 Poster: A snowHead
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As retirement approaches (2wks 2 days - not that I'm counting....) I',m pondering gettiung my own skis as I'm planning on making full use of my free time 
Given the relatively high cost of getting them on a plane (EZYJet/Ryanair mainly), first question is are they OK with putting your clothes etc. including boots in the ski bag so no other hold luggage. Are the boots safe or a bit exposed to being knocked (I take 2 prs so hand luggage already full!).
@nd Q, recommendations for bags. Preferably sof as I've nowhere really to store a hard case.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It can be cheaper to go with Lufthansa, Swiss, or Austrian all allow skis to be booked in addition to your hold bag for Free, or BA who lets you take a ski bag AS your hold bag which can include clothes in there (and whose hand luggage allowance makes taking ski boots in that).
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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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@MorningGory, it's worthwhile knowing that Swiss airlines and Lufthansa both still offer free ski carriage (providing you don't buy the cheapest "light" carry on only air fare). With Swiss ski carriage is automatically OK but with Lufthansa you have to phone them to get ski carriage added to the booking.
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@NickyJ, @Alastair Pink, They don't fly from Bristol......
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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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Yep, it is a downside it limits UK airports but always worth looking at wholr costs, parking, bags and fuel and your time.
Bournemouth and Southampton are my closet airports but EasyJet has a limited routes from them, but once I am flying family of 4 add in costs of bag and ski bags (all 4 if us have skis and boots) and seat selection I end up travelling to Heathrow more often thaan not.
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@MorningGory, as I understand it the issue with some flights - especially charter flights - is when the bags don't arrive. It's very rarely an issue, but when it is an issue, the airline has to recompense you by e.g. covering the cost of ski hire. if their Ts & Cs say "only one pair of skis in a ski bag" then they will only cover one pair of skis - not clothes, boots etc.
If you are retired and have no particular rush to get there / back, then maybe consider driving over a couple of days? enjoy the trip, take as much gear as you need...
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@nbt, I hate long distance driving and it would cost a lot more
Although a good point about the time now available
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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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@MorningGory, Ive done this for years with Ryanair and no issue yet. My friend did get a bit of grief in Bergamo once as he was well over the weight limit, but they let him away with it anyway.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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EZJ dont bother about what you pack as long as you're under the 20kg weight limit on a ski bag. That will be your biggest issue.
DouceBag might be the best option for a quality foldable wheeled bag.
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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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@MorningGory, i too hate long distance driving - in the UK. Driving in france was an utter revelation
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Has anyone ever tried the foldable skis made by Elan which pack into their own bag and you can get poles to go with them ?
Looked at them myself but decided they'd be too heavy to ski on for me personally.
Another option is hiring a locker for the season or on an annual basis, but then you have to keep going back to the same resort.
Regarding the ski bags I'd recommend the double roller bag by Thule as you can take 2 pairs for the price of one and/or get plenty of clothes etc in there as well. Also folds up nicely for storage when at home.
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You know it makes sense.
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Dakine Roller ?? -- will just about take everything for a weeks skiing..
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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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I think buried in the Easyjet T&Cs it says must only contain "sporting equipment" but I've never had my ski bag opened in the past 5 years of flying with Easyjet....
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Poster: A snowHead
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@kitenski, as above, I don't think they're bothered about carrying it, more about shelling out for other stuff if it doesn't arrive.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@MorningGory, ref the bag, I use the Dakine High Roller bag and would certainly recommend. Comes in a few different sizes. Split you skis and lay flat with the brakes held up with a thick elastic band or whatever. I pack my boots at the bottom by the wheel on their sides, one buckle side down, the other up, toe of one boot kissing the entrance cuff of the other. Then pack your clothes in and around. I even mange to get my helmet in, packing that out with something.
The bag has plenty of straps with grab handles unlike the Fall Line and Low Rider bags which only have at the ends and side. These handles are very useful for lifting the bag in and out of the car etc, and they also form part of an adjustable strap that runs right the way around the waist of the bag obviously in two places as there's two! As the bag tends to sit flat it's these handles that get used a lot. This means (as far as possible, who knows what the baggage handlers use!) the centre strap which is simply stitched does not get used as much thus reducing the chance of the stitching being pulled and the handle ripping from the bag.
The bag also has wheels, pulled from the handle at the top opposite. And it folds in half making it about the same size as a large holdall, give or take.
The only thing you need to watch when packing your kit is the weight. You can easily go over the limit for a single bag. But then you can put normal clothing in your hand luggage. I can only speak for EJ but I booked juts ski carriage and no hold bag, had no issues several times now so long as you're under the weight limit.
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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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| Quote: |
I',m pondering gettiung my own skis as I'm planning on making full use of my free time
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Are you planning on doing a longer trip? If you are planning on just doing more 1 week trips renting is likely cheaper, less hassle, and offers more variety.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| MorningGory wrote: |
| @NickyJ, @Alastair Pink, They don't fly from Bristol...... |
I thought Lufthansa did ?
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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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| MorningGory wrote: |
| @nd Q, recommendations for bags. Preferably sof as I've nowhere really to store a hard case. |
https://www.snokart.com/
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@musher, Not since Feb this year. Not enough planes apparently. Not sure if they flew anywhere useful for skiing though!
@boarder2020, Yeah, that's the quandary. Not sure it is cheaper - hire is £100+/week and I can't ski between hotels on the double, plus the hassle of getting them
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@MorningGory, would you be going to different resorts or back to the same place each time?
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@kitenski, Different, so not possible to leave them.
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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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@MorningGory,
I think I've flown to Munich from BRS.
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@musher, Recently? Not much use for bashes or my mate's chalet anyway!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@MorningGory,
No, we don't often fly from BRS.
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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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| Quote: |
@boarder2020, Yeah, that's the quandary. Not sure it is cheaper - hire is £100+/week and I can't ski between hotels on the double, plus the hassle of getting them
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Firstly you have the initial expenditure of buying skis and bag. Then you have maintenance (not particularly expensive if you DIY but some initial outlay and then time). Then you have carriage - which is probably not dissimilar to ski rental costs (unless you are flying with a carrier that takes them free).
Then there is just the lack of flexibility with only having a single pair. You will probably end up with something that does everything ok, but doesn't really excel at anything. Compared to renting where you can pick something that excels at whatever conditions are or mood you are in.
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@MorningGory, the biggest issue that I see with packing everything in one bag is not having any of your gear if your ski bag doesn't arrive and I get the impression over size bags get left behind more often than other bags (but am prepared to be corrected).
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You know it makes sense.
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| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
| @MorningGory, the biggest issue that I see with packing everything in one bag is not having any of your gear if your ski bag doesn't arrive and I get the impression over size bags get left behind more often than other bags (but am prepared to be corrected). |
This has been discussed elsewhere, but many people pack judiciously between hold and cabin baggage. I put my helmet and my ski boots in hand luggage and, either on my person or in my hand luggage, I have sufficient skiwear to ski for a day or two. So, if my ski bag goes astray (hopefully for not more than a day or two!) all I have to do is hire a pair of skis and I'm good to go. That said and without wishing to tempt fate I've never had a ski bag go astray.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Most of the guys on our annual trip pack their luggage with their skis and/or boards in roller bags. We usually fly Easyjet and they don't have an issue with it being a regular 'suitcase' (they have a 26kg option now)
Flying BA we don't have to declare skis etc
The only caveat I will add is that skis/boots booked with Easyjet have a strict limit of 20kg and there's no flexibility (mine was 20.1kg last time out and they refused it)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| MorningGory wrote: |
| ... That's the idea of getting all the luggage in the ski bag - no hold luggage top pay for... |
Different people have different approaches. My own changes with the times...
I travel a lot and my records suggest about 3% of the time things go wrong with my hold baggage. A place I regularly visit typically has around 100 skiers/ boarders each week, and there'll usually be two or three whose gear has been delayed. My last trip - 4 of us - half had issues, despite flying entirely different routes.
Hence my current approach is approximately the opposite of what you're suggesting. I have the biggest legal cabin bag stuffed full of everything I absolutely can't afford to be without, and it has wheels. My snowboard bag is as small and light as I can make it, so I don't have two sets of wheeled gear to push/pull, and it's taxi/ baggage handler friendly. If the board bag gets lost... that's always stressful, but I don't actually need anything in it.
I'm just saying that the downside of a hold bag stuffed full of gear is that it's a lot to lose if you actually need it.
For "budget airlines" I end up paying for both the hold bag and the carry-on, so there's that....
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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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| sugarmoma666 wrote: |
| @MorningGory, the biggest issue that I see with packing everything in one bag is not having any of your gear if your ski bag doesn't arrive and I get the impression over size bags get left behind more often than other bags (but am prepared to be corrected). |
Not my experience, it seems to be quite random what does/doesn't make the plane - with 99/100 everything making the plane. Closest I've come personally to a delayed bag was an oversized one (my skis) - but turned out they made the flight perfectly fine, it just too BA over 2hrs to get them from the hold to the T5 baggage hall. In groups I've travelled in with lost bags one was normal hold bag and the other the child booster cushion.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@MorningGory, @musher, Lufthansa from Bristol was to Frankfurt where you could then connect on to Munich. Wouldn't recommend it, though, spent way too much time in Frankfurt airport last summer!
To the original question, I've flown with 2 pairs of skis plus clothes in the bag, but, if it got lost, i'm not sure those costs would be covered, I just risked it myself.
On the point of driving, it will cost you a lot more than flying, probably, especially as you'll be retired and able to pick cheap flights, especially if you're going to your mates chalet and won't be tied to Sat-Sat trips?? Agreed though that once you're out of the UK, driving really is so easy in France, it's just the bit between Reading and Folkstone/Dover that sucks coming from Clevedon!
I have this bag, which comfortably fits 2 pairs of skis and some clothes too.
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/bag-for-4-skis-3-snowboards-900-grey/_/R-p-156416?mc=8398284&c=dark%20grey
Last edited by You need to Login to know who's really who. on Thu 6-06-24 11:37; edited 1 time in total
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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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| garfy1971 wrote: |
| Most of the guys on our annual trip pack their luggage with their skis and/or boards in roller bags. We usually fly Easyjet and they don't have an issue with it being a regular 'suitcase' (they have a 26kg option now) |
Interesting. So you opt to pay for a hold bag over sports equipment and then declare your roller bag as said hold luggage? Surprised to hear you've been getting away with that and good for you, although I know if I tried it with my luck I'd have no chance! TBH, I'm not sure I could be doing with the hassle at the check-in when the awkward questions get asked.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@swskier,
That would be it. We went to Innsbruck via Frankfurt one year. I got to sit next to Tilda Swinton
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| Boofont wrote: |
| garfy1971 wrote: |
| Most of the guys on our annual trip pack their luggage with their skis and/or boards in roller bags. We usually fly Easyjet and they don't have an issue with it being a regular 'suitcase' (they have a 26kg option now) |
Interesting. So you opt to pay for a hold bag over sports equipment and then declare your roller bag as said hold luggage? Surprised to hear you've been getting away with that and good for you, although I know if I tried it with my luck I'd have no chance! TBH, I'm not sure I could be doing with the hassle at the check-in when the awkward questions get asked. |
Yes
Easyjet only specify that the total size of the bag is 275cm (l+w+h) so my hard roller is 196x37x16.5=249.5 and you can go up to 32kg (not that I would like to lug a 32kg roller bag around)
It was only questioned once when the check-in operator thought it was booked as skis
When we fly BA, it's one of our bags as they don't specify
The only hassle is having to go to oversize baggage!
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@garfy1971, indeed. It's a long time since I've taken EJ to go skiing, but have been doing this with BA for donkey's years and saved £100s doing so. But they're on a roll now making their Avios and other offers increasingly worthless, so I fear that it's only a matter of time until this valuable benefit is withdrawn.
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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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FAQ
