Getty Images

Hawaiian, Alaska Airlines Updates Surfboard Policy

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Nov 3, 2025 5:55 PM ET

It’s something every surfer experiences at some point in their lives. You’re all packed up, ready to go on a surf trip somewhere warm and exotic, and then you hit the airport. A wave of anxiety washes over you as you approach the ticketing counter.

Will you be slapped with an unexpected, exorbitant fee for your boardbag? Will the desk attendant smile and wave them through? Do you slip a foot under the baggage scale just in case? Either way, it’s a roll of the dice. Then, there’s whether or not your boards will make it to their destination in one piece, and that’s a whole different story.

And over the years, the draconian boardbag fees have changed from airline to airline. But now, two major carriers – Hawaiian and Alaska – have announced some updated regulations, or as they call it, a “new policy to accommodate all surfers.”

View this post on Instagram

Here’s the specifics:

“Our new surfboard policy – the most generous among premium U.S. airlines – allows guests flying on Alaska and Hawaiian aircraft to check multiple surfboards in a single bag measuring up to 10 feet, 5 inches (from nose to tail), and 50 pounds. For flights operated on our regional E175 aircraft, surfboard bags must not exceed nine feet, 7 inches.”

Additionally: “We also treat surfboards as standard checked baggage – with no special item fees.”

The new announcement comes hot off the heels of a recent controversy surrounding this very issue, one involving one of the world’s best longboarders, Joel Tudor.

View this post on Instagram

“This is a psa to every longboard surfer in the world,” Tudor wrote, calling out a situation with Hawaiian and Alaska. “They denied my surfboards that I’ve flown with on their airlines for 35 yrs….refused to rebook or reimburse my ticket and even had the audacity to keep the charge on my card for the boards they denied! Not a good look considering Waikiki is the longboard capital of the world!”

So, according to the new announcement from Hawaiian and Alaska, it sounds like they’ve upped the approved length of the boards they allow on their flights. And there won’t be any extra fees. Progress, right? Now somebody go test it out, and report back.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: