Editors' Blog Blogger Bio
New Charge for Flying with Clubs
Traveling with golf clubs, which has never been fun, could now burn a hole in your wallet. Starting today, in an effort to counter-balance the soaring cost of fuel, several airlines, including American, United, US Airways, Continental and Northwest, will charge $50 round-trip for checking a second piece of luggage on domestic flights (frequent flyers and first and business class passengers are exempt from these charges). This is bad news for most traveling golfers -- many airlines count a set of clubs as a checked bag. So throw in a suitcase with your golf bag and you'll have to pay the second-bag charge. Plus, some airlines now exact oversized luggage with an additional $100-200 round-trip fee (though most carriers exclude golf bags from that oversized fee, check your airlines' website to be sure). Also keep in mind that charges for overweight bags (heavier than 50 pounds) are on the rise. No longer will it cost only 25 bucks.
But here's the kicker: the fees are cumulative, which means an oversized, overweight second bag could cost you $300. Ouch!
So what are your options? For weekend getaways when you'll play one or two rounds, renting clubs could be your best bet. Most courses offer decent rental clubs for less money than these airline fees. Or if you're planning a trip to Florida, use Golf Clubs Away, a new online rental service that delivers clubs directly to your hotel ($35-45 a day for a bag of clubs, a sleeve of balls and tees).
Or, you can ship your clubs, which isn't as expensive as it sounds. Golf Digest travel editor Matt Ginella says that shipping a golf bag from Florida to California in five business days costs only $60. You can choose from large package delivery companies like UPS, FedEx or DHL, or specialized shipping companies like Sports Express, Luggage Forward or Golf Bag Shipping. And you'll feel like a queen when your set of clubs is patiently waiting for you when you check into your room.
But if you insist on keeping your clubs close, just remember these extra fees and pack wisely.
The statement that golf carriers count as oversized bags is incorrect, at least with respect to Delta. Delta states that " Golf, ski, and snowboarding equipment will continue to be exempt from the maximum size limit of 80 inches (based on the item’s exterior dimensions: length + width + height)." See http://www.delta.com/travel-agency/whats_new/policy_changes/index.jsp
Please do your research before suggesting to your readership that traveling with clubs will cost $250-$450.
Pen, maybe you should read Ashley's article more closely. She states "most carriers exclude golf bags from that oversized fee" but then advises to "check your airlines' website to be sure." Thank goodness most airlines exclude golf bags! I hope this pricing trend does not get to the point where golf bags will accrue an an automatic fee. Thanks for the info!
GolfinDoc,
The blog entry has been edited, perhaps in response to my comment, to provide the correct information. As originally posted, the blog entry stated that golf carriers count as oversize baggage. Too bad Ashley did not note that the post has been edited.
Pen,
So sorry--I just figured out how to post a comment on my blog entries. I appreciate your observation, and I quickly corrected my entry. Thank you for the heads up and I'm sorry for any confusion.