EasyJet Ski Luggage policy

A snowHead

Hey guys, I've had a look at historic posts but wondered if anyone had any more recent experience.

I'm travelling on 03rd Feb to Geneva and I've booked ski luggage from Luton. My understanding is that this is 20kg max which is more than enough for one set of ski's, boots, poles and helmet. Of course, I want to stuff it with everything so I can just take a backpack with me.

I'm a couple of kilos over and still have a couple of hip flasks etc to load.

My question is, do they even check the weight of the ski luggage at Luton? I feel like EasyJet are going to be super sensitive as there has been limited oportunity for them to gouge us over the last couple of years.

I'd be grateful for any recent experience.

Thanks!

A snowHead

Mine has been weighed the last couple of times.
One time it was 0.1kg over, and they wanted to charge me extra (however I simply transferred a fleece into my hand luggage (causing a debate about whether I had only ski equipment in my ski bag… rolling eyes

)
I have heard of them being more lenient, but I wouldn’t rely on it.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

My bag has been weighed & tagged at Bristol

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The weight you have paid for is the amount you are entitled to, so should not be surprised if that is enforced. I have seen, and heard about, some people gaming the self check-in machines (where you check your own luggage), which you could do but frankly is downright dishonest. At Geneva our ski cases have always been weighed at check-in so you would likely have a problem on the way back anyway.

A better approach might be to put some of the heavier stuff in your backpack - it is possible, for example, to get ski boots into carry on luggage. Buy an upfront seat and you will get increased hand luggage allowance.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Thanks for the feedback everyone, I appreciate it.

Zikomo, do not worry, I was not trying to be dishonest. I was simply trying to gauge how difficult, or not, the counter staff would be so I can plan accordingly. I flew from Gatwick in 2020 and made sure I was well within the allowance, only to find that they didn't weigh my skis at all!

I'll feed back my experience this year too.

Stay safe everyone!

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The "dishonesty" on luggage weights is a moot point imo. I'm around 70kgs and have seen people on flights who could be almost double that. There is no excess charge for the weight of the individual, so the amount they charge for an extra 3kgs of luggage is frankly absurd.

I have found the check-in staff at GVA to be more diligent at enforcing luggage weight than at Bristol, but neither have really enforced the cabin bag sizing. The latter might have changed now that Easyjet have reduced the size available to non-speedy boarding tickets, but I've not flown since it was introduced.

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Yeah it's the way back that's the issue, I flew out of Bristol with a 22.5kg snowboard bag mistakenly thinking it was 23kg limit with no issues. The way back from Geneva I was made to transfer stuff into my already full backpack.

I then tried putting it back in the board bag but was caught by the attendant on the way to oversized luggage Sad

After all it is free

Thanks for the additional info about GVA, I'll have to remember to drain my hip flasks before I head home. Such a shame.

We will be on our way soon (Yaaaaaay) and I just wanted to check peoples experience of taking your helmet with you. Are they alowed on board as a 'hat' and seperate to your luggage allowance?

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@GeorgeK, strapped to the outside of rucksacks on EJ & BA seemed to be fine, but was a while ago.

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@zikomo, ...on the right track here.

Overweight flights are a genuine problem and the specific weight of a flight determines the maximum fuel load which can be carried. There have been incidents where full weight flights have nearly had serious accidents (Athens 747 - very scary engine failure after V1). There is a lot which goes on behind the scenes regarding optimising and regulating a flight's weight, and quite a few flights with ski gear are rammed full...I wouldn't want even a few passengers to have pushed the envelope past the regulation weight....

See

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9450161/TUI-flight-took-Birmingham-Airport-1-200kg-overweight-glitch.html:

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@GeorgeK, on EJ last week I noticed that no one had their helmet strapped to the small hand luggage allowance & no one wore it. On the way back I did see a few strapped on! perhaps the UK gate staff are stricter than the Swiss

Thanks for the responses guys.

I have plenty of weight allowance as I have paid for ski carriage and the helmet fits in. But I just feel like, if anyone stands on it, stacks a load of other bags on top etc, it will get seriously damaged.

I'll have a chat at check in, see what they say.

Thanks again and stay safe everyone!

You know it makes sense.

@Jonny996, maybe they were just non-helmet wearers and didn’t make it back?

(FTAOD - joke!)

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Certainly at Bristol last Sunday on the Innsbruck flight there were quite a few helmets strapped to the hand luggage and no questions asked.

What I did find more annoying were the number of people who thought theyd get on the flight without FFP2 masks. There were a number of announcements if anybody had any spare ones they could use.!!!

A snowHead

A snowHead

I had mine attached to a free hand luggage (backpack) before Christmas (from BRS to GVA) and it was no issue. Both flights were pretty quiet but never had an issue.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@valais2, i used to often fly home from LCY -GVA on a Thursday evening when it was rammed full of skiers and commuters. Any slight bit of wind and they’d offload people and bump them to the next flight. I assume due to the weight/ooomph calculations for takeoff

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@zikomo, spot on

And helmet on flight = easy.

Small bag. Part of allowance. Don’t overpack it with silly heavy things. That’s allowed on standard Easyjet.

Then buy a nice pack/box/bar of chocolate/cheese/in duty free. Do not buy gin. Buy Private Eye. Ask for a carrier bag. Helmet is around 500g. This will not overload the plane. Helmet goes in bag. You go on the plane.

I agree - I would never put a helmet in hold luggage. I have seen it being loaded.
Anything labelled ‘fragile’ is somehow seen as a challenge by the loaders.

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@zikomo, that makes sense, but I don't buy it because it's not how it works in practice. E.g EasyJet have skis set at 20kg sports equipment, you can't have them as 32kg. When I've travelled in the past I've seen the 32kg sports equipment is about £10 per flight more, but they won't let you book that, nor can you add weight in 3kg increments like with normal hold luggage. So you end up having to buy an extra bag, which costs quite a lot more, just to pool the weight together. If it was genuinely just about knowing the weights then they wouldn't screw you like that.

Also you get people like me who cram a crazy amount of weight in their cabin bag just so they can get their hold luggage within the allowance, so it doesn't even work.

After all it is free

@JailBaitMcFlude, two different things!

1. Budget airlines want to maximise revenue from hold luggage, which is why they set the charging structure in the way they do. They are in it to make money after all!

2. All airlines weight all hold luggage and freight (and fuel) so they know exactly what is in the holds, regardless of what you have paid for/been allowed to get away with/actually used.

The point is that this limits the effect of the variable due to passenger weight (including on board baggage) when calculating total load. For this they know within a small margin of error how many thin/fat, male/female etc. people will be on board and what their carry on barrage will weigh based on sophisticated algorithms. It is simple maths, though , that the larger the proportion of a variable is absolutely know the smaller the effect of remaining variables. Surely that is easy to understand?

Back to the topic heading - Easyjet ski luggage policy - just got back from Geneva and yes, hold luggage allowance strictly enforced. Cabin luggage weight or size not checked and dangling helmets off rucksacks aplenty
.

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Three ski bags outbound from Luton, total weight 63Kg on the auto check-in scales. First two labels printed OK, third one came up as overweight for the booking, but the staff produced an override code and we were through with no issues. Hand luggage was of the free variety - 10Kg in my case due to laptop, helmet, chargers, etc. but all in a small bag which was bursting at the seams.

On return from Salzburg, all three bags weighed in at a total of 45Kg. Exact same contents, plus a week of sweat. The difference is that in Salzburg terminal 2 the baggage handling belt at check-in is for suitcases, and ski bags overhang the end of the belt and some of the weight is taken on the rigid frame. Repeat that across a flight of 240 passengers and that's 1.4 tonnes of difference...

If they really weigh all of the bags again before loading I'd be amazed.

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Every year up to 2020 when we always went with easyJet (booked via Crystal) our booking included 2 x 23Kg bags (for 2 of us), we paid for a ski bag and we took 2 large carry on suitcases which we put in the overhead lockers. Are we going to get away with that this time in light of all the recent changes?

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I have just returned from my trip to Geneva from Luton (03rd Feb), returning 06th Feb and can confirm the following.
I paid for ski carriage and had nothing other than the small under seat cabin bag option.
At Luton, Skis were weighed on little scales that could not accurately tell what the weight of the luggage was. Mine were within the allowance, but I had put my helmet in along with an extra coat for padding as I was nervous that I wouldn't be allowed to take my helmet as hand luggage. All I can say was, on my particular flight, I needn't have bothered. Nobody was checking the size of hand luggage. There were plenty of people (I asked) who had the small under seat cabin bag option who took a decent size bag AND a separate helmet. There were quite a few that had small under seat cabin bag option and were taking traditional ski boot bags on board that do not meet the dimension requirements and Easyjet were not concerned. I asked one of the staff and she thought it was acceptable to take a separate helmet. On the plane there were no issues putting smaller cases in the overhead locker.
Coming back from Geneva, skis were weighed but nobody checked luggage sizes. Lots of people with additional helmets to various sizes of hand luggage. Again, on the plane there was no issue with putting smaller luggage in the lockers.

Stay safe everyone!

You know it makes sense.

This is partly why I use Avios to fly BA Club to Innsbruck or Salzburg. Two hold items included, so that’s skis and main suitcase. And flying solo they allow boots and backpack on board - and they often offer to put boots in hold (easier when with non skiing OH as now 4 hold items). Also club seats 2+2 so plenty of overhead bin space.

And lounge access, and a reasonable meal. It’s by far the best way in my opinion.

I used to put helmet in hold bag but after reading this thread I won’t be now. Just bought a new top end Giro (in half price sale) so I’m looking after that…

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Surprisingly not. I booked a flight next January with cash (as had evoucher). About £140 single. The other way was £47.50 + 7250 Avios (so about £120).

So I have return for about £260. No worries about extras for ski carriage for my 2 pairs of skis. 2 x 32kg bags.

What price EJ return with ski carriage?

A snowHead

That is very good, it’s a pity EJ are the only carriers from my local airport

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Blimey Easyjet don't make this easy do they! Booked flights, 1x23kg hold bag and one ski bag. Planning to pay for the seat selection to give me a large cabin bag for my boots, and Mrs Kitenskis boots go with the ski bag allowance.

All looking good, then no option to chose a seat with larger cabin bag on the return flight, and doesn't appear to be away to add a large cabin bag separately to seat selection.

Can't seem to add a hold bag for one way (as spotted on another thread)!!
Can't see how to add a large cabin bag.

So do I gamble on them not checking hold luggage from GVA or other suggestions??

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@kitenski, It seems to me that the website is deliberately badly designed. I managed to book baggage for one person for both out and return when two people flying but only after much faffing and going back and forwards in the booking system. Booking baggage for one leg only is even more obscure, and Easyjet absolutely will not refund if you make a mistake - I know this from learning the hard way. I am raising it with them, but they probably like it, since people make mistakes in EasyJet’s favour the whole time.

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@valais2, Agree, it appears I can *just* add a cabin bag without paying for seat selection, but only when checking in, and then the price seems to vary based on how busy the flight is! So £12 out on a Thursday afternoon flight which I assume is quiet, but £27.99 back on the last flight on a Sunday which I assume is full!

So did zero seat selection, but the system ended up sitting myself and my wife together in pretty decent seats!!

After all it is free

worth remembering luggage allowance is pooled across your booking.
So 23kg can be over if other luggage is under.

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@Mr.Egg, yup, skis are 20kg, 23kg bag so I've 43kg hold and 10kg cabin allowance!

Help!!

EasyJet Ski Luggage policy

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