Ski carry bag - newbie question

A snowHead

I am new to travelling with skis having just bought a pair at last. I used to rent them and carry only boots and helmet.

Would airlines flying out of the UK (BA/Swiss/Easyjet/Ryanair/TUI) be OK with a bag this size?

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/bag-for-4-skis-3-snowboards-grey/_/R-p-156416

Idea is to fill it with clothing as well and pay for 1 luggage (20 or 23kg) only...

Thanks,

Tony

A snowHead

Yep, should be fine - its common enough plan, shouldn't be an issue if you watch your weight limit.... (can you sense the 'But' coming)...

But,

You may find that your Terms and Conditions state that ski bags can ONLY contain skis - this is to protect the airlines from insurance claims on vast quantities of kit should your bag get left behind - outsize baggage is often the first stuff to get left should there be an issue with loading the plane. TBH don't worry too much about it, nobody is going to root through your luggage at check-in, but do make sure that you've got enough to survive for a day or so in your carry on luggage if the big bag doesn't turn up quite to plan.

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

@tonyfo, I usually put my boots and skis in the ski bag, with clothing in another bag. That way if skis don't make it there (which does happen), you at least have something to put on. I can get two pairs of skis, one pair of boots and sticks in a bag like yours and end up with a weight of 20Kg. One pair of alpine skis is about 5kg.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

If using EJ or Ryanair, don't take the package that includes hold luggage, and add the skis as sports equipment instead. Then pack to max weight allowed.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

It depends on the airline. All will let you carry that bag but the costs will differ. There isn't a single answer.

With BA on all bar the cheapest fare you could use that bag as you included hold luggage.

Swiss and Lufthansa carry skis for free in addition to your hold bag on all bar the cheapest fare, so no cost advantage to a big wheeled bag over a simple ski tube.

With EasyJet you can book a ski bag instead of hold luggage, so could use the bar you're looking at.

I'm pretty sure with Ryanair/TUI etc you'd have to book ski carriage for that bag.

There are a few additional things that are worth thinking about when choosing a ski bag. Personally, I have two: a simple ski bag that's basically just a padded tube and a big wheeled bag similar to the one you're looking at. For several reasons, my preference is to use a standard holdall for my gear and the padded tube bag for my skis. I've only used the big wheeled bag when there was a significant cost benefit, but other than that it was a pain. (Traveling to the EoSB by train avoided the cost issues with flying and worrying if my gear would arrive in the same place as me at the same time.)

Once loaded with all your gear, the big wheeled "coffin" bags are quite unwieldy and can be awkward to manoeuvre. They can be quite tricky to carry on the transfer buses from airport carparks etc. My padded tube bag easily fits diagonally across the back seat of the car with one end in the foot well; the big wheeled bag doesn't.

Another issue is that if the bag goes missing or if they choose not to load the oversize baggage for some reason, you'd end up without everything in the wheeled bag, compared to just skis (which are easy to rent).

You'll need to Register first of course.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

All the airlines have some sort of dimension limitation on luggage and sometimes particular dimensions when its declared/paid for as a ski bag. That one might be too big in terms of some airlines' dimensions but whilst I have had a ski bag weighed I have never had it measured, I guess if it looks ok they dont worry about it (Easyjet might as they would like to charge you for large sports equipment vs normal)

But overall I reckon that one would be ok.

Nor have I had it opened to see whats in it to comply with the one pair of skis/snowboard stipulation, so they dont really care whats in it but as has been said if you say its a ski bag and they say only ski equipment to go in (i.e. skis/board boots/poles) then if it gets lost or the other stuff gets damaged or left behind they wont pay for the replacement/renting the non-ski equipment you have in it.

After all it is free

@tonyfo, I have that exact bag, and used it twice this season, once with TUI once with Easyjet, both times with 2 pairs of skis, 2 sets of poles plus a few bits of clothes and had no issues either time.

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@tonyfo, BA actually allow a ski bag as normal luggage but not on the cheap fare. Note that these cheap fares are only from Heathrow and Gatwick. If you fly from Glasgow or Manchester via Heathrow or Gatwick the cheap fare includes a hold bag which can be a ski bag.

I have a 50L Rab holdall with rucksack straps. I put my boots, helmet, gloves base layer and a pair of socks and ski trousers in that. Plus some smalls and a few T shirts etc to see me through if the big bag goes missing.

That way if the bag does get lost you have the gear to at least ski for a few days on rental skis until it arrives.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

snow reports

The starting point here is a BA Amex card. The BA Amex still allows you to accumulate Avios, which you can use to buy BA flights. If you plan far enough in advance, you can fly at very low cost. I recently took a family of 4 to GVA and back from LHR for £4. This removes the need to fly Easyjet or Ryanair and deal with their baggage policies.

As others have noted, BA's standard terms allow one double ski bag and two pieces of hand luggage. I have a Dakine fall line double, which will take two pairs of skis and enough gear for a week. I also have a Lange basic duo, which is a ski boot bag that fits in a hand luggage gauge. Thus, the ski boots go in the cabin along with heavier items that fit in a rucksack. If you hang out by the oversize baggage carousel at GVA, you will see the magic that economic incentives have wrought on the luggage choices of middle aged guys as I'm far from the only one doing this.

I have noticed that the 190 Dakine bag is too long for both the baggage scales at LHR and GVA. It registers at around 16kg when the measured weight on Gorilla's bathroom scales is closer to 23kg. Now, I am far too much of a goody two shoes to exploit something like this but others might not be.

Re hire cars - book a bigger hire car or just unpack it when you get to the vehicle.

You know it makes sense.

@ster, GeePee's boots were actually taken from the boot room in alleghe so he didn't have a pair for the BB week.

I believe because they were old he wasn't compensated by insurance.

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

@GlasgowCyclops, who would take old boots??? Its not as if you could mistake them for yours like you might with skis.

A snowHead

Foot fetishist.... Puzzled

A snowHead

@tonyfo, how long are your skis? If they're much shorter than the bag, you'll end up with a bag that sags a bit below the handle and is a right pain to pull.
If you're only traveling with a single pair of skis (or perhaps 2 pairs) and they're not super long, a shorter bag will be better.

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

Long bag and relatively heavy. Airline checkin staff and particularly the guy at Oversize baggage drop won't give a poo-poo generally but you may find a stickler that won't like you cramming beyond 15kg or 20kg or whatever the weight allowance is or says that over 190cm is too long. Full disclosure - I have a Da Kine bag that is marked 185cm but I know fits skis maked up to 193cm in length,

Muppets in airports never give you enough room to tow your bag - just run over their feet and fake an apology afterwards.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

I've had two cases of muppetry in the last couple of years, one where I went to the boot room in the morning and my boots weren't there but there was a Dutch guy on the bench outside swearing loudly at the boots he was trying but failing to put on (mine!), and the other this year where we went to the ticket office on day 1 to get our passes for the week, and returned to the rack 15 feet away to discover my mate's skis were missing. A quick scan showed a puzzled German on the first 6 feet of piste trying to work out why his boots weren't engaging with the bindings on his skis - instead of his white and red Salomon skis that he'd just hired and which had the hire shop label on them, he had picked up the black and green Atomics which were older, longer, wider, and not carrying a hire shop label rolling eyes

All of my kit now has prominent labels with my name and a saltire, firstly to try to head off that sort of idiocy, and secondly to avoid any possible reply of "No, you must be mistaken, these are definitely mine".

I've also had someone attempt to walk off with my wheeled bag from the outsize baggage delivery point in Luton - he was collecting his mate's skis as well as his, and remembered that his bag was black, but the possibility that there might be more than one black bag had never crossed his tiny little mind. I usually try to make sure I get to the baggage area as fast as possible for exactly this reason.

In 10+ years of 2-3 trips per year with Easyjet (20+), Thomson (5+) and Jet2 (~3?) they've never yet failed to transport my wheeled bag. Even Ryanair (1 trip) and Lufthansa (1 trip) couldn't lose it. Fingers crossed that hasn't cursed me...

You'll need to Register first of course.

And on car hire, we regularly get 3 adults in a Skoda Fabia or VW Golf with 3 sets of skis of 155, 167 and 176 length respectively, and all in wheeled bags. It helps that the back seat passenger is 5'2", because the front seat passenger is 6'4", and I'm in between so don't have to drive with the seat all the way back.

The split rear seat is folded down on the driver's side of the car, the ski bags are run diagonally, and our hand baggage is put on top and around the bags in the boot area without any drama.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I've got one of these bags and they are quite common. I saw a few others at GVA this year, so make sure you clearly mark it so that someone else doesn't walk off with yours.

The bag itself is pretty good. One complaint is the handle at the front is fixed on the top of the bag rather than at the bottom, and you don't get enough height and you need to lift it slightly to avoid the bag dragging on the floor. If you are tall and/or have short arms you may be OK.

After all it is free

I've used a similar one for years with no problems. Carries skis and boots and some clothes, rest in hand baggage. Biggest difficulty was a train from Birmingham!

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

Biohazard tape? wink

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

This is why I love this forum... thank you for all the great answers - Ordering now.

snow reports

Rather than start a new thread, figured I could hijack this one

Just checked in for my EasyJet flight in late jan, it had a notice saying prohibited items in hand/hold luggage etc

It said no sports equipment allowed in the cabin, and no cameras allowed in the hold

Normally, I just take a my helmet in its bag with a few small items as hand luggage to prevent it being squashed by baggage handlers (i quite like my brain)

And I'll usually have 2/3 GoPros in the hold, they are older ones with built in batteries, so no spares will be packed

Anyone have any idea if things are likely to go south if I pack as usual? Or is this more geared towards "no ice axes in the cabin" and your DSLR type cameras and accessories in the hold?

Cheers

You know it makes sense.

I always have my helmet in a rucksack as hand luggage. It's never a problem, including for people who have their helmets dangling from the outside very visibly.

For hold luggage, anything with a lithium battery is banned because of the small but real fire risk especially if the baggage grunts manage to damage it. Put that in your hand luggage as well. It also prevents theft - I wouldn't put a GoPro in hold luggage, no matter how old.

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

A snowHead

No batteries in the hold!

http://youtube.com/v/R5uwBkpsiZo

Flying Easyjet og Ryan - I would advice helmet on! Toofy Grin

If boots in the hold mark them - bootbags look all alike, biohazard og radioactive would not be the best marking - would not make the plane. Shocked

A snowHead

Anything with battery should be on your person in the cabin.
Where does it say about sports not being allowed in the cabin? Travelled last March under the new baggage size with my boots in my bag & helmet clipped outside without any problem!

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

You need to Login to know who's really who.

I always put my boots, skins, helmet and a couple of item of clothing in the bag. Never been an issue with people checking. I would be over the weight if I put all my clothes in. For context, I’m 6’ with wide skis and quite big boots!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

Reading through this post as we're flying easyjet for the first time this year and have new helmets I'd rather not get squished (happened to me years ago), generally seems like people haven't had any issues taking them into the cabin either in a bag or just carrying? (without having to pay for extra hand luggage?)

You'll need to Register first of course.

@damanpunk, no issue on any airline before with them dangling on the side of hand luggage, just don’t whack the other already seated passengers with them as you walk down the aisle.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

I have a padded bag that rolls down to the ski length, eliminating the sag issue. Think it's a peak-performance one.

I've also paid to take a hanglider or windsurf with EJ and checked in the ski bag. It's only 10 quid more than the skis but gets you an extra 15 KG or something in weight. Means you can get everything in the ski bag and not worry about it being a kg or 2 over. I can get boots in the carry on, free, hand luggage EJ sizer. Obviously if the ski bag goes AWOL then you're screwed. Also, if it gets lost I've no idea what you're covered for. A windsurf? You're probably, again, screwed. But you pays your money and all that.

After all it is free

Modern life. B hell! Why all (non budget) airlines can't just let you have a ski bag as part of your 23kg allowance...

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@phil_w, ?? EZY are a scheduled airline ??

Help!!

Ski carry bag - newbie question

snowHeads Forum Index >>> Equipment Reviews/Questions