The definitive guide to flying with tennis rackets

One of the perennial questions for tennis players taking a flight with their equipment is whether or not rackets can be carried onto the plane as hand luggage.

This topic has perplexed us too: sometimes we have been able to carry on a racket bag, other times we have been forced to check it and on other occasions we've taken our rackets out and brought them on board by hand (all while flying with the same airline, no less).

So, we thought it would be helpful to do some in-depth research into the policies of different airlines to get a current grasp on what is allowed.

Spoiler alert: For most airlines, tennis rackets are too long to fit the cabin baggage dimensions if they are enforced to the letter. However, as with many aspects of air travel, there is some nuance around which class you are flying in and the stance of the staff you encounter that makes the situation less black-and-white than it may appear at first glance. 

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What we found

The first thing to know is that the TSA allows tennis rackets to be carried on board. The same is true of most equivalent agencies worldwide, including the EU (see EU policy here). So it is up to the individual airlines whether they want to allow rackets on board their flights or not. 

Many airlines do not specifically mention tennis rackets (or rackets in general) in their policies, even in the "sporting goods" section. This is quite a departure from the aftermath of 9/11 when tennis rackets were explicitly classified as weapons by most airlines and had to be checked.

Thus, the main criteria to consider when travelling with your rackets is if the bag fits into the dimensions specified for your carry on luggage. Obviously the length of the racket is the dimension that causes issues. Currently 29in (74cm) is the maximum racket length allowed in competitive tennis (with 98% of all rackets being 27in or 69cm), so keep this in mind when you’re sizing up your frames and bag.

As you can see in the table below, even though the length of rackets appears to a be a deal-breaker for many airlines, we have all experienced instances where check-in agents and security personnel have made seemingly arbitrary decisions (for better or worse) about the acceptability of a given piece of luggage.

Adding complexity to the issue, on full flights the bigger pieces of carry on luggage are usually the first to be targeted for a transfer to the hold. This isn’t ideal if you were transporting your rackets in a soft bag that could get damaged among hard cases underneath the plane.

Without further adieu, here is an overview of the main global airlines' policies pertaining to hand luggage in economy class: 

 * Reference is to bag dimensions without rackets

The Perfect Carry On Backpack

Checking your rackets

Thinking of avoiding the process of attempting to carry on your rackets altogether and plan to check them instead? There are a couple of things to consider if you use this strategy.

First, it goes without saying that they will have to be wrapped in a material like bubble wrap to protect them from getting damaged if you are using a soft bag. Wrapping them individually is your safest option.

Second, extreme temperature changes in the hold can alter your string tension. If you are using a string type that is particularly delicate like natural gut, you might find that your setup has materially changed when you next hit.

If you have to check your rackets, packing them in a hard case with ample padding is your best bet.

Key takeaways

If you are flying economy on most global airlines you might struggle to carry on a bag big enough to hold your rackets. However, if you have strong negotiating skills, ample charm or a friendly check-in agent you might be able to sneak a bag with your rackets into the overhead compartment.

Because this is far from a guarantee, the most prudent choice is to choose a checked bag large enough to fit your rackets and bring along some bubble wrap in the event you're forced to improvise and transfer your rackets into your biggest piece of luggage destined for the hold of your plane.

What has your experience been? Have you been able to carry your rackets on the plane? Have you ever been stopped? Let us know in the comments below.

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