Sports equipment
Flying with sports equipment
Sports equipment almost always travels in the hold, and you need to tell the airline in advance. What differs is how: some airlines sell it as a paid add-on with its own weight limit, British Airways counts it as part of your checked bag allowance, and TUI Airways asks you to pre-book by phone.
How each airline handles sports kit
| Airline | How it’s carried | Weight limits published | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | Hold, added to your booking | 20 kg to 30 kg depending on the item | See Ryanair’s sports equipment page for how to add it to your booking. Fees vary. |
| easyJet | Hold, added to your booking for a fee | 20 kg to 32 kg depending on the item | Add it when you book, in Manage Bookings or during online check-in. Adding it at the airport costs more. |
| Jet2.com | Hold, added to your booking | 22 kg to 32 kg depending on the item | See Jet2’s sports equipment page for how to add it to your booking, plus detailed packing and restriction notes. |
| British Airways | Counts as part of your checked baggage allowance | None stated on the page | Tell BA more than 72 hours (at least 3 days) before you travel. |
| Wizz Air | Hold, added to your booking for a fee | 32 kg | Add it when you book, or at least 3 hours before departure in your WIZZ Profile. Space is limited on each flight, so adding it at booking is recommended. |
| TUI Airways | Must be pre-booked by phone | None stated on the page | Call TUI as soon as possible on 0203 451 2688 to pre-book it onto your flight. If you don’t pre-book, TUI may refuse to carry it. |
Check your kit on your airline
Choose the airline and equipment, add the weight and size if you know them, and see whether it’s within the limits.
Why the rules vary so much
Apart from GOV.UK’s hand luggage rules, each airline sets its own categories, weights and booking process for sports equipment. The same golf bag can be a paid extra on one airline (easyJet and Wizz Air), part of your normal checked allowance on another (British Airways), or something you have to phone to arrange (TUI Airways).
GOV.UK does set what can go in hand luggage: golf clubs can only go in the hold, a fishing rod is allowed in hand luggage and the hold, and for diving equipment you should check with your airline.
“Not stated” isn’t “not allowed”
Some airlines don’t publish a weight or size for every item. Where that happens, we say “No weight limit stated on the page” — it means you need to ask the airline, not that there’s no limit or that the item is banned. Where an airline actually refuses something, such as electric bikes on easyJet and Ryanair, we say so plainly.
Fees
We don’t show sports equipment fees. They change often and can depend on when you add the item — easyJet, for example, says adding it at the airport costs more. Check the airline’s own page when you book.
Equipment guides
- Golf clubs Airline rules compared
- Skis or snowboard Airline rules compared
- Bicycle Airline rules compared
- Surfboard Airline rules compared
Fishing equipment and Diving equipment: use the Sports Equipment Checker, which covers every airline above.