Kayak Fees and Policies - Flying With a Kayak

Due to their bulky size, many airlines do not accept Kayaks on their planes, even if you are willing to pay excess luggage. The airlines that do take kayaks have strict policies in effect, and the size of the boat does matter. Be sure to check which plane you will be flying in, so as to see whether the cargo load is large enough to fit your boat.

Charter airlines are usually more accepting of kayaks and sporting equipment in general, whereas the scheduled airlines will make more of an issue out of your kayak. Further, those that do accept kayaks charge huge fees for the service, so it may make more sense to ship your kayak using a luggage shipping/luggage forwarding service, such as the ones linked to on this site. [AMZ asins='B001F5AHKC,B013GMLBNS,B00NIYJF6U,B00WUIEK3I']

Tips for Flying with a Kayak
If you do insist on taking your kayak with you on your flight, here are some tips for packing your kayak, and getting it onto the plane.

- Always use a kayak bag to protect the kayak
- Wrap the kayak in cloth/blanket/bubble wrap to disguise it
- Try claiming it as a surfboard, although it may be risky if found out
- If trying to hide the fact that you are bringing a kayak, consider disguising/not bringing your paddle. Do not pack your paddling gear inside the boat.
- Dress and act professionally. SMILE :-) to the check-in agent, do not cause any trouble.
- DO NOT ask to talk to a manager. You are better off trying to sort out the situation with the check-in agent. If a manager shows up, they will likely be more strict in enforcing the rules, and charge a higher price.

Airline NameAccepts Kayaks?Included in Allowance?CostPolicy / Comments
Adria AirwaysYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Aegean AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
AeroflotYesYesFreeView Policy
Air AsiaNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Air Asia XNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Air BerlinYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Air CanadaYesYes$100 USDView Policy
Air ChathamsYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Air MauritiusYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Air NelsonYesYesFREEView Policy
Air New ZealandYesYesOversize Baggage FeeView Policy
Air NipponYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Air PacificYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Air PolandNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Air PullmanturYesNo100 EURView Policy
Air RarotongaYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Air TahitiNoNoSee PolicyView Policy
Air TransatNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Air VIAYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Airlines of TasmaniaYesYesFREEView Policy
AirTran AirwaysYesYesUSD 75View Policy
Alaska AirlinesYesYes$150 USD +View Policy
Allegiant AirNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
American AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
ANA WingsYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Arik AirYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Arkia Israeli AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
AsercaNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
AurignyYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Austrian AirlinesYesYes100-200 EURView Policy
AviancaNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
AZUL Brazilian AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Bahrain AirYesNoBHD 19View Policy
BinterCanariasYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
BlekingeflygYesNo150 SEKView Policy
bmiYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
bmi RegionalYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
bmibabyYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
bmibaby.comYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
British AirwaysYesNoFree - Small Kayaks Only - Standard Baggage FeeView Policy
Brussels AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Bulgaria AirNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
CanJetNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Caribbean AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Cathay PacificYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Chathams PacificYesNoTOP 30View Policy
City AirlineNoNoView Policy
CondorYesNo45-135 EUR ($115-$160 USD)View Policy
Continental AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Contour AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Copa AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Corendon AirlinesYesNo50 EURView Policy
Croatia AirlinesYesNo100-200 EURView Policy
Cyprus AirwaysNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Czech AirlinesYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Dagestan AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Danube WingsYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Darwin AirlineYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Delta AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
DragonairYesYesFREEView Policy
Eastern AirwaysNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
EasyJetYesNo45 - 55 GBPView Policy
Edelweiss AirNoNoSee PolicyView Policy
EgyptAirYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
El AlYesNo$100-$200View Policy
EmiratesYesYesIncluded - See PolicyView Policy
EnerjetNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Ethiopian AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
EuroLOTYesNoView Policy
FinnairYesNo150 - 300 EURView Policy
FinnairYesNo150 - 300 EURView Policy
Finncomm AirlinesYesNoEUR 50View Policy
Flair AirlinesYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
flybeNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
FlyNikiYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
FlysmalandYesNo150 SEKView Policy
Frontier AirlinesYesYes$150-$175 USDView Policy
GermaniaNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Gol AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
GotlandsflygYesNo150 SEKView Policy
Gulf AirYesYesFREEView Policy
Hainan AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Hawaiian AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Helvetic AirwaysYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
helvetic.comYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Horizon AirYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Iceland AirYesNo$126-$174 USDView Policy
JAL ExpressYesYesFREEView Policy
Japan AirlinesYesYesFREEView Policy
JAT AirwaysYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
jet2.comYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
JetBlueNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Jetstar.comYesYes$25 AUD / NZDView Policy
KalmarflygYesNo200 SEKView Policy
Kenya AirwaysNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
KLMNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Korean AirYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
KullaflygYesNo150 SEKView Policy
LANNoNoView Policy
LATAMNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
LOT AirlinesYesYesFreeView Policy
LufthansaYesYesFreeView Policy
Monarch AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Moskovia AirlinesYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
NordaviaYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
NorwegianYesNoLimited Acceptance - CallView Policy
OrenairYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Pacific BlueYesYesFREEView Policy
Par-AvionYesYesFREEView Policy
Pegasus AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Polynesian BlueYesYesFREEView Policy
Porter AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Qatar AirwaysYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Rossiya Russian AirlinesYesYesFREEView Policy
Royal Air MarocYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
S7 AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
SATA Azores AirlinesYesNo55-75 EURView Policy
Singapore AirlinesYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Sky AirlineNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Sky AirlinesYesNoEUR 35View Policy
Skywest AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Solomon AirlinesYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
South African AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
South East AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
SouthwestYesNo$75 USDView Policy
SpanAirYesNo90 EURView Policy
Spirit AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
SundsvallsflygYesNo150 SEKView Policy
SunExpressYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
SunwingYesNo$100 CAD View Policy
SverigeflygYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
SWISSYesYesFreeView Policy
Swiss European AirlinesYesYesFreeView Policy
Swiss International AirlinesYesYes$150-$370 USD / 120-320 EURView Policy
SwissAirYesYesFreeView Policy
Swoop AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
TAMENoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
TAROMYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
TatarstanYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Thomas CookYesNo45-65 GBP / 50-75 EURView Policy
Thomas Cook BelgiumYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Thomas Cook ScandinaviaYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Thomas Cook UKYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Thomson AirwaysYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Tiger Airways AustraliaYesNoAUD 60View Policy
Titan AirwaysYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
TUIflyYesNo65 EURView Policy
Turkish AirlinesYesNo30-60 EURView Policy
Ukraine International AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
United AirlinesNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
URAL AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
US AirwaysYesNo200 USDView Policy
UTairYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
V AustraliaYesYesFREEView Policy
VIM AirlinesYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Virgin AmericaNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Virgin AtlanticNoNoNo Longer AcceptedView Policy
Virgin AustraliaYesYesFree - Standard Baggage FeeView Policy
VivaAerobusNoNoNot AcceptedView Policy
Vladivostok AirYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
VladivostokaviaYesYesSee PolicyView Policy
Volaris AirlinesYesNo$40-$200 USDView Policy
VuelingNoNoView Policy
WestjetYesNo$100-$200View Policy
Yakutia AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
Yamal AirlinesYesNoSee PolicyView Policy
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