Surfboard policy · AC

Flying with a surfboard on Air Canada

Air Canada takes surfboards for a $100 fee each way.

Policy as published by the airline, verified 15 October 2026. Airline's own policy page

Board fee $100 Fixed board fee of CA/US$100.00 - $120.00 each way. The US edition prints USD and the Canada edition prints CAD. $100 is the fee before tax; the range includes 0% to 20% tax by itinerary. No other bag fees apply to the board. Two fees apply for two boards in one container. The fee is waived for Business, Premium Economy and Economy Latitude fares within Canada and Canada-U.S., for military members, and for Aeroplan Elite members (one board per Elite bag).
Size limit 292 cm / 115 in length and 60 cm / 24 in width on most flights; 203 cm / 80 in length on Air Canada Express CRJ900 and Dash 8-400; 32 kg / 70 lb maximum The current special-items page gives length and width only, not L+W+H, for boards. The 292 cm / 115 in length applies on Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and most Express flights. The page limits length to 203 cm / 80 in on Air Canada Express CRJ900 and Dash 8-400 aircraft, so the field keeps the stricter 203 cm. An old official popup page (it still loads, and it names a 2015-2016 ski offer and carriers that no longer fly) also states a 203 cm / 80 in length and L+W+H less than 277 cm / 109 in for surfboards.
Weight cap 32 kg
Boards per bag 2

The fine print

Boards go on a space available basis only. Register the board when you book. One board and one set of paddles count as one checked bag toward the fare allowance, but the board fee replaces the normal bag fees. No oversize charge applies within the length and width limits. Pack the board in a rigid or hard-shell container made for shipping and remove the fins. Boards are not accepted during checked-bag embargo periods. Motorized boards are not accepted. Official page: 'One board and one set of paddles combined count as one checked bag toward the maximum allowed by your fare.' 'Maximum length : 292 cm/115 in. Maximum width : 60 cm/24 in. Maximum weight : 32 kg/70 lb.' 'Maximum length is 203 cm/80 in on Air Canada Express CRJ900 or Dash 8-400 aircraft.' 'Boards and wave skis are subject to a fee of CA/US$100.00 - $120.00 for carriage on Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge flights, as well as on Air Canada Express flights operated by Jazz.' 'Two fees apply for two (2) boards packed in the same container. No other baggage fees apply to surfboards, paddleboards, kiteboards, wakeboards and wave skis.'

Will your bag clear it?

Air Canada publishes a length figure rather than a linear cap, so the comparison depends on your bag's own numbers. Check your exact bag: we hold the measured dimensions of 128 board bags and print a verdict per airline.

Surf trips we have seen on Air Canada

In the last 90 days, we saw Air Canada fares on 98 routes into 20 surf airports it serves. A ticket can include a partner's flight. Check who operates each leg, then read that carrier's board policy.

Flown from: New York, Newark, Fort Lauderdale, Washington, Lisbon, Portland, Philadelphia, Seattle, Amsterdam, Boston, Frankfurt, London, and 22 more cities.

Source: our fare watch, 25 July 2026 to 23 October 2026. Who flies into each airport: its Wikipedia airline list, read 23 October 2026. Each spot page has the forecast and the fare calendar.

Fair questions

Does Air Canada charge for surfboards?

Yes, $100 each way. Fixed board fee of CA/US$100.00 - $120.00 each way. The US edition prints USD and the Canada edition prints CAD. $100 is the fee before tax; the range includes 0% to 20% tax by itinerary. No other bag fees apply to the board. Two fees apply for two boards in one container. The fee is waived for Business, Premium Economy and Economy Latitude fares within Canada and Canada-U.S., for military members, and for Aeroplan Elite members (one board per Elite bag).

What is Air Canada's surfboard size limit?

292 cm / 115 in length and 60 cm / 24 in width on most flights; 203 cm / 80 in length on Air Canada Express CRJ900 and Dash 8-400; 32 kg / 70 lb maximum. The current special-items page gives length and width only, not L+W+H, for boards. The 292 cm / 115 in length applies on Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and most Express flights. The page limits length to 203 cm / 80 in on Air Canada Express CRJ900 and Dash 8-400 aircraft, so the field keeps the stricter 203 cm. An old official popup page (it still loads, and it names a 2015-2016 ski offer and carriers that no longer fly) also states a 203 cm / 80 in length and L+W+H less than 277 cm / 109 in for surfboards.

Does a board bag count as a checked bag on Air Canada?

Yes. The board bag takes one of your checked-bag allowances, so standard checked bag pricing applies.

Airline policies change without notice, and the operating carrier's policy is the one that counts, not the airline that sold the ticket. Confirm on the airline's baggage page before you fly. Fees across all 61 carriers: which airlines charge for a board. Size math: every bag against every limit.

The fee is half the cost. The fare is the other half.

BarrelFare watches round-trip fares to 114 surf breaks against the forecast, and can hide the flights that will not take your board. The board fee only hurts when the fare was already bad.

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Cheapest published board fees

Air Mauritius · $0 Air New Zealand · $0 Air Tahiti · $0 Air Tahiti Nui · $0 Airlink / FlyAirlink · $0 Alaska Airlines · $0 All 61 airlines