Southwest Pole Charges

[jmayesvaultmom]

If you haven't read your email, apparently they charged Becca for EACH pole! We have flown SW every time in the last year and with the poles in a drainage tube inside a pacer bag they never even asked how many poles were inside except one time. The attendant tried to say something about $35 for each pole and I just TOLD her that we had never paid anything but $35 for the whole bag! With 9 poles in there that would be ridiculous! But as a precaution, I went back to our last Reno trip in my banking account online and printed out the SW charge for $35 each way and am taking it with us. We leave out of Tulsa tomorrow at 10 am. Also, I always HELP the attendant if she is unsure and have her look at the baggage section where it says "pole vaulting pole(S) $35 each way." I have had a couple that needed "guidance." Sometimes you get a "newbie." But if you haven't left yet, surely your airport has already had some vaulters go through if it is a larger hub. We WILL NOT pay $315 each way for her poles!!!!

[PVJunkie]

copied right off their site.........you be the judge: The way I see it, could go either way (little hint here - be NICE and HELPFUL to them when your checking in).

Weight and Size Allowance: Maximum weight is 70 pounds and maximum size is 62 inches (length + width + height) per checked piece of luggage. Overweight items from 71 to 100 pounds and oversized items (i.e., surfboards, bicycles, vaulting poles) will be accepted for a charge, ranging from $35.00 to $70.00 per item. Any item weighing more than 100 pounds must be shipped as Air Cargo. However, Customers cannot use SWA Cargo unless classified as a Known Shipper as defined by the FAA or FAA approved Indirect Air Carriers (IAC). For all Cargo inquires please call the Cargo Sales and Service Center at 1-800-533-1222.


Liability: Unless excess value is declared and charges paid at the time of checkin, Southwest Airlines' liability for lost, damaged or delayed baggage is limited to $2,500.00 per fare-paying Customer.

[jmayesvaultmom]

We have weighed the bag with 9 poles, drainage tube, and pole bag and it came to about 50 pounds. FYI

[zack]

Yeah the guy at the Birmingham airport said thats how they've always done it. He even called the corporate office to check it out and they said per pole. So they need to either stick to the policy on their website or change it. Becca also needs instances of other people flying Southwest recently and what they payed so she can try and get a refund.

[jmayesvaultmom]

I can get some for her....we flew to San Jose through Tulsa and back and paid $35 for a drainage tube with 6 poles in it, Tulsa to Reno and back with 6 poles for $35, and Detroit to Ft. Lauderdale and back with 9 poles in bag for $35 each way within the last 18 months. Guess the best thing is just don't fly through Birmingham!

[Erica]

I have actually seen the southwest ticketing screen when I was checking in with poles, and they have a charge for 'pole vaulting poles' for $35. I have never been charged per pole, and in the past have actually not had to pay to ship poles in certain instances because they were classified as 'sporting equipment.' The most I have ever been charged to check a pole bag if $60, I dont remember what airline. I usually have more trouble convincing the airlines that the poles will actually fit on the plane.

[zack]

Thanks

[jmayesvaultmom]

American was $80 each way for the whole bag. And you do have to convince even the airport manager in St. Louis that they WILL fit on a DC 10 or bigger!!! That is why we only fly SW now. They didn't even put the poles on the plane in Miami on American after $80 and getting there 2 1/2 hours early!

[Skyin' Brian]

last year division 3 nationals were in new york and my team qualified 3 vaulters(along with 6 other athletes) and our coaches were so paranoid about flying with poles that we ended up taking a bus all the way from naperville, illinois to canton, new york

[Carolina Extreme]

We've been fortunate and only paid for poles to ride with us twice. "Be Nice" is the best way to handle it. They usually freak out when they see the case, but we just smile and say "No big deal. We often have this come up. That's why we came in early. We normally get it approved with no problems though." Then be patient and kill'em with kindness and patience.

If you are rude and demanding, guess what... there's about a 99.9% chance you will pay extra or your poles might not make it with you.

In the future, you may want to ship them out ahead of time to have the poles waiting on you when you arrive. Then check them on to the flights when you go home. Emory Air freight, Bax Global, Yellow Freight, etc. Yellow seems to be the most reliable. The others guarantees aren't guaranteed because poles are oversized. Try to give it a few extra days just in case. For the biggest meets we try to ship them out ahead of us, then check as baggage coming back. This way we are sure to have them when we need them with no rush coming back.

Good luck shipping to Reno this year. It sounds like you may need it, especially with SW. You should be able to get SW, even out of Birmingham, if you are nice about it, to fly all of your poles for $35. "If" they are in one bag/case. Be nice but persistent. A bag is a bag and $35 is fair for a pole bag when it gets down to it. $315 for one bag is nut's. If you have 5 or 6 cardboard pole cases duct-taped together... Good Luck!

[PVJunkie]

Every airline has a website with ALL the baggage info.........of course even most of the clerks dont read them so its all a big mystery to them also. Most of the time they shoot from the hip so if you ACT as if you know what your doing and have done it several times even IF they are not supposed to take them they might. My advice............check the websites BEFORE making the reservation, know the charges and limits even if they dont, and make them at the very least follow their own rules.

By the way US air will NOT under any circumstance trasport anything over 115 inches..................

[jhesch]

I just can't understand what it must be like to have 9 poles to vault on for one person. As of right now, I have none, and my school is only ordering 1-2 for me. jmayesvaultmom, how many will she (jodie) actually use, and are some only for only really crappy or really great (tailwind) days, and did you buy 'em all? All vaulters on my team probably have a total of 9 or less poles (no kidding). wow

kinda ironic, i guess- my name is also jody (different spelling, and yes, I'm a guy... kinda rare name for guys, nonetheless))