American Kitefliers Association

There's a lot of discussion on this subject on all the various kite forums, but a lot of it is based on this:
http://www.gombergkites.com/faq/faq-trav.html

Thank you.  Your link was very helpful (much more so than the airline).  So my next question then involves mailing kites.  I have a relative in the kite festival area, so I could mail my kites.  Has anyone had experience with the cost and advisability of that option? Is it better/worse than the airline?

UPS or FEDEX are more reliable, at least for timed shipping (like overnight or second day), but more expensive. If you do that, you will need a sturdy shipping tube, map case, or long golfclub shipping bag (depending on how many kites), which will add to the weight and expense.

Hi,  PWMEEK makes a good point,,if your traveling within your country it's probably best to ship your kites UPS or FEDX to your destination. My experience has been calling my kite bag a "sport " bag. The length limit is 62 inches ,my longest spars are 60 inches.The cost has been the normal 25 bucks. I've been lucky on all my  domestic and int'l trips using a soft bag stuffed tight with kites. (single line stuff). Just got a plastic telescopic golf bag but haven't used it yet, however, empty it's a lot heaver than my canvas bag, and  will cut down on my kite load.
  Hope this helps

CLIFF

Also see http://www.gombergkites.com/update/594.html

dg

My bag of choice is a soft sided golf bag, cost about $50 at a local big box store. The airlines deal with those every day. It will accomodate spars of 48" length. Plus, it fits in almost every car, unlike longer ski type bags.
In all the years I've been using, only 1 broken spar. Just stuff it full of kites, that seems to be enough protection.

Thank you so much everyone.  About 50% of my written questions in this life go unanswered. So your information is not only exactly what I needed to know, it is also satisfying to that part of me weary of being ignored.  I have no idea what to expect from a kite festival, but so far, so good!

Expect confusion, a sky full of color, excitement, and a lot of good people.

Sialia wrote:

I am going to my first kite festival this summer.

Fantastic news!  Best thing to remember? = never fly anything you're not prepared to lose!  (Which can always be re-made, right?!) 
Oh, and, smile!
If attending an international event, be prepared for import duty/tax which could be payable on anything you decide to mail / ship home.  While it may only be dirty laundry, or even your own kites, sometimes Customs Officers can be a little harsh.  The best thing is to take ONLY your luggage limit, and only bring home what you took!