I'm going to be flying with my clubs soon and am wondering what to expect. I have heard that golf clubs qualify as an oversize item, not the same as checking a regular piece of luggage. On American, the charge to check an oversize item is $100. Each way. This fee is in addition to the regular fee for the first piece of luggage, which is $15. So it would cost me $230 round trip to check the clubs on AA.

Is this accurate? Has anyone flown with their clubs since the new luggage fees started?

I flew with mine a few weeks back in a standard SKB hard case. The did not categorize them as oversized for charges , but they are oversized and did fall into the 50lb weight limit. I flew Airtran from ATL to Newark. On the way out they were 49.5 lbs. I had to take them to the special baggage area in ATL. The guy opened them and did the explosives rub down on every club. On the way out of NJ, the same bag now weighed 52 lbs and cost me an extra $29 - go figure. They took them right at the counter and I don't think they opened them at all.

It will really depend on the airport and the security checks they have implemented. Flying in general is just a PITA! Good luck.

Golf clubs are generally an exception to "Oversize" items, provinding you dont have two checked bags plus a golf bag...

You will just pay the regular fee for baggage. $15 for the first bag with AA. Make sure its under 50pnds, otherwise you will pay more.

I travel with American Alot. (JetBlue mostly, who incidently dont charge for your first bag but still dont fly everywhere)

It is not uncommon to have to drop your clubs off at the oversize counter as they dont go around corners on the belts very well. (this in my opinion is why they tend to get left behind...)

Seems to me that I wasn't charged "extra" for my golf bag a couple weekends ago, nor when I flew to Mexico in May. I'm pretty sure that Southwest advertises no fees for this kind of thing, but I'm not sure was AA's policy is (or if it has changed since May).

Whatever you do, consider the weight of the BALLS you have in your bag! It's incredible how much a bunch of balls in your bag can quickly add to the weight of your bag. Travel with as few as you can, and it'll really keep the weight down.

/< / /2 /<

I flew with my clubs from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Burlington, VT on Sunday via US Air. I use a Club Glove to hold my carry bag and use sweatshirts and a fleece to help protect them. I kept the weight under 50 lbs. and didn't check another bag. I was not charged . YMMV

No issues or extra cost on SouthWest recently

Flew AirTran to Vegas a couple of weeks ago. Designated my clubs as my "first" bag and my luggage as my second bag so I paid just $10 for having a second bag. Had to take the golf bag to oversized check-in in Atlanta but no charge since it was under 50 pounds. AirTran requires that the bag have no more than 14 clubs and 12 balls. I also threw in the shoes in the outside pocket and added a towel to further protect the clubs. Total weight (staff bag) was 28 pounds.

Im fairly sure only American Airlines, and United are charging for a 1st checked bag at this time... They all are for a second bag, except Continental, but then you have paid more for your ticket... which means if you travel with one bag, or no bags, you are paying for someone elses to go in the belly

Two weeks ago I flew to Vegas from JFK on JetBlue and they didn't charge for my golf bag. It was my second bag but since I had booked the flight before May 1st I didn't pay any extra. I packed the majority of my clothes in the golf bag and the weight was just under 50 pounds.

I just had a flight with Northwest. You are allowed 1 free checked bag. Additional checked bags are $50/each. Golf clubs count as a standard checked bag, but you will get charged more if it is more than 50 lbs. Most airlines have the bag charge info on their web page

Flew to Oahu in May on Delta and checked my clubs (no fee as first bag and under 50 lbs) and had a rather large carry on....didn't feel like paying for a second checked bag.

wow- weird. When I called and talked to someone at southwest, she made it clear that if I flew w/ a golf bag (would have been softcase in this instance) that was over 62" (L+W+H) which it would have been, and/or over 50 pounds, I would have been charged $50.

To counter this, I bought a trav-a-lite which is a hard case that falls just under the size restriction - only room for clubs). I haven't flown with it yet but will in 2 weeks.

Sounds like you all are getting away with full-bag sized bags (though they were under-weight) without fees, which sounds contrary to my experience. Are the counter agents making an exception

edit- hm, sounds like I may have bought a hard case smaller than I needed. oh well.

Most airlines consider oversize bag as > 62" / 50 lbs.

Golf club travel bags seem to be around 52-56" and unless you've got a Rodney Dangerfield bag, should weigh in under 50 lbs easily.

However, I did hear from a friend that US Air has announced they will soon begin charging a $100 premium for golf bags regardless of size/weight.

That is insane! Can't you just FedEx your clubs to your destination for much cheaper?

I think you really only need to worry about weight because I would assume that 99% of the airline workers are only going to look at the scale and not spend any time actually measuring it. Also, if you are taking a big cart bag, shoes, balls, etc....you are probably going to have a hard time staying under the 50 lbs. My padded travel bag is rather large with lots of pockets, etc. but they are all useless because I can only get my stand bag (not the lightest in the world but still a carry bag), shoes, umbrella, stiff arm club protector, dozen balls, tees/etc., and a couple t-shirts around the heads in there before I get close to the weight limit. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you have something so big that they think they need to measure it....it is safe to assume that it won't make the weight limit.

On a little side note....they need to be careful with this because for some cities, I would think that a rather large part of their business comes from golf (myrtle beach for one) and if these cheap weekend trips start getting an extra $100-$200 added on to take your clubs, a lot less people are going to be flying...and with $4/gallon gas, they might not go at all.

I will believe it when I see it...

I can understand paying a fee for clubs only, but it wont hit $100. Maybe $25 regardless of how many bags you check. But I doubt we will see $100 just for a golf bag.

They are already going out on a limb, and were on the verge of pulling th e"first checked bag fee" and then United jumped on board.

All the airlines are scrambling to stay alive... so they are always looking for ways to make an extra buck... (Im all for "user pays" as opposed to blanket fare hikes) Why should I pay for the guy beside mes, blanket/pillow/headphones/beer/second bag, just because I have the common sense to take a sweatshirt, and pack sensibly... (but then again I travel through Europe (domestic) and down to Aussie/New Zealand ALOT so Im used to paying for everything... (including water in some cases!)

(roughly $50usd for golf clubs around Europe, some of the cheaper airlines (Easyjet, BMI, Air Berlin)even charge you for 1st checked bag, and at 10euros per kg over 20kg... I know Easyjet and Airberlin charge for everything on board inc water...

So maybe America is actually just catching up to the rest of the world in regards to baggage allowances, and what you get for free?

I flew to Vegas a few weeks ago on US Air and they charged $25 each way b/c it was a 2nd bag.

Has anyone travaled on American recently? I reserved my tickets to Hawaii in January, but the actual tickets were not printed until June. Do I still get stuck with the extra baggage fee?

I flew AA two weeks ago to mexico with an skb hardcase and only checked my clubs, the ticket agent didn't charge me for it. I did have to check it in through oversize baggage though.

I'm going on a golf trip with 19 other guys to San Antonio, TX and we've been talking about shipping the clubs ahead of time and back home to avoid all the BS at the airport, plus the fact that we are flying on a small AA plane that would probably not have room for everything anyway.

Anyone do this and have any tips as to what carrier to use, etc?

what bags are you guys flying with?

im using an Ogio monster, and from the dimensions alone it exceeds 62". My friend was able to fly with no charges using the same bag, and im hoping i can get away with it as well. Dimensions are 51" (L) 16" (W) and 12" (H). Even without packing it full of cushioning, it still will exceed unless i fold the top of the bag downwards.

bleh and im flyin tomorrow

I just got back from a trip to Maui on American Airlines. I carried a full set of clubs, a large wooden down (homebuilt stiffarm), balls, and 2 sets of shoes in my Clubglove bag. They did not care about size and only made sure it weighed less than 50lbs. I got charged $15 each way.

For the sake of all of the rest of the traveling pubilc and your own blood pressure, check first with the airline, and if necessary print out a copy of the policy posted on their website and take it with you.

I was traveling out of SFO last week and was behind a guy at the United curb-side checkin. The sky cap was charging the guy $100 bucks for his golf bag. The guy went bezerk, started arguing, pounding his fist on the counter, and generally making an arse of himself. His arguement was that he was complying with the airline policy as posted on-line (not sure if he was or not....but his bag did look pretty darn big.) The sky cap had a different interpretation. Regardless, the result wasn't pretty. His wife looked like she wanted to crawl under a rock, and it unnecessarily held the rest of us in line up. Not sure how the story ended, as I bailed and went inside to check my bag.

DONT EVER USE SKYCAP!! They cant use discretion (and while I have no proof, Im sure they must get commission cause I am always hearing stories about them milking people for every fee available)... Go inside and line up... saves you $2 a bag as well

I flew yesterday on JetBlue, no charge for my golf bag in either direction,

Also managed to sweet talk(just by being nice! In other words acting the opposite to a New Yorker ) my way out of the $15 charges flying with US Airways last Monday from JFK to BOS

As for the guy going bezerk... duh...

If that EVER happens to anyone here... Say thanks but no thanks to the check in agent (tell em you will go put them in the car), and rejoin the queue and hope to get someone different...

Golf clubs are not considered an over sized item. If you use your bag to store your clothes too, they consider an extra bag and an oversized one at that....at least on continental. I use a club glove for the clubs and a couple pairs of shoes and a suitcase for my clothes. No extra charge.

I just checked in last night to my hotel but did have a little tussle with American Airlines. I had a small suit case and golf bag (club glove).

They charged me 30 dollars. $15 for the first one and $25 for the second bag (golf bag). I was under the impression they weren't going to charge the second one.

well i just got back from little weekend getaway. Flew from Montreal to Toronto worried that they would ding me.

Realized on the way out that if you check in yourself (at the self-help kiosks) and tag your own bag, you can bring it directly to the oversize baggage drop off bypassing the counter and the agents completely. The ppl at the drop off do not even check the weight, they just ask that you drop the bag through the X-ray machine and from there it gets checked in.

Good to know for those who use a larger bag (like me).

?? Uh, why would they charge for the 1st bag, and then not charge for the "extra" junk people take???

Every airline in the US is charging for a second bag at least (Southwest isnt yet, but its coming ) (I dont personally agree with airlines charging for the 1st checked bag, but am ALL FOR charging for a second!!) - I wonder how lng it will be before they actually start enforcing the carry on limits of 10 pnds? cant come soon enough... or maybe it will take a lawsuit after an overhead bin explodes onto the people below because there are four 30pnd bags up there... (at least they will be "own3d" by their own bags )

Plus your Math is out by $10 so maybe?

I agree with this. I can't stand it when your trying to put your one bag into an overhead compartment and there is someone standing their with a bag so heavy they can't even lift it. These of course take up the entire overhead compartment so there is no room left for your stuff.

Has anything changed recently with the drop in oil prices? I'm sure the fees will gladly retracted now.....:-)

This exact topic was brought up on the Today Show this morning. Showed how much airline fuel had dropped in price since the extra baggage fees were started, yet the airlines continue to charge the fees. Said they hoped the airlines would at least reduce the fees to give the American consumer a break.

Not yet... I think Air Canada removed the "1st bag fee" but still have a second bag fee.

I wouldnt expect too many changes. Its seems the US carriers are aligning themselves with the rest of the carriers around the world.

America was the last place where you could check two bags for free.

The Airlines are now going to try and balance the books by keeping fares where they should have been all along.

Dont expect too many major cuts in price, especially with the constant fear that our budies at OPEC can just cut production at their whim to increase demand and get richer.

The US is still the cheapest air travel in the world. (said as I book "another" flight in NZ after 14 flights in the last 2 weeks around Aussie and NZ)