cycling, windsurfing, skiing, or something even more exotic. To help get you and your gear off with ease, Easyvoyage has checked out the sports equipment policies of a few major airlines:

British Airways

There is no additional allowance for sporting equipment, but it can still be carried free of charge as part of your free checked baggage allowance. If it is in addition to your free checked allowance, you will need to pay extra bag charges. Go to the British Airways site for an exhaustive list of sporting equipment that cannot be carried as checked luggage and instructions for packing certain types of sporting equipment.

RyanAir

Sporting equipment including but not limited to large fishing rods, golf clubs, bicycles, scooters, fencing equipment, surfboards, bodyboards, snowboards and skis and large musical instruments including but not limited to cellos, harps, double bass and drums may be carried in the hold of the aircraft in addition to your personal checked baggage allowance up to a limit of 20* kilos per item upon payment of an additional discounted fee per item, per one way flight if booked online. If the item is not booked until arrival at the airport or through a Ryanair call centre the full fee will apply (Click here for rate details). Any item of sports equipment weighing over 20 kilos will be charged for the excess weight at the applicable rate per kilo. *Bikes have an weight limit of 30 kilos

Due to space limitations on the aircraft, Ryanair recommends that all sports equipment is booked online either at the time of booking or via the Manage My Booking section.
Special advice for the carriage of bicycles:

The pedals must be removed (or fixed inwards) and the handlebars must be fixed sideways. The bike MUST be contained in a protective box or bag. It is not necessary from a safety perspective to deflate typical tyres found on bikes and wheelchairs for carriage in the hold. However, to eliminate the small risk of them being damaged by bursting, you may wish to deflate the tyres.

Easyjet
Buying weight allowance for sporting goods gives you a 12kg extra weight allowance. You must be travelling with sports equipment (as listed in the booking process), although the exact weight distribution between items doesn't matter.
For example:
One passenger travelling buys a bag and an additional sporting allowance. This gives an allowance of 2 items (which must include 1 sporting item), at a total weight of 32kg. However, if the sporting item is 18kg and the bag is 14kg, that's fine.
Two passengers are travelling with one hold bag and two pieces of sports equipment. This gives an allowance of 3 items (which must include 2 sporting items), at a total weight of 44kg. The exact distribution of weight between baggage items doesn't matter, subject to the maximum weights detailed above for health and safety reasons.
One very important thing to remember: if you've said you'll be bringing sports equipment, you must do so. In the example where one hold bag and one piece of sports equipment had been purchased, one of the two items must be genuine sporting goods!
Jet 2
Jet2.com carries items such as musical instruments, golf clubs, bicycles, surfboards, water and winter sports equipment on a ?Limited Release' basis, subject to space being available, and for a fee ranging from £15 to £30, depending on the item, though you can save £5 with some items by booking online. Customers should ensure that they have suitable private insurance cover in place. To pre-book large water sports equipment and for charges for other, non-listed sports equipment, contact the Call Centre. Extra space cannot be guaranteed on the flight on which you are booked for such items. If space is not available, the items will be sent on the next flight with available space.
No single item may weigh more than 25kg with the exception of certain items of sporting equipment (32kg). For full details on prices and weight requirements, go the Jet2 website.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic allows one piece of sports equipment in addition to your free baggage allowance at no extra charge, as long as your sports equipment does not weigh more than 23kg. There are a few restrictions that are specific to the sports equipment you want to take with you, so go to the Virgin Atlantic site for a full list of equipment and regulations.
bmibaby
Leisure equipment which requires additional handling including, but not limited to, bicycles, fencing equipment, fishing equipment, golf clubs, hockey equipment, musical equipment, paintball equipment, scuba equipment, skis and snowboards and toolboxes will be charged at £17.99 per sector per item on the website and £23 per sector per item when booked through the bmibaby call centre or airport. Larger items including Canoes, Hang gliders, Surfboards and Wind Surfboards will be charged at £24.99 per sector per item on the website and £30 per sector per item when booked through the bmibaby call centre or airport. These items will be carried subject to space availability on the aircraft and sports equipment bags must only contain the items for practising the sport. Ski boots that are checked-in without skis are to be included in the baggage weight allowance purchased during the booking process and are subject to the standard weight allowance fees when booked online.
Passengers who have paid the relevant sporting goods fees in respect of Skis or Snow boards will be allowed to check in one set of ski/board boots without further baggage charge.
PLEASE NOTE: bicycles will only be accepted if suitably packaged. The maximum weight of any of these items is 18kgs. All items will officially travel stand-by. bmibaby will not be responsible for repatriation if there is a delay. Any item not listed above is subject to the standard excess baggage rate. Any payment made at the airport may incur a handling fee.

Happy sporting, and be careful out there!