Continental Airlines - Tips to Avoid Baggage Costs?

[2nd Reef]

Hey,

Has anyone flown Continental with boards recently? Got any tips to avoid excess costs for boards, or to make sure that your boards arrive?

On Continental's own website it says that 1 bag with 3 boards costs $400 flat. 4 boards costs $700.

However, I looked on the net and there's a swag of pages damning Continental and their policy on boards. Stories about boards being knocked back, never to even get on the plane, or punters being charged over $1000 a bag and so on. Doesn't seem consistent with the policies on their website. And it worries me cause, like I said, there are shitloads of pages complaining about Continental.

Have rung 'em up and got the standard lines but a few tips would help.

Cheers

[Nick Carroll]

Ha ha Reefy's going to P-pass.

There's no way around those Bastards. Just take your sturdiest two boards. And don't go too big! P can be successfully ridden at considerable size on shorter equipment...as long as you're feeling twinkle-toed.

[el rancho]

aaah brings back memories of dodging board costs with Air Merpati, the bastards...

some guys were literally just taking their boards out of the bag while they weighed them and then put them back in after, and then staff cottoned on...

or one of my mates that put a hard camera case under one end of the board bag to lift it off the scales a little haha

but reading this, gee makes me grateful for the 10 bucks i think i paid

good luck with this one mate, hope you dont get stiffed too hard

[2nd Reef]

Well I've got a heavily-concaved, low-rockered 6'4" with two layers of 6 ounce that I'm gonna take. Can't kill that thing, it'll be just it and the cockroaches after the holocaust. And I guess I'll see the charts before I go to see what other board goes in the bag. Seriously, how do you go on a surf trip with just two boards??

I'm more concerned about Continental's excess baggage embargos though. That's where the baggage handlers don't pack any excess baggage at all on planes - including boards. Seems to be kind of arbitrary when they happen so you could rock up at the airport and have all your boards turned away. What's P-Pass like for bodysurfing Nick?

[Nick Carroll]

What's P-Pass like for bodysurfing Nick?

Actually really fcuken fun.

Last time I went there it was with a group of Champions and our first drive out was late in the arvo of getting there.

One champion didn't bring his board 'cause he was a bit under the weather but we got out there and it was 4' and really fun. So being a world champ enabler from way back I lent him my board and went bodysurfing instead. v easy to get barrelled and spat out on the foam ball.

Just think I could have made a movie all about Me being such a fcuken Waterman, in tune with Mother Nature etc. But the light was shit.

The champion got a filthy barrel whereupon I politely repossessed the board and ceased the unseemly watermasculine activities.

But I digress.

Kind of exciting going on a trip with minimal surfboards I reckon -- it tends to simplify things and focus the mind.

[otway1949]

Bring back the mat ala GG covers everything from Little Avalon to as big as you wish, just keeps you at the low end of the pecking order luv em just can't get them any more except for Dale Solomansons were are the Hodgeman mat these days?

[Clif]

I have a pneumatic mat you can take

[steve shearer]

I know this might sound a bit wierd Stu but see how you go with it..
just putting it out there , as they say.

The Pacific Islanders are just gaga about kids, especially young kids.
it creates a kind of diversion which seems to circumvent all the rules and regs.

Now it might be worth your while, in terms of a triple bottom line way of looking at things, to pay for a board caddy/father/baggage whisperer to enable you to take a more rounded quiver.

That would also give you a witness etc etc you could call upon to back up any exploits.
But hey didn't you just get back from Indo?
Hope your offsetting.

I volunteer.

[2nd Reef]

'A triple bottom line way of looking at things'?? Geez Steve, you really are considering that management position with McTavish aren't you?

Unfortunately the maths just don't add up though: 3 boards $700, 4 boards $1000, one more ticket for a 'board caddy/father/baggage whisperer' $1500. Get you or the young'un to circumvent $500 off the ticket price and you're in.

As for verification: I don't want photographic proof (or even reliable witnesses) puncturing holes in my tall tales. Of which I'll have plenty when I get back...