Call to action - battle the airlines with us

Call to action Help windsurfers get consistent rates for our equipment when they fly with it.

It's time to join forces so we can make a difference. US Windsurfing has made it a mission to get a better situation for our members with the major airlines. We are starting with Continental. The stated facts are that our members meet with inconsistent treatment when traveling. There are those agents who try to be reasonable and apply their own judgment to situation. Then there are those who try to stick to the letter of the written policy. The problem with the written policy is that it is not very helpful to travel with only one rig. US Windsurfing is making a concerted effort to open up a dialog with Continental and other airlines to see if we can come up with a reasonable policy that is suitable for modern windsurfing. We are prepared to pay a reasonable price — hopefully less than $100 to take our equipment with us. The Formula class rules happen to provide a perfectly reasonable set of equipment for any windsurfing traveler whether he or she races or is a recreational sailor. I am proposing that we negotiate for the following: 'The equipment is one board, three sails, masts and booms. No individual bag to exceed 100lbs weight as today, and linear length of the sail/mast bag less than 120 inches. Maximum of three individual pieces'. We have been told that the strategy is to make this an official issue and that it would be helpful to the cause to get as many US Windsurfing members as possible to log the same request. A national governing body representing thousands of potential travelers who can call these members into action gets more attention if they are all making the same point. Our case number is UZMGZ5. Members can call Continental Customer service at 1-800-932-2732 quote the case number and state that they want what I have described above. State that you are a member of US Windsurfing, the national governing authority for windsurfing in the United States, and that members of US Windsurfing fly frequently. Please support this issue whether you fly with your equipment or not. Support your fellow windsurfers who do fly. We are calling all our members to action on this issue! Help us get better deals with the airlines for our equipment. You never know when you will have to fly with your equipment and if we can get a written policy about this you can fly with much less hassle and less expense.

If you are not a US Windsurfing member please help us out on this project by becoming a member. It only costs $30 and we work to enhance the windsurfing experiences of all windsurfers. Visit our website www.uswindsurfing.org to join. Guy Miller, one of our Board members is in charge of this project

Christine Brooks

This is a mess.

I just flew Continental which had an arrangement with USWA. I showed my card. NO help at all was given. I was charged $80 for each bag, thus now $480 round trip! Other competitors here in Corpus Christie had the same frustrating experience. They were not very kind about it!

American, United have been great,,, three bags $75. Do they have any idea how many of uys use airelines? Bill Kline Gorge Sport USA Curtis Performance Fins, Orca Fins, Orca Kite Fins Hood River, OR USA

ph/541 387 2649 fax/541 386 1715

Wow, Bill... How many bags of fins did you take out there? Next time just throw them into a checked bag with your clothes..

Brian

Hi Brian

I did just that, but did not have many as the race fins are sold out \But, more are in production.

What I did have is one bag for my Formula Board, one for booms, one for sails, masts Bill Kline Gorge Sport USA Curtis Performance Fins, Orca Fins, Orca Kite Fins Hood River, OR USA

ph/541 387 2649 fax/541 386 1715

I called Continental back about my case and they had no record of the case number. It seems it can take up to 30 days for a case to 'appear' in their system. Must be running steam driven computers. There is also a possibility of a typo in the case number so the best plan is for people calling to open a completely new case. Be sure to quote USWA. If possible go to www.uswindsurfing.org and send me (Guy Miller, South Central Regional Dirtector) an email with the new case number so I can track all the cases opened. The more people post the more weight we have, at the moment they think we are a few oddball people that don't represent a significant market for them.

Last June, Continental had a firm policy not to take windsurfers on flights to Hawaii. Other locations, OK. Found out at the check in counter. It was my fault for not checking on this particular route, they said. The flight from DC National a/p connected to Newark and then to Honolulu.

This was not an issue of size or quantity or cost. They would not take them at all. I called every 800 number at Contintental and then

Just went from Orlando to Maui and back on United. 2 boards in a double bag and 4 sails, 2 masts, 2 booms and all the associated parts in another. Board bag was 9' x 2' x 16' and weighed 55 pounds. Quiver bag was 8' x 16' x 12' and weighed 85 pounds (yes it was overweight).

Curbside check-in guy in Orlando 'hooked me up' on the way out. Called his buddy at the other end of the chute and said he had too big ones coming down. That was it! Gave him a healthy tip for saving me the $75-$150 fee (depends on who you ask).

Didn't expect the same treatment in Maui of course. Had to pony up a total of $75 for both and distribute the weight so that none of my 4 pieces of checked baggage exceeded 70 pounds. No big deal.

Policy is written but not published. I transcribed what the customer service rep read me just in case I needed to get in someone's face. Basically it states that a 'windsurfer consists of 4 bags - a sail, a boom a mast and a board'. As long as the 70 pound per bag limitation is not exceeded and it is obvious that the bags don't all contain boards they won't give you grief. Check-in person in Maui had to ask her supervisor about the fee/number or bags/size/weight restrictions. I found this odd given the amount of gear that must be moving through this airport. Happened last year as well. But no one seemed to mind there were obviously '2' windsurfers and not one.

No special precautions were taken in packing the gear. Just dumped it in the stock Neil Pryde bags and zipped it up. Nothing was damaged and gear was there when I was so FULL POINT United!

Had wind 11 out of 13 days. Pretty good batting average considering wind has been unseasonably light there. Took my light wind kit (Fanatic RIP 268 and Ezzy 6.3 Wave)which probably doubled my time on the water. Otherwise spent about half the time on my F2 254 Wave with a 5.2 Ezzy Transformer.

Caught two days of epic north swell there a week ago Wednesday and Thursday. At Lowers, the sets were wide, super clean and overhead with the frequent logo high set. But crowded. Apparently this was the first north swell with wind in many months. Probably 90 riders working it on Wednesday. At one point I counted 8 people on one wave. Big, long rides where you could get 4-6 bottom turns per wave. On the way out, faces were perfect for jumping and guys were throwing backs and forwards like crazy. The west end of Uppers was bigger with mast high wedges but with the disorganized suicide chop on the inside. Hookipa was barreling in the morning when I drove by. Talked with folks who later sailed there, Lanes and the break north of Mama's - all said it was big and long overdue.

Otherwise, spent most of my time at Uppers where there are always ramps to be found and not much traffic. Two days of swell alone made it worth the trip.

How would you like to find out about it at the ticket counter?

Last June when travelling via Continental from DCA via Newark to Honolulu, Continental refused to take 'windsurfing equipment to Hawaii' as a matter of firm policy. No exceptions. They said I should have called them to check in advance for that specific flight. Continental would be glad to take the gear anywhere else, however for a reasonable fee. It was not an issue of the type of aircraft, weight limits or size limits, just the policy.

My guess is that in Newark, the freight folks had refused to take any more gear because it was occurring frequently and because they were upset that customers were not paying $600+ each way for cargo.

I had recently taken a couple of boards from Venezuela to DCA on Continental, with no problem.

I just left my gear home, flew the next day without it, replaced it with gear in Maui and later put the original gear on consignment in NC, where it sold fairly quickly.

That seems bizarre but not surprising given the whimsical nature of airlines.Who would have ever thought to ask about a particular flight, especially one to a windsurfing destination? I've taken gear on American, TWA and United and have never had a problem. Will stay away from Continental as a matter of principle now.

Just wondering have had any experience with the travelling air thing . But is it cheaper to rent or demo when you get to a place like maui? It ha sto cost at least 200 for the luxury of having your own stuff ? what do they charge a day to rent? Just curious?

For a week or two, renting makes sense. Your own gear stays safe at home and you get to try the latest.

For a month or longer, bring or buy.

When shopping for rental gear, ask around, since you should get a discount for a weekly rather than a daily rental. Also, they might give you some slack for light wind days or throw in a third sail to save trips back and forth on iffy wind days. Six rental shops within a half mile of the intersection of Dairy Road and Hana Hwy in Kahului. One in Paia.