can anyone confirm beginning(and ending) oversized luggage holiday embargo dates 2010/2011 for any of the major airlines?
i want to haul sails/gear for the winter.
i am worried delta, continental, etc will change the rules at the last minute(after i buy my flight)
last year they enforced embargo rules resulting in friends gear left at airport parking lots.
don't want this to happen to me as i stay 3 months.

moderators how do i move this to windsurfing?

You should call the airline to confirm this but I am pretty sure that the luggage rules that are in effect at the time you actually purchase your flight will remain in effect for you when you travel on that ticket.

you may post the same over in windsurfing section Cinda.. you may get a few more hits over there as well

Our experience with Continental is that luggage rules and regulations at the time of ticket purchase apply irrespective of new rules at the time of flight. We purchased tickets to Bonaire before checked baggage fees were imposed, and our stuff went on for free.

I agree with Lori -- call Continental, or whichever airline you use, and verify.

Cinda, moved per your request.

in case anyone wants to know, continentals excess baggage embargo (which includes surfboards and windsurfers)occurs on the following schedule for 2010.
march 26 through april 7
june 4 through august 31
november 15 through january 15
i could not find a policy for delta.
since i'm planning a trip dec1-march1 i will not be able to bring any gear which sucks.
i guess i'll investigate shipping next.
since its all used gear will i have to pay import taxes and/ or duty?

Cinda,
Key question - will the items remain on the island when you depart? Generally, you should not have to pay duty on items that are for use during your vacation and will be taken off island when you depart, whether they are new or used, but shipping the items probably clouds the issue. Maybe Ann Phalen will know the answer.

i will be taking the gear back home w/ me although prob as checked baggage since embargo will not apply then.

delta will not take anything over 109 total linear" and no windsurf gear at all on md-80s. sure wish i'd left it all there last year...
this is really not working out

We just flew KLM Amsterdam to Bonaire and had booked the tickets under the old Weight Concept and they had made a mistake on the confirmation of Kg allowed to the benefit of 40kg in our favour. We packed to the Confirmation but upon arrival at the airport they said "Sorry we have made a mistake, but you are overweight and owe us £600 in excess baggage". The conversation went along the lines of "I am terribly pleased you have mistake and I am very happy to take full advantage of it" and it escallated until the Depty Manager of London Heathrow Terminal 4 was called and he and I reached an amicable agreement of £75 Sports Equipment charge.

One up for the downtrodden Windsurfer. Mind you KLM last one of the suitcases en-route. But at least we are here with kit.....

(that should have read "KLM lost" not "last"

5.2 m2 and hanging on... Dropped a little this afternoon. Rigged my new 8.2 Naish Redline and got my arms ripped out of their sockets :-)))))))))

More wind forecast for tomorrow.

so there was a High wind embargo today ?