South African Airways

South African Airways's general surfboard policy — pick a destination and board length on Board Check to see a verdict for your trip.

Before you buy

• Weight cap: 23 kg per board bag.
• Must be booked/reserved in advance.
• Codeshare note: the operating carrier's policy applies, not the marketing carrier's.
• Always confirm current terms directly with South African Airways before you book.

Full policy notes

Surfboards/kite surfing/paragliding equipment smaller than 200 cm form part of the free baggage allowance (max 23 kg per item) and must be requested with an SSR SPEQ code in the booking in advance. Only available on SAA-operated (SA-numbered) flights — excludes codeshare/partner-operated flights, and is explicitly NOT permitted on DXB codeshare flights. The source states boards 200 cm or larger ship as cargo; whether a board of EXACTLY 200 cm is accepted as baggage or must ship as cargo is not confirmed by the published wording.

Watch out for

• Watch out · Airline policy: Free under 200 cm; over 200 cm ships as cargo, not baggage; whether exactly 200 cm is accepted as baggage is unconfirmed by the published wording. Sporting equipment is also explicitly not permitted on DXB codeshare flights, and carriage requires pre-booking an SSR SPEQ code; without it, carriage isn't guaranteed.

Checked against www.flysaa.com on Oct 2026. Fees change. Always confirm with the airline before booking.