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British Airways & Ski Bags.

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi All, I am travelling with BA next week to Turin, booked an extra bag with them (much cheaper than the budget airlines!) But just noticed they restrict the bag length to 190cm long, otherwise its oversize baggage Puzzled my ski bag is slightly over 190 but less on the other dimensions, will it be a problem? Has anyone had experience of this either way? Would be better to know now and book it on rather than pay the airport cost!
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I've always got away with my 195 bag on BA.
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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?
@musher, Thanks, I think I'll risk it and plead ignorance, I expected them to be more accommodating than sleazyjet or Ryanair anyway.
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Mine is a 190cm bag according to its label but they have never checked it when I check it in.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I've never had my ski luggage measured by BA when flying in Europe. I think a few centimetres over won't even be noticed.
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Taken a ski bag a few times with BA (not recently though).They weighed it but they have never got the tape measure out, it was about 175cm. I doubt they would check unless the bag was really well over.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Thanks all! I will take the punt, I'm sure it will be fine, just need some snow now!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@LDP816, You should be fine. Mine is a 197cm triple wheelie bag, and it never causes any comment.
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Write in large letters on the side of the bag "190cm". wink
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king key wrote:
Write in large letters on the side of the bag "190cm". wink

Mine used to have 195 on it Toofy Grin
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
I flew BA recently and they couldn’t have paid much less attention to my rather large ski bag (double roller ski bag, 190). Don’t think they even weighed it.
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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.
Was with BA last week to Zurich and back with 195 bag, they didn't even weigh it to see if it was over 23 kg, so dont think they will bother you at all.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
In Salzburg they didn’t weigh either though did in Gatwick. They couldn’t weigh in Salzburg was was so long others parts of the baggage thing were taking its weight and it reported something 8kg in the display- Ha ha!
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Mine was 210, have flown recently to Turin and venice, BA have never measured length
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@PaulC1984, trust you to brag about the size wink
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Always wink
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The oversize bag guys never measure it, mine's a Thule double roller and is huge - must be 2m or so as my 180 skis have loads of room - and they just scan the label and chuck it through.
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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?
I don’t think the big airlines really care for ‘normal’ bags, but there is an upper limit due to the the mechanical routing or bags. It is slightly strange to think that now a 190cm ski is considered on the long side, whereas as 30 years ago 213/215cm or even 220cm+ weren’t exceptional. Any airport baggage system old enough to handle those, shouldn’t have issues with current bags.

You only really need to take care if you have a transfer flight onto another airline after your main flight. Unless you book the entire journey on one flight booking, you may find you are subject to much lower limits on the second flight, both in terms of weight and size. When’s go to Japan, BA has generous weight size limits, but JAL for example has lower weight and a 170cm length limit, unless it is part of the same booking, in which case the BA limits apply. I have seen the 170cm ski bag length been measured at Tokyo.
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PaulC1984 wrote:
Mine was 210, have flown recently to Turin and venice, BA have never measured length


That's good news, thanks. I'm about to spank out on a Rossignol Hero wheeled bag at 2m10 and wanted to check beforehand that I'll probably get away with it... fingers crossed!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@LDP816, Did you have any issues taking your skis on BA to Turin? Just wondering as my OH is taking the same flight soon and is wondering whether to take his skis or hire in resort.
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I was wondering if you could take big-ass snowboard bags as normal hold luggage.
Rather than "Winter Sports" baggage.
I am flying to Corsica tomorrow to go sailing, and I booked a hold bag ( < 23 kg).
Thing is, a normal bag won't take the shorty, towels, the wet weather gear, plus the evening wear, deck shoes, etc...
The whole lot is light but bulky.
I was thinking of putting it all in a snowboard bag - all said and done it's only 16KG so well under the limit, but the bag is massive. I can only see weight restrictions on the T&C, nothing about size ...
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Of course, yes, you can. I do that all the time. Snowboard bags are not hugely long in any case.

You do need an actual snowboard in there or the bag will have no structure.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
@philwig, Thanks for confirming what I hoped.
If the airport staff query why its floppy, I'll tell them its an inflatable snowboard Smile
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Damion75 wrote:
PaulC1984 wrote:
Mine was 210, have flown recently to Turin and venice, BA have never measured length


That's good news, thanks. I'm about to spank out on a Rossignol Hero wheeled bag at 2m10 and wanted to check beforehand that I'll probably get away with it... fingers crossed!


What skis have you got?
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WindOfChange wrote:
@philwig, Thanks for confirming what I hoped.
If the airport staff query why its floppy, I'll tell them its an inflatable snowboard Smile


Fold in back on itself and secure in a more compact form with duct tape. Add a duct tape handle and jobs a good un.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
LDP816 wrote:
booked an extra bag with them


sometimes it can be cheaper to upgrade to business class - which allows 2x checked luggage.
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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.
The beauty of travelling with BA (and Swiss, I think) is that there is never a need for 2 x checked luggage. 23kg is easily sufficient an allowance for a ski or board bag with skis or board + general clobber. And my cabin bag - which is compact but quite heavy, not that it's ever checked - contains boots, helmet and all manner of other bits and pieces. I suppose the only snag for some is that their feet may be too big for boots to fit into an authorised dimension cabin bag - I've got small feet.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
@Hurtle, us small people must take advantage of our size at times. Doesn’t often happen.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@Pamski, Toofy Grin
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
ster wrote:
Damion75 wrote:
PaulC1984 wrote:
Mine was 210, have flown recently to Turin and venice, BA have never measured length


That's good news, thanks. I'm about to spank out on a Rossignol Hero wheeled bag at 2m10 and wanted to check beforehand that I'll probably get away with it... fingers crossed!


What skis have you got?


Salomon XScream 169s, Atomic SX10 180s and Atomic Balanze 158s (for the wife). None need a 2m bag, but it was a great offer from a very nice man in my favourite shop ... only concern is getting it on the plane...


Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 28-03-19 15:43; edited 1 time in total
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hurtle wrote:
The beauty of travelling with BA (and Swiss, I think) is that there is never a need for 2 x checked luggage. 23kg is easily sufficient an allowance for a ski or board bag with skis or board + general clobber. And my cabin bag - which is compact but quite heavy, not that it's ever checked - contains boots, helmet and all manner of other bits and pieces. I suppose the only snag for some is that their feet may be too big for boots to fit into an authorised dimension cabin bag - I've got small feet.


I took 50kg for a week on my last trip. Over the limit coming (pesky french cheese & wine being cheap)
I didnt sit around in a chalet for a week in my pants.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Mr.Egg, blimey, 50kg is a lot. Perhaps your board is very heavy...
I do a bit of washing every evening, that obviates the need to bring loads of undergarments. But wine bottles will soon take you over the weight limit I guess.
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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?
I just got off the phone with British Airways, for those who still might be interested in this topic. I'm looking into a trip from California to Zermatt in March of 2020. My 191cm volkl skis inside their douchebag ski bag, are greater in length than the BA official limit of 190cm. But the customer service woman said if I check my bag the day of the flight, they might allow for a few extra inches/centimeters. She said it was important to notify the airlines a week or so before my flight and let them know the dimensions of my bag, so they will be able to prepare for larger baggage. This basically verifies everything mentioned in this post topic.
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The 190cm limit notwithstanding, BA is a decent airline for active types as sports equipment is treated as an item of normal baggage for the purposes of calculating allowances. Many other airlines charge a premium for awkward luggage like skis or bike boxes.

It's also worth noting that BA business class permits 2x hold luggage. The premium for an extra bag in economy is often greater than the differential between two classes, so it's always worth checking the Club Europe rates. I've had several trips in recent years where it's been substantially cheaper to fly with my bike in Club Europe than to fly BA economy or with a so-called low-cost airline.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
@monkbeer, For BA I have travelled loads of times with a bag that is over that length as have many SH. Just normal hold luggage and no need to declare it.
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Jonny Jones wrote:
The 190cm limit notwithstanding, BA is a decent airline for active types as sports equipment is treated as an item of normal baggage for the purposes of calculating allowances. Many other airlines charge a premium for awkward luggage like skis or bike boxes.

It's also worth noting that BA business class permits 2x hold luggage. The premium for an extra bag in economy is often greater than the differential between two classes, so it's always worth checking the Club Europe rates. I've had several trips in recent years where it's been substantially cheaper to fly with my bike in Club Europe than to fly BA economy or with a so-called low-cost airline.


+1

And don't forget, not only does Business Class afford 2 x hold luggage, each item of hold luggage can be up to 32Kg.

..Nick
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
PaulC1984 wrote:
Mine was 210, have flown recently to Turin and venice, BA have never measured length


A two ski ski bag has the skis side by side. You're not supposed to put them end to end Happy
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I'm about to buy a fisher ski bag with ski boots compartment in it and I'm wondering whether BA would do any problems about it?
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BA won't have a problem with it.
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Its to big for conveyor, so they just weigh it, tag it and point you to oversized drop off.
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