If you are a skateboard lover and a frequent vacationer at the same time then the question that might be bothering is that can you bring a skateboard on a plane? Well, the answer is a yes and a no at the same time.
You just cannot take an assembled skateboard in the plane as most airliners do not allow skateboards as carry-on items but, there are some buts and to know about these buts go through the article.
Can You Bring A Skateboard On A Plane?
We certainly have the ways for you to bring your skateboards anywhere you want even in the airliners. The fact is almost all airlines allow skateboards but it has to be as checked luggage. You need to make sure that it meets checked luggage standards and easily carry skateboards while traveling.
For that, your skateboard would have to be within 62 inches long and it surely will be, as most of the average length adult skateboard is 28 to 32 inches and those weigh well below 50 pounds.
However you can still bring this on a plane even after exceeding these limits but in that case, you need to pay an additional luggage fee.
Domestic Airlines :
We disclosed the general airline rule for skateboards but there are exceptions who works in your favor. It means there are some domestic airplanes you can bring your skateboards onto without having it checked luggage, some of which are Southwest Airlines, United-Continental Airlines, etc.
They allow travelers to bring skateboards as carry-on items meaning fully-assembled item, while some disallow this way like the previously mentioned ones, one of them is the Delta Airlines who does not allow skateboards as a carry-on item rather only as checked luggage.
For further assistance, you can call your airliner or go through their luggage policies online. Although the mention airlines were from domestic service now we’ll see the luggage policy of international airlines in terms of skateboards.
International Airlines :
EU countries are not that flexible about their policies when it comes to bringing skateboards on a plane. Some go beyond that to mark carrying skateboard as dangerous like in France, a skateboard is not allowed to carry and it also considered as a threatening object, although you can include it as checked luggage.
The same goes true for British Airways as well. Asian airlines also have similar procedures as European airlines. For example, Korean Air disallows passengers to carry skateboards on planes and consider them as blunt instruments. But again, you can include it as checked luggage.
Two good rules of thumb you can apply while traveling with your skateboard would be :
- First, verify the policies of your airlines regarding skateboards, and
- Second, pack your skateboard as checked luggage rather than bringing it onto the plane as a carry-on.
A Few Carry-On Etiquettes :
So far we have seen that there are a few domestic airlines who allow you to bring your skateboard onto the plane provided the fact that it must completely fit under the seat or in the overhead bin. Another notable information is that in most planes, carry-on luggage should be within 22 inches in length so you can bring the smaller children’s skateboards like mini cruisers and penny boards.
However, you can bring average adult skateboards on some domestic airlines as discussed earlier. You can bring your skateboard onto the plane with some effective techniques like taking the wheels off and placing them along with the skateboard in a bag which will make you place the bag in the overhead bin or beneath the seat.
Skateboard Packing Techniques :
In case of most domestic and international flights, you should pack your skateboard as checked luggage. It could be a great information for you if you still haven’t heard it. That is you can have a backpack purchased which are specially designed for this purpose.
Apart from that, you can pack the skateboard with other items of your luggage. To do so, simply take the wheels off the skateboard and pack them individually. Wrap a towel or something alike around the board and then pack clothing around it to keep it protected and safe.
So, coming back to your first question whether you can bring a skateboard on a plane. Hopefully, you have found your answer by now. To put it in short, the answer is you can do that, but before doing so just make sure about the considerations we have urged you about.
