Surfboard Bag Fee Guide for 2025

So you’ve gotten to that point of planning your surf trip.

You’ve booked everything: plane tickets, surf bungalows, a translator, food, some wheels.

But you’ve forgotten one thing, how are you going to get your boards from here to there?

Well, you don’t want to rent a board so you're gonna have to put your precious hot rod step up in the hands of some airline.

It might cost a buck but it could be worth it to know your options and what each airline costs to ship a board to Bali or Hawaii. 

2025 Surfboard Baggage Fees

Alaska Airlines: $30 

Alaska offers a reasonable price at $30 for sports equipment under 50 pounds. Alaska flies to Hawaii so this is a great option for the Hawaiian surf trip. Find more information here. 

Hawaiian Airlines: $40

Hawaiian also offers a reasonable fare at $40 for a surfboard bag under 50 pounds. Another good option for the Hawaiian surf trip. Find more information here. 

American Airlines: $40

American Airlines charges the same amount for a surfboard as a normal checked bag at $40. Still have to stay under the 50 pound mark. Find more information here.

JetBlue: $100

A steep price to pay to ship your board. It’s also mentioning that JetBlue doesn’t typically fly to popular surf destinations so their care for your bag and board might be lackluster. Find more information here.

Virgin Australia: Free

Virgin Australia includes the surfboard bag with your checked baggage and they offer free checked baggage. This is a great option if you’re planning a trip to Australia. Find more information here.

RyanAir: $47

RyanAir is a UK based airline that flies all around Europe. It charges around $47 for a surfboard bag or 45 euros. This is a great option for flying to Portugal or Italy. Find more information here. 

AirAsia: Free

Another option that offers a free checked surfboard bag. On top of flying to most of Asia, they also fly to Australia, which leaves this as a viable option for many surfers. Again, stay under 50 pounds and you should be good to go. Find more information here. 

Japan Airlines: $200

Another option with a steep price that flies to a number of surf destinations. There are definitely better and cheaper options out there if you’re flying a surfboard out. Find more information here. 

United Airlines: $100, free for California 

I would recommend this if you're planning to fly to California because United will waive the board fee if you're flying to or from the state. Other than that $100 is pretty steep. Find more information here.

Southwest: $75

Southwest offers pretty cheap flights out to Hawaii but will charge $75 for a checked surfboard bag both ways. It’s important to weigh the options when considering an airline to fly out to Hawaii. Find more information here. 

Surfboard Baggage Fees for 2025

When it's all said and done, you’re going to need your board on your surf trip.

So choose wisely and consider the options.

Free may not always mean better but it will definitely save you money. It comes down to how comfortable you feel handing your boards over to an airline.