Strikes and baggage charges: Do we have to fly anyway?

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts     Adventure Sports, baggage charges

News that British Airways staff could again be looking to strike is bad news for travellers. We all have some sympathy for workers facing job cuts – life isn’t easy for most of us at the moment – but when strikes affect our precious adventure getaway, patience wears thin, quickly.

For the intrepid adventure sports fanatic air travel has never been easy: try checking in two boards and three sails, as well as your rucksack. And no, no matter how hard you try, that 7ft polished wave cutter is not fitting in the overhead locker.

If you are crossing only a couple of borders to reach your slope, shore or seabed, then there are options. First up: The Road Trip. Great if you have a van, fantastic with a couple of friends, lovely for a leisurely potter around the French coast, terrible if your family prefers its creature comforts.

OK, next option: The Rail Trip. Nice idea if your sporting equipment is limited to just a bodyboard. But with anything bigger under your arm, all those changes and cramped corridors could dull the experience before it has begun.

The Coach Trip: As daft as it sounds, it is feasible. Arguably more eco-friendly than driving on your own; rarely any baggage charges – but worth a check beforehand; little effort involved, you just need to be seated next to someone you can get on with – for 17 hours.

For long haul, there are no practical alternatives. For short haul, well, you have a few options. As for those hidden baggage charges and airline strikes, like the wind and the waves, they are beyond our control.

About the author

Mark Pawlak wrote 170 articles on this blog.

Editor at Adventure Sports Holidays, Mark's love affair with travel and the challenges of adventure sports continues... "You could save all year for a two-week, all-inclusive, doss by the pool, booze and buffet binge. Or, with a little planning and some good equipment, get off your arse and plan an adventure!"

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