traveled several times with my rackets.
low-cost within Europe.
"regular" airlines within Europe.
"regular" airlines transatlantic flights (Europe -> South America).
charter flights, part of holiday package from Europe to Africa / East.
Both types: checked luggage and cabin luggage.
I haven't experienced any issues when I had my rackets as cabin luggage. Also didn't experience issues when I took my umbrella in the cabin.
In the past I could as well easily place the rackets in the checked luggage, but several times I got my checked luggage with bumps, and one of them was significant. Luckily for my rackets, they were not there. So, since that experience, I don't place voluntarily my rackets in the checked luggage.
Additionally, I recall Monfils 1 or 2 years ago, on a short flight within Europe with a reputable carrier had all his frames destroyed in checked luggage.
Some other stories mention lost luggage, which is almost "as good" as opening your luggage to find the rackets destroyed.
So, long story made short, if there is a chance, I won't place in checked luggage important and valuable to me items, my tennis rackets being part of the valuable to me items.
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Lots of people ask me if they can carry their tennis racket on a plane. The short answer is – yes you can. I do it all the time. But there are some things you should know about overseas travel when it comes to taking your tennis racket with you when you fly.
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Probably the most important thing to know is that most major airlines in the United States will let you carry on your tennis racket. I love my Britto Racket from Wilson and there is no way I am going to check it in a bag to endure baggage handling.
Also – TSA specifically lists tennis rackets as acceptable items to take through security. But, it also says that the ultimate decision is up to the TSA Agent who is standing there at the time. So there is something worth knowing. You can read more about my experiences with Tennis Travel on Our TSA Pre-Chek Blog Post.
I go over this in the video, but there are several reasons you shouldn’t check your tennis racket and should instead opt to carry it onto the plane with you.
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First, the cargo area of the plane is not pressurized. Why does this matter? Because going up and down to such high altitudes in a non-pressurized area will affect your strings. Imagine traveling somewhere for a tennis tournament or tennis camp and upon arriving, pulling your racket out of your bag only to find your racket must be completely restrung!
This happens. And the worst part is, if you haven’t seen your racket since you checked it, you might arrive at the court and that is when you discover your strings are mush.
Also – have you ever watched baggage handlers throw suitcases? No way is my “baby” going through that. The only thing worse than having to restring your tennis racket every time you fly would be to open your suitcase and find your racket broken or warped.
It isn’t the job of the baggage handlers (apparently) to protect your luggage. So don’t put things in there you don’t want destroyed.
If you haven’t flown overseas for awhile you might be unaware that losing your luggage seems almost guaranteed. They have lost my luggage and just about everyone else I know has experienced the same problem.
You don’t want to buy a new racket once you arrive overseas if you were planning to play tennis. So if you want your tennis racket to make it to its final destination and you are going overseas, I suggest you carry it on. In fact, I carry on EVERYTHING now when I travel overseas because the baggage handling is so notoriously unreliable.
Yes, you can carry your tennis racket on a plane. And you should. Between damaging strings and unruly baggage handlers, there is no way I would let my baby be stored below. The last thing in the world I want on a tennis trip is to arrive at my destination and have an equipment problem. You can’t always count on a pro shop carrying equipment you like or having the time to fix things on the spot. So carry on your tennis racket when you fly on a plane. You’ll be glad you did.
About the Author –
Katri is an avid club player and certified tennis junkie. Katri lives by the tennis mantra of, “Do whatever it takes to keep tennis fun. Sometimes it is playing more, sometimes it is buying a new tennis skirt.” Sportsmanship and fair play are utmost important and promotion of the game of tennis is paramount. Follow along for further tennis fun and friendship while keeping your head in the game.
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