DELTA DOWN: Three Hundred Dollar Board Fees Mean "No Fly Zone"

Delta Airlines have increased their board bag fees to $300 each way for international flights, costing surfers $600 roundtrip to travel with their board. This rate has instantaneously tripled from its previous $100 charge.

It’s extremely important to note the outstanding difference in fees. The cost of checking your board may surpass the amount of your ticket, skewing your traveling budget entirely.

In conjunction with the rising cost of oil, airlines have increased the price of tickets and baggage fees with no exception to board bags. But where is the justice in tripling the rates of surfboard bags, while checking golf bags remain to be free of charge?

As many of us have experienced firsthand, airline workers do not sympathize with the atomic bomb being dropped on our wallets to board a plane with the necessary belongings, because yes, a surfboard is necessary for a surf trip.

The baggage fees are grim across the board for domestic travel. Four of the top airlines (American, Continental, Northwest, United) charge $100 one way for oversized baggage, with up to $250 tacked onto this price if your board is considered “excess baggage,” i.e. you have additional bags to check.

To minimize your travel expenses, research surf shops at your travel destination to see what rental surfboards they carry. Although there is no comparison to your, shops like Local Motion rent a variety of high quality surfboards.

Still fuming? Contact your preferred airline and voice your opinion as a valued customer.