If golf travel cases are within the free limit when you leave, you don
In our last tip, we told you about a helpful website that lists nearly every airline’s policies and fees with respect to transporting golf travel cases. Today, we’re going to tell you how to avoid the extra fees that many people pay — unnecessarily — when taking golf travel cases overseas.
The problem can arise because different countries have different weight limits for what they’ll accept as “free” checked luggage. U.S.-based airlines, for example, usually allow heavier bags than say, European airlines, before the “excess weight” fees kick in.
It’s usually not an issue if, for example, you’re flying from the USA to a single overseas golf vacation destination. But if you then need to take flights while you’re there, it’s common to be charged hefty, additional fees if your golf travel cases are heavier than the local limit.
You know what? Don’t pay them! According to international treaties and laws, all airlines must honor the baggage weight limit from the country where travel originated.
So, if you’re on an overseas golf vacation and you find yourself being asked to pay extra fees for your golf travel cases — those that were originally within the free limit — make sure to show your full itinerary and the fees must be waived. (The only time this doesn’t necessarily apply is if you booked your intra-country flights separately.)
Most people don’t know to challenge these erroneous fees for their golf travel cases, but if the above conditions are met, this is usually all it takes to avoid paying them.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the tip but the airlines couch this as dd sized baggage and charge for it separately BEFORE departure eventhough the bag and your other checked in luggage is 20kg or less in total. Carl Koenig
That may be true for airlines based outside the USA, but historically, U.S.-based airlines have not automatically classified golf travel cases as “oversized baggage.” Only if they exceed the allowable size and weight limits for “regular” luggage. It seems U.S.-based airline baggage policies are changing every day, however, so it’s quite possible they may start charging for golf travel cases regardless of their size/weight. Right now, that’s not the, er, case.
While your suggestion may be nice in theory, but in practice, esp @ Heathrow, it doesn’t always work. I booked a flight from SFO-LHR-EDI several years ago. Because the LHR-EDI leg was booked separately on BMI (at the suggestion of United) they wouldn’t handle the luggage w/out a separate 15GBP surcharge. Even though they are a code share airline w/ United & my luggage was booked through from SFO-EDI, they told me, “You saved money by booking the BMI leg separately & we don’t make any money transporting your luggage around the airport.” Their solution was to leave it on the tarmac! It caught up w/ me 2 days later!
Yes, as we mentioned above, the fees may apply if you book various legs separately.