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KLM/NWA to carry skis to Utah - €150 each way!!

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I mean WTF? Is this now the case on all flights to States because if so that's the end of flying there for me.

That would mean myself and my girlfriend paying €600 just to take two pairs of skis. Greedy, clawing, gouging bas!!!s.

Rant over and flight just about to be cancelled.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
shannyla, it wasn;t that much last year on NWA, it's certainly more expensive on internal flights but if you've a through ticket from Europe the cost should be far less
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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 can only go by what KLM told me, and that's what they said. Having flown United for years we've never paid for skis, not once.
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shannyla, All US carriers have revised their domestic baggage allowances over a year ago and their international ones this year. I think with some carriers (we are flying AA LHR>DFW>SLC to get to Utah) you can include a ski bag as one of your allowed checked bags - and as there are four of us - we will take 3 ordinary bags, one rolly bag with 3 pairs of skis in it, and max out on the Hand Luggage. Tougher to do if you are just 2 people.

One definite alternative is to courier your skis out there. Running a UPS quote for a non-urgent service for a ski bag weighing upto 24kg comes out at $162 one way... ie about £100

worth a thought? Lots of US skiers are now fedexing their skis rather than pay domestic airline ski carriage.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
KLM trans-atlantic were free for skis last year... this is just some diabolical idea they've come up with from November this year I think. Crying or Very sad
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I'm sure skis were free with KLM when I was pricing up transatlantic flights in September
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Alexandra, Jonny Jones, were you doing a sector with a US carrier?

I have been through all the major US carriers websites and they have all changed. Might not have got through to the websites of code-share airlines.

I thnk we did this one in some detail a few months back.
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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!
Jonny Jones wrote:
I'm sure skis were free with KLM when I was pricing up transatlantic flights in September


Not any more. €150 each way, straight from the KLM horse's mouth. Who knows if she knew what the actual cost was though.
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This says €50/$50 depending on where you are departing from. Not free, but also not €150.

http://www.klm.com/travel/gb_en/travel_information/baggage/baggage_allowance/baggage_allowance_details/excess_charges_sportseq.htm
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Which providers if any offer internal flights with free/cheap skis? Looking at flying London-Denver then Denver-New York and a week later New York-London for our ski/city-break combo early next year and Continental/Delta seemed to allow skis for free on their websites.
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Not sure about skis, but Southwest is one of the only airlines that does not charge for baggage in general in the US (at least that's what their advertisements say).

But if you book a multi-city trip with Continental/Delta, the trans-Atlantic baggage allowance should hold even on your internal leg.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
ami in berlin, ah, thanks for that. Hopefully that means I get the rules in my favour and not the other way round mind!
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stoatsbrother, Yes, I changed in Minneapolis on to a US carrier, can't remember who though.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Sideshow_Bob, From what I can make out, if you're in one of the upper tiers of the airline's frequent flier club you'll get it free. Book 4 ski holidays, get 1 ski carriage free! Laughing
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Alexandra, unfortunately not, I've only racked up miles with BA and they're much more expensive for the trip we're planning than Delta/Continental
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
150 each way is crazy, could end up cheaper to buy new skis when you arrived and get rid of them before leaving at that price.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
It almost sounds cheaper to buy a new pair when you get there, ski on them a week and flog them onto another punter just before you return home. There must be folk in resort would go for a 1 week used pair of skis - you could put a note on the noticeboard in the chalet/hotel/bar when you get there with a description of what you intend to happen and a telephone number.
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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?
As far as I can see from the site it says

"For a second piece, including sports equipment, can be arranged at a flat fee of EUR 50."

So if you take the dskis as checked in luggage and put all the gear in the one (inc jackets etc) then it should only be 100 euros total.

However, if I'm wrong then we should all email them to say te are off our prefence list. If we dont let them know they will extract the urine.

chers
bob
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Now confirmed with KLM/NWA, they are actually requiring a payment of €650 to take two skitubes to Salt Lake City from London... €650, what are they getting a f@cking seat all of their own and a meal?

I mean WTF, have they just decided that the skier market to the USA is simply one they don't want to be in, in which case why don't they just notify all their agents and put it on their website that skiers who wish to take their own equipment are simply not welcome on their airline. Their website is entirely misleading, as the price quoted comes directly from KLM. I have contacted them and our agent has contacted them seperately, and that is the price.

We've been taking a skitube with our two pairs of skis each to the US for nearly twenty years with no hassles or cost whatsoever, usually on United who we were unfortunately unable to get a flight on this year. We take two sets of skis because we have our normal all-mountain skis and we have our big powder skis, powder after all being the reason we skimp and save, drive crappy cars etc. so that we can go to Utah. Our skis have touring bindings so we can get about the Wasatch, so they are not something we could just rent, and we haven't given the ski industry a lot of money to get the gear we want to use just so that we can leave them behind at home.

I guess from now on that I'm only going to be skiing where I can drive to and the airlines have lost a customer who makes two-three trips a year to the States. The airlines can stick it where the sun doesn't shine, and I highly recommend anyone who has a flight booked with KLM/NWA to check for themselves.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I checked the possibility of KLM from my regional airport via Schiphol to Geneva and found ski carriage was 40 Euros per flight, and as I'd be changing planes I reckon that'd be 160 Euros return Shocked

Seems to me that there is a war against skis going on. From the page http://www.klm.com/travel/gb_en/travel_information/baggage/exceptional_baggage/index.htm

Quote:
Golf bags
On top of the permitted baggage allowance, you may carry one golf bag onto flights operated by KLM or Air France for free. A set of golf equipment may consist of a golf bag with clubs and a pair of golf shoes.

Regulations for golf bags according to the weight concept
If your golf bag weighs more than 20 kg, or for an extra golf bag, you pay a special fixed fee. For an extra golf bag weighing more than 20 kg the fee is doubled.

Regulations for golf bags according to the piece concept
A golf bag counts as a single piece of luggage and may weigh up to 23 kg (50 lbs). A special fixed fee applies to extra golf bags.
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Aren't snowHead getting the wrong end of the stick here?

By my interpretation of the info on the KLM website I can still take my skis free of charge - provided that my luggage including skis weighs less than 20kg. See below...

As 2 of us travel together we usually check in 1 large bag and a double ski bag - well within the 40kg we are allowed together Very Happy


Skis and snowboards
A set of (water-)ski or snowboard equipment may consist of a board or pair of skis, two ski poles and a pair of ski boots.

Regulations for skis and snowboards according to the weight concept
Within the standard baggage allowance you may take one set of (water-)ski or snowboard equipment up to 20 kg (44 lbs). If your total baggage including ski or snowboard equipment weighs more than 20 kg, we charge a special fixed fee. For extra ski or snowboard equipment heavier than 20 kg the fee is doubled.

Regulations for skis and snowboards according to the piece concept
A set of ski or snowboard equipment counts as a single piece of baggage, which may weigh up to 23 kg (50 lbs). Within the maximum baggage allowance, you may carry one set of (water-)ski or snowboard equipment. If your equipment weighs more, the special fee applies.
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Bergmeister, likewise with BA on my flight to Zurich last week, chuck all your clobber in one big board bag and heavy stuff in hand luggage and you can even take a lap top bag as hand luggage too and it is all free ...... and the problem is solved ....... ski bag plus hold bag = expensive trip with most airlines. You really have to play the game a bit and arrange your packing to get the best out of the system Very 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!
shannyla, we have flights booked to SLC via KLM, our luggage is based on the piece concept and as such can take 2 pieces each. One of those pieces can be substituted for skis, boots and poles Smile which means in effect we can both take 3 bags plus hand luggage which we will be doing Toofy Grin

Thankyou though for bringing this up as its reminede me i need to ring KLM to reserve our equipment places Smile
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we're flying United from LHR to SLC in March next year. We normally have one bag each at the max 20kgs. Does anybody have any idea whether we can still take two pairs of skis? I thought you could take 2 bags each, up to the 20 kgs limit and subsistute one of those bags for a set of skis.

As long as you didn't exceed 23 kgs each it was OK.

Can anybody help?

tks
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shannyla, something is not right here. The KLM policy is very clearly stated on their website. By my count, your two ski tubes should add up to €200. That's still unacceptably expensive in my opinion, and it borders on criminal that the cost is either assessed in Euros, US Dollars or Canadian Dollars depending on where you fly from, but it's a lot lower than €650.

Is it possible that we're missing some piece of information? Are you changing airlines and some point? Do you require a re-check in? Are you already both checking two pieces of luggage, with the skis coming on top of that? There has to be some information we're missing here. Otherwise this makes no sense, and I would be on the phone quoting their policy and asking why that policy does not apply.

Quote:
Travel between Europe and the United States or Canada
Economy Class travellers on flights between Europe (including Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) and the United States or Canada, may bring only 1 piece of check-in luggage free of charge.

For a second piece, including sports equipment, can be arranged at a flat fee of EUR 50. The fee is USD 50 when departing from the United States, or CAD 50 when leaving Canada. This second piece may weigh up to 23 kg (50.5 lbs). For an additional piece of luggage, including sport equipment, a flat fee of EUR 200 (USD 200 when departing the United States, CAD 200 when leaving Canada) applies.

If you wish to bring more than 3 pieces of luggage total, please contact Air France – KLM Cargo.


EDIT: Are the two of you combined checking three suitcases and two ski tubes? That would be two pieces free, two pieces at €100 round trip, and one piece at €400 round trip, totaling €600. I'm not sure where that extra €50 comes from, but in your original post you said €600 before later changing to €650. If so, do you really need three suitcases?
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Ami In Berlin, we are taking one bag and one skitube each for a total of 4 pieces of checked luggage between two people flying. No recheck-in but two legs per flight - one transatlantic leg, one US domestic leg each way.

The original €600 figure came when I called KLM this morning to clarify their transatlantic baggage policy, as I didn't consider it to be clear on the website and found one passage contradictory. What I wanted to know was whether we would be paying €/$50 per leg or per start to destination trip, thinking that we would either be paying €100 or €200 total. After checking the KLM client service rep stated a cost of €150 for each tube for each start to destination. It was then offered to me that I could pay the €600 over the phone, which I less than graciously declined. At that point we rang Dialflight, who we've found over many years of travelling to offer exceptional service, who then checked with KLM and they were offered the €650 pricetag... Dialaflight have graciously offered to pay for one tube as we made clear when making the booking that we would be taking 2 items each and they missed this, but I don't want to stiff a decent company for the atrocious gouging practices of KLM.

It would appear that if you have enough points or you travel business class or above you can take two items. We've never used KLM before and I can safely say we never will be again. At least on United we have enough points to get two items, so they'll get my business until they change their policy. Which I'm sure is coming.
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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.
shannyla, How to do this easily for no extra charge,

1) Ditch the ski tubes - get a single big rolly ski bag - eg this -pack 2 pairs of skis and other stuff up to 23kg in it

2) Pack boots in hand luggage with other stuff up to max weight if necessary (may be 10kg, may be 18kg - depends on carrier)

3) All your other kit in one big bag

Then you have no extra luggage charge.

Simples.

It is the individual ski tubes which are screwing things up for you here. You don't need them.
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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
Quote:

Dialaflight have graciously offered to pay for one tube as we made clear when making the booking that we would be taking 2 items each and they missed this,



That is a superb example of customer service, well done to Dialaflight, Very Happy
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Satisfy my curiosity - into what kind of ski tube can you fit a pair of all mountain skis AND and pair of big fat powder skis?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Yoda wrote:
Satisfy my curiosity - into what kind of ski tube can you fit a pair of all mountain skis AND and pair of big fat powder skis?


This one: http://www.sportube.com/pages/skis_two_pair.php

Takes a pair of K2 Outlaws and a pair of Rossignol Ravyns, both with Marker Dukes with ease.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
shannyla, that is a big one missus Toofy Grin I had to ditch my Kiss SkiTube many years ago because I couldn't even get 1 pair of X-screams with Hangl plates and bindings into it.
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stoatsbrother, but shannyla, has four sets of skis !
shannyla, get one of these http://www.sailandski.co.uk/acatalog/Burton_Wheelie_Gig_Snowboard_Bag_181cm__patch_camo.html which may take four skis, and do the rest as stoatsbrother says.

Undortunately ski trips with effectively four flights is becoming an extravagance with four sets of skis though wink
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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?
rayscoops wrote:
stoatsbrother, but shannyla, has four sets of skis !
shannyla, get one of these http://www.sailandski.co.uk/acatalog/Burton_Wheelie_Gig_Snowboard_Bag_181cm__patch_camo.html which may take four skis, and do the rest as stoatsbrother says.

Undortunately ski trips with effectively four flights is becoming an extravagance with four sets of skis though wink


That's 4 sets of skis between two people, so not quite as extravagant as you're making out.
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I'm still not sure about this 600 euro figure. I understood their policy to be a flat 50 euros each way (which is still too much imo!).

KLM do however get very annoyed if you just turn up at the airport with skis - I did this on the way to Norway this year - I mean c'mon, are skis on a flight to Norway really groundbreaking? Shocked They hit me up with a fairly large excess baggage fee which I thought was rather mean. I've also loved Air Canada from that respect, nobody blinks an eye when you drank your planks across the concourse tripping up innocent passengers.
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http://www.klm.com/travel/nl_en/travel_information/checkin_options/usa/index.htm

"New baggage rules
If you travel in Economy Class between Europe (including Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia) and the United States or Canada, you may bring only 1 piece of check-in luggage, of max. 23 kg (50.5 lbs). This applies to all tickets bought per November 2009.

You can arrange for a second piece for a fee of EUR 50 when departing from Europe. When checking in online via KLM.com, you pay 20% less! All you need is a credit card. If you depart from the United States, you pay USD 50. When leaving Canada, extra baggage can only be arranged at the airport. For a second piece of luggage, you then pay CAD 50.

As a Flying Blue Silver, Gold or Platinum member you may bring 2 pieces free of charge."

So, as I understand this, if you do this via the website - or get dialaflight to put their brains in gear - you will get this for 160 euros - NOT 600!
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shannyla wrote:
.........That would mean myself and my girlfriend paying €600 just to take two pairs of skis. Greedy, clawing, gouging bas!!!s.....


You've obviously not noticed that airlines are having to keep an eye on the bottom line.

Better to charge realistic prices which you can either pay or not (and not fly) than price low and fold. I don't see that that makes airlines greedy, clawing or gouging.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
The only advice I can offer (from experience with KLM - 6 flights in the last 12 months) is that you must put this through as an "extra bag" rather than "sports equipment". My bag was not supposed to exceed 180cm - which I did by a whisker.
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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!
achilles wrote:
shannyla wrote:
.........That would mean myself and my girlfriend paying €600 just to take two pairs of skis. Greedy, clawing, gouging bas!!!s.....


You've obviously not noticed that airlines are having to keep an eye on the bottom line.

Better to charge realistic prices which you can either pay or not (and not fly) than price low and fold. I don't see that that makes airlines greedy, clawing or gouging.


You seriously think that €600 to essentially carry two bags isn't gouging..? You are clearly Micheal O'Leary of Ryanair and I claim my £5...

Frankly the airlines' bottom line is not my concern. The last time I checked they weren't too concerned about my industry's bottom line even though we use them a lot. I haven't been on a flight that wasn't either full or overfull in a decade. If they didn't manage to reorganize and sort out their Union issues, legacy costs and all the rest over the last twenty years when pretty much every other industry has then too bad for them. And isn't curious how the most profitable airline in the US, Southwest, doesn't charge for baggage..?


Last edited by After all it is free Go on u know u want to! on Thu 17-12-09 10:42; edited 1 time in total
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shannyla, 2 hold bags, 2 ski tubes, 4 flights - that will get you stung by most airlines these days. Sad but that is just the way it is.

I note they say that they are charging Euro 150 per start to destination but that does not seem to fall in line with the ski carraige charges that are published on the website and as some above refer to above; I bet the charge is high due to the two leg flights but they are not saying that. Keep fighting it, quote the published charges on their website and explain to them by calculating what you think it shoukld be.

Good luck and let us know what you sort out in the end
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I agree with rayscoops. It appears that they are charging you twice. Once for the trans-Atlantic flights and again for the domestic flights (at whatever their domestic rate is, and I wonder if they are also applying their domestic baggage fees to your first checked pieces of luggage). I fly between Europe and the USA a lot, often with multiple legs and plane changes in the US. The more generous trans-Atlantic baggage allowance has ALWAYS applied for the entirety of the journey, and I have never been charged for each plane I board but rather for each journey. That said, only once was this done flying with skis. If thy are screwing their passengers for booking connecting flights, they have just undermined the whole hub-spoke airline model.

I would ask for an itemized accounting of their charges. At least then you know what their reasoning is. If I received a €650 bill at a restuarant, I would ask to see an itemized bill. No different here.
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