 Poster: A snowHead
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I know that this has been discussed before but I am interested to here from anyone who has recently taken skis on BA flights to Europe this season.
Are Skis carried free?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@kevinraine, I did last month. Skis are carried free, if they are your only hold bag. If they are in addition to another hold bag, you are charged excess. Basically you can put one thing in the hold, they don't care much what.
I misunderstood their website, thought skis were carried free in addition to my free hold bag, and was charged both ways for having an extra bag.
However, the BA size/weight limits for skis/hand luggage are generous, so with knowledge and sensible packing you can take a ski bag and a largeish hand luggage bag and getting everything in for free.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Many thanks. Just as I thought but good to have it confirmed
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Fri 23-01-15 11:38; edited 1 time in total
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think it is £36 if you pre book the extra bag or £40 if you pay at the airport.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I also did a couple of weeks ago. One bag under 23 kg, no problem.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Only thing to watch out for are the new fares that BA have introduced as there is now the option of a cheaper ticket with no hold bag at all. But assuming you take the economy ticket with checked bag, you're all good as above.
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@mayr, Just done this, £40 online EACH WAY!!! or £65 at the airport.......
Had to book the extra as I'm taking a load of gear for a 15 person off-piste trip........
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Can you not find a flight with Swiss Air? They carry skis free of charge as part of your standard hold baggage weight allowence.
Otherwise if you fly business (Club Europe) class or higher you get 2 hold bags with BA. Not cheap if you're paying cash but if you've got a pile of Avios points to use like I did means you can get return flights and 2 bags for £50 - if you can find an Avios flight...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@KenX, I added an extra bag for £38 each way online; not too bad overall as, with Avios, my return to Geneva was only £35 to begin with.
@Mjit, it's Swiss (my favourite airline) or Swiss International not Swiss Air. Swissair went bust years ago!!
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Probably my fault for not reading the small print properly, but I ended up being charged £36 at Gatwick to carry my skis each way, when I went to Austria in November. I booked with BA using the skyscanner website, and then routed via Expedia. Everything I read on the booking stated a maximum hold luggage weight allowance of 23kgs, plus carry on cabin baggage as long as the rucksack I was taking conformed to the dimensions stated. My skis were packed in my ski bag along with poles, equipment, clothing, salopettes etc., and came in well under 23kgs as my ski boots were in my carry on bag. The problem was my ticket was in fact a 'walk on' fare, ie only for the carry on bag with no hold luggage - first time that's ever happened with skyscanner I might add. I'm off to Denver in a weeks' time, also with BA, but have double checked the small print this time...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Going to Salzburg the Club Europe fare was less than economy with an extra bag. Was able to take two pairs of skis and my wax bench, iron, vices, tools etc.... Happy days 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| LOTA wrote: |
| @Mjit, it's Swiss (my favourite airline) or Swiss International not Swiss Air. Swissair went bust years ago!! |
I know, but it just doesn't look right to just write "Can you not fly with Swiss?". ^_^
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@scubadancer, I know, they say "We'll gladly take your skis AS PART OF YOUR FREE BAGGAGE ALLOWANCE", sadly the small print wasn't bold like this so I didn't spot it, read it as they'll be free like with Swiss (Air)
They also offered to upgrade me to Business class for £105, just £25 more than paying for the skis each way, luckily I spotted it was £105 each way...........
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You know it makes sense.
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@KenX, from other posters, I gather that if you book business class outbound, the full baggage allowance is permissible both ways, even if you come back cattle class.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Sat 24-01-15 18:16; edited 1 time in total
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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On BA if you are a Silver Card holder you automatically get 2 bags in your allowance which can be skis plus hold bag ( unless it is the hand baggage only fare ).
The hand baggage only fare is more common into GVA - Swiss started it and BA have followed suit.
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Poster: A snowHead
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When I was using sky scanner to look for bBA flight almost all the fares it was showing were the hand luggage only fares. Be careful when using price comp for BA flight out of Gatwick.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@achilles, found this out after booking, they don't exactly advertise it...........
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| alti - dude wrote: |
| On BA if you are a Silver Card holder you automatically get 2 bags in your allowance which can be skis plus hold bag ( unless it is the hand baggage only fare ).. |
I booked some flights with my silver BA air miles plus a nominal cash top up. But my silver status expired before I actually took the flights. I had severe problems getting BA to honour my (ski) baggage allowance at check in. Fortunately I had printed out all the documents but still had to argue my case with the supervisor and the supervisor's supervisor to avoid the extra charges they wanted to make
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@On the rocks, you are lucky - they used discretion as you need to have the status at the time of flight not booking.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Hi - hopefully someone can ease my last minute panic before flying to Canada on Saturday.
I've booked with BA direct through their website and wanted to add ski carriage. I couldn't see an option which said ski carriage and it seemed to imply that I could just book a second hold bag and that would cover it so that is what I did (on my booking it now shows me as having 2x23kg hold bags plus carry on).
Think this is correct but I'm having the usual last minute panic (plus it was rather expensive as its 2 legs each way changing at Heathrow)
Thanks!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have flown BA to Canada many times, and a ski bag can be one of your 23Kg bags.
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@kevinraine, Simples......... pack your skis in a large "coffin" style bag with a selection of other items. This bag cannot exceed 23kgs. It's your "Baggage Allowance". Ensure you have a "Cabin Baggage" not exceeding the BA stated dimensions, funnily enough this can accommodate up to another 23kgs. I put my ski boots and a few other items in there. Trick is not to over pack in one bag or the other.
Skis tend to weigh in at under 10 kgs, so there's lots of baggage weight to work with. IF there are two of you travelling together you have a grand total of 46kgs in two hold bags to play with, easily enough for 2 pairs of skis, lots of ski kit (all hold baggage), plus 2 separate cabin bags with up to a total of another 46 kgs.
The Avios trick proves a tad expensive if you fly 9000 Avios each way! Best just book one leg "Business/9000 Avios, as you then get BOTH legs with the 2 X hold baggage (up to 46 kgs in two bags, plus your cabin bags).
@bobmcstuff, Avios allow FREE connecting domestic flights....... (until they change the rules later this year)........... as long as the flights are BA and not another carrier, your allowance/ski carriage are okay.
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@bobmcstuff, 23kgs can include your skis as your checked hold luggage as long as they are packed in a proper, suitable ski/snowboard bag and secured. I came back from Denver (direct) last Wednesday, and I did this.... along with my ski boots packed in my carry on luggage (for some reason BA want these packed separately from skis and poles). As @skimastaaah, says, it pays to put as much in your ski bag as possible up to the weight limit with BA. I think the way you've done it will cost you more, but it sounds like a belt and braces approach however, which should therefore be fine.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Of course, if you stuff as much as possible into your ski bag, you have a problem if the ski bag doesn't turn up. For days. As happened with Mistress Panda, who was flying with BA, when the Pandas flew to the Birthday Bash.
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| scubadancer wrote: |
| @bobmcstuff, 23kgs can include your skis as your checked hold luggage as long as they are packed in a proper, suitable ski/snowboard bag and secured. I came back from Denver (direct) last Wednesday, and I did this.... along with my ski boots packed in my carry on luggage (for some reason BA want these packed separately from skis and poles). As @skimastaaah, says, it pays to put as much in your ski bag as possible up to the weight limit with BA. I think the way you've done it will cost you more, but it sounds like a belt and braces approach however, which should therefore be fine. |
I'm going for 2 weeks and I don't think I could fit everything I need between my current ski bag and carry on. Particularly since we've got a couple of nights in Calgary at the end and I'm taking running kit etc. as well as ski gear.
At the moment I have my 100l holdall and my ski bag (standard lined fabric Ellis Brigham thing, just skis and poles in it), and this fits all my stuff fine. Boots/helmet/ski gear goes in my holdall. I did look at getting a new big ski bag which fitted kit as well, but the price for a good quality one was more than the cost of just adding a second hold bag.
Was just over £100 to add the second bag though, which was more than I expected. I guess it adds up to under £30 each leg (we're going Aberdeen - Heathrow - Calgary)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I fly BA most of the time and one to watch is that your boots must be packed in your ski bag or carried as hand luggage. You cannot have 1 x ski bag + 1 x boot bag + 1 x hand luggage. The website is a bit ambiguous on this point.
The weight limit of 23kg is important. But I usually travel with 2 pairs of skis and have never been pulled up for this (their rules say 1 pair only, I believe)
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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And another thing. Silver & Gold membership give you 2 x bags: but you still need to have booked a flight with hold luggage. You can't book hand luggage only and then use the membership to get you hold bags too...
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Good point @bobmcstuff, my ski bag is a 185cm snokart double roller which cost £85 over two years ago.... it's a very good quality bag mind you, and I'm expecting it to last me a few more years yet. I tend travel 'light' in terms of clothing when I go skiing, just tee shirts and jeans mainly. I usually 'max-up' my carry on 44 litre capacity rucksack... and I'm usually too knackered to go running as well as skiing during the day 
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You know it makes sense.
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@Harry Flashman, Here is the current wording from the BA website concerning carriage of snow sports equipment:
"We will accept ski and snowboard equipment up to 190cm (75in) in length provided it is packed correctly.
Please ensure that you:
pack your skis and snowboards in a recognised ski or snowboard bag
pack your ski poles with your skis
pack your boots separately from your skis or snowboard - either within your free allowance or in another bag (any bags over your free allowance are subject to additional charges)"
Note the bit in the third bullet point (I've emboldened it) about packing boots separately from skis and poles.... This is why my boots were in my carry on luggage rather than in the hold in my ski bag.
....I can't say that I've ever had to open my ski bag at check in for inspection prior to lugging it across to the oversize baggage shute though.
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FAQ
