Mike Girard

Traveling with Longboards (CC email exchange)

1. MC: Hey there, I'm going to be flying away from the US, and I recall you taking your Bhangra to France. How did you go about doing that? Did you just bring it onto the plane, or buy a really big bag and put it all inside? Keep up the gnar, Michael.
2. Me: I'm glad to hear you'll be bringing your board on your travels! Having my longboards with me while abroad made my adventures 100% more exciting and rewarding. I packed my Bhangra, Tan Tien and Earthwing with my checked luggage. I looked up the maximum combined dimensions (L+W+H) for checked baggage for the airline I was flying with (Air France) on their website. I also called Air France customer service for a more detailed explanation of their rules & standards. Keeping these in mind, I borrowed a snowboard bag from a friend, disassembled my boards, stacked the decks at the bottom of the bag, and packed the remaining gear as flat as possible on top. I folded over the excess flap of the snowboard back and secured it to the bag's center with bungee cords. The combined dimensions were JUST under the max allowable, and the weight was safe as well. I was able to check the bag with my others, which was really nice. This is probably your safest bet. However, some airlines allow you to carry on a board and avoid checking an extra bag. The Bhangra is fairly long, so I wouldn't count on carrying it on, but in any case I'd recommend checking your airline's website and calling their customer service for baggage policy. Safe travels! -Mike