Hey, Gang!

In the upcoming skate season, I'll be driving to most of my competitions, but I'd like to avoid having to drive from Chicago to Lake Placid in April (which would be a 15-hour trip!) due to fear of skates lost by airlines. What airlines do you people recommend that have good track records for baggage handling? Do any of them actually let you carry your skates on the plane? Didn't think so.....

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This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

According to the FAA website, skates are not prohibited as carry on items. They are not specifically mentioned, either. I carried my skates on a few American Airlines flights this year. They seemed pretty cool about it.

You can always ship them via FedEx or UPS.

My family takes private jets everywhere--and it's a great way to travel. For us it makes a lot of sense because my parents are constantly flying from where we live all the way to the East Coast and Europe. It is fast, convenient and you can carry your skates on board. If you can make the financial committment--I'd try it.