Certification for airline luggage allowance

[MaryS]

Does anyone know which PADI cards specifically state that they are a non-diving certification like my O2 provider one does?

I'm interested to know what's the minimum I'd have to teach someone to issue them a card so they can get a divers luggage allowance with the airlines.

I was thinking something like coral reef conservation, or skin diver maybe.

Or has anyone successfully used a bubblemaker card for this purpose?

I figure most check-in staff wouldnt recognise the difference between the different PADI cards as long as it doesnt specifically state its a non-diving cert.

Before anyone jumps on this, I'm not suggesting that I'd be prepared to breach PADI standards as an instructor. Just thought I'd make that clear up front.

[hammerheads]

I would imagine the minimum qualification would be PADI Scuba Diver and ill think you will find that non diving certifications actually have that printed on the cert card the Recompression Chamber Awareness Course certainly does

[broady]

Just knock something up on a PC and laminate it.

Make it official looking enough and they'll believe most things

G

.

[Simon TW]

Not that many airlines left that will give you the extra allowance. I'm now paying for it and nobody is interested if you're a diver or not, just just book and pay and don't prove anything.

I've always thought of it as discrimination, the big fat badly dressed balding guy with a bag of golf clubs has never had to prove anything at the airport (apart from no fashion sense that is)

[Mark C]

Prehaps a dive bag looking like a Golf bag? With two plastic clubs in it that way its a 'proper' bag

If not unpack this and place in the top of the dive bag. therefore making it an official Gold bag with water retrival kit included

[Beeblebum]

I travelled out of Gatwick to Marsa Alam with CJ, then 10 years old, shortly after he completed his JOW. At that time he only had a temporary certification card so I showed the Thomspon Fly check-in clerk either his PADI skin diver, SEAL or Master SEAL card. I can't recall which. All they are looking for is a bit of official looking plastic with the word 'diver' on it. I expect 'PADI' helps a bit.

[G man]

I usualy take a handfull of my speciallity cards, and claim the baggage allowance for all my family, that havent looked that closely yet to see the pictures on the back.

G.

[Beeblebum]

I usualy take a handfull of my speciallity cards, and claim the baggage allowance for all my family, that havent looked that closely yet to see the pictures on the back.

G.

You have a 'speciality'..?

Hey, CJ has grown out of a couple more suits. You want 'em for your boy?

[G man]

You have a 'speciality'..?

Hey, CJ has grown out of a couple more suits. You want 'em for your boy?

I'll take a look Tim, do you want to drop them at Brockeys ?

G.

[divebunnie]

I did have some friends come out to Sharm with a golf bag full of dive kit. However they had to answer a few questions when the airline weighed it and wanted to know how a golf bag (usually around 5kg) was weighing in at around 20k!! Hehe.

I don't recall whether they had to pay any extra in the end as a result.

I know Red Sea Flights still give certified divers an extra 5kg allowance, and for a while BA allowed a whole dive bag free of charge, so long as it only included specific listed items used for diving. Not sure if they still do that now though

Good luck.