Te Canaille wrote:
My personalized homemade pad was almost a necessity. A
FreeStyle Canoe pad is closed-cell foam, one half inch thick and 48
inches on each edge. The answer to this transportation dilemma was a 48
inch long by 12 inch diameter duffle bag. ...
"This bag is oversized and
will cost $ 80.00 extra." ... Going to the round end of the
duffle, he measured it's diameter vertically, then horizontally, then
the length. "Oh yes", he said with great satisfaction, "This is much
greater than 62 square inches in area." I figured a ticket agent was
probably a high school graduate and would understand basic geometry, so
offered that the correct way to measure a cylindrically shaped object
was Pi times the radius squared, times the length and that would yield a
volumetric area in cubic inches, not a square area in inches.

I'd be interested in hearing what experiences others have had recently with
airlines interpretation of their oversize rules. The standard of 62" for
(length + width + height) has been in most airlines' rules for a long time
- at least since before 1992 when I bought my folding kayak. No, it doesn't
correspond to either volume or area, but then arbitrary rules don't have to
make sense and this one is spelled out very explicitly in the airlines'
policies for checked baggage - along with specific exemptions for things
like golf bags and skis.

However, my experience has been that it generally hasn't been enforced.
I've been asked the weight of my folding kayak bag several times (it's well
under the weight limit), but never questioned about the size (it's well
over 62"). If the concensus is that airlines are starting to more
seriously enforce the 62" limit then I'll shop around for a large golf bag
to replace the duffle bag I currently use to carry my kayak.