When Traveling on an Airplane

[c12los]

I had recently traveled on an airplane with my dd and she used an old bat bag that was big enough to slide her bats into a pocket and everything else fit inside her bag. The bag just about had it and is tearing, not sure if we can sew it back together. She will travel again soon on an airplane and was wondering if anyone had experience with backpack bat bags on an airplane. The backpack bat bags have the handles of the bats exposed and not sure if the airline will tear the grips on the bats when loading or unloading. Does anyone travel with backpack bat bags on an airplane? If so, do you do anything special with the bats? How was your experience and with what airline? Thanks

 

[Stretch]

Use the backpack bat bag as her carry-on and take cleats, glove, and uniforms in it. Pack bat diagonal in large checked bag. If airline loses luggage, there are some things you just can't go buy and play comfortably with. You can always pick up a bat to use.

 

[FastBat]

Yes, I have a lot of experience traveling on airplanes. I have always unpacked and reapacked bat bags. I haven't tried anything above a 31 inch bat, but it can be packed diagonal.

Anything can be flown with. You may look into gate checking a bat bag, so it can be carried on, but you give it to luggage people when entering the plane. Like a stroller.

I'm flying home with a light saber on Thursday. It doesn't collapse and I was thinking the same thing, lol!

 

[Scott_K]

I have heard that parents/players will send the bags to the hotel via ups/fedex, etc. They have had good success with this. That is of coarse is you are staying at a hotel.....

 

[MD 20/20]

I did this with golf clubs and it worked fine. You could always borrow someone's rolling bat bag to use for your clothes and put the bat in that to check on. I have checked rolling bags without any problem

 

[17smom]

My DD is a catcher and her bag is large and heavy itself - would automatically cause an oversize charge. So, we have an older, smaller bag she uses for the few tournaments we fly to. She puts cleats, uniforms, and both gloves in carry on. In the checked suitcase, we place her bat diagonally across the suitcase (it's a 33"), and sandwich it in between her shin guards. Her chest pad and two helmets (batting and catching) then get arranged around the bat and her smaller items get put inside the helmets. The smaller bag and remaining clothes are then rolled and placed around the different equipment in the suitcase. Not the ideal way to pack clothes in any other situation, because they get wrinkly and a little smelly (due to catcher's gear), but so far we have always managed to get all of our stuff packed and under the 50 pound weight limit (sometimes only by a few ounces).