 Poster: A snowHead
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after reading through many forums and posts on here, people have made comment around the pros and cons of hiring against travelling with skis.
So, does travelling with skis add on time to collection of bags?
Are there any other 'cons' to travelling with skis that I should consider?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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waited 2hrs once at heathrow for ski's to appear, 1 or 2 pairs would appear about every 10 to 15 mins, seemed like one guy must have been walking backwards and forwards to the plane carrying then one or two at a time 
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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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The most I've waited was 15 mins, usually 5-10. Generally on the out-going leg (if you're going Austria/Switzerland/Germany at least) it makes no difference, gotta love that german efficiency!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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aldoyle, IME, it doesn't generally add more than a few minutes.
Most of the foreign ski airports I have used keep the skis separate from the general baggage, usually on a trolley outside the main arrivals area (I seem to remember Geneva charter arrivals having them on a trolley inside the main baggage reclaim area, but that was before I had my own skis, so I may be misremembering).
I have only once found the trolley not already there by the time I had picked up my main case, and it was only a couple of minutes before it arrived that time.
It is a good idea to mark the ends of your ski bag in some way to make it distinctive, since there are usually a lot of rather similar bags on the trolley, and you can't see the handle area until you get it to the top or slide it out.
Coming back, all the UK airports I have taken skis through just mix them up with the normal baggage, and they tend to be interspersed rather than all coming at the end. Some foreign airports will allow you to check in the skis first, so you aren't carrying them in the main check in queue (Innsbruck being one example of this).
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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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okay, so the ultimate question is this - do I fork out to have some bindings fitted to the Storm Rage skis that I won which should be here today / tomorrow. Or do I go for the best hire skis I can find in VT?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Isn't the rage a centre-mounted/symmetrical park ski (or is that one of the others?), in which case you may want both!
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well, they claim for it to be an all mountain ski, but having read a review about them im a little concerned about their ability on piste for general skiing and their 'carve-ability'...
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Never noticed a delay in collecting skis from luggage reclaim. IME the skis turn up first.
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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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What time it may cost you at the airport has to be considered against what time it costs you to go to the rental shop.
In my experience, at some airports skis (and other bulky items) are the last items put out at baggage claim. At other airports that's not the case.
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Maybe I'm getting my models mixed up. For what it's worth, twins (inc fat ones) are still fine for high speed carves etc on piste, just the turn radius will sometimes be bigger than you're used to, you have to have the confidence to go with the shape the skis want to make.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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aldoyle, you read ONE review....do some proper research...try TGR forums for a start...they know whats what there....without having skied them though, i would be inclined to agree with clarky999, they should be fine on piste...there is too much bull$h!t about this ski will do this but it wont do that etc etc... just point the ****ing things and ski....
okbye
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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snowpatrol, i guess i can agree about the bull$h!t... I've skied on lots of skis over the years and never had any problems. I guess I am just concerned as they dont have much side cut like the skis I usually ski... at least they dont seem to. But then again I've never skied on wide skis before, or twin tips for that matter!
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aldoyle, depends very much on the airport. For example, baggage reclaim at Salzburg on a Saturday morning and Turin on a Sunday morning are both pretty hectic, often with more than one flight on each conveyor. At both airports the ski return is separate and seems to happen before the rest of the luggage, so certainly doesn't take any longer. Just think of the time you save in resort whilst everyone else is queuing up for hire equipment.
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You know it makes sense.
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aldoyle, probably does increase the wait at some places. Last year probably waited 5-10 mins longer 3 times out of 6 times having to collect them.
But QB is spot on about saving hire shop queueing time. Time in resort is more precious than time at an airport.
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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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Seems random this... on at least two occasions my skis have come off first, before any other bags. Other times, they come with the luggage.
Swings and roundabouts.
Don't think it really makes much difference overall. Your chances of being hugely delayed because of skis are probably about the same as your chances of being hugely delayed by your normal luggage.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Very rarely delays you, sometimes they come out before the rest of the baggage. One time they even got on the flight before me! 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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my only concern really is the outbound flight to Geneva as I have exactly an hour from landing to the bus (that I'm booked onto) leaving the airport
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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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In fairness, if you are on a TO trip, you might end up waiting a bit on the bus for everyone to get their luggage and skis anyway. Having your own skis to collect wouldn't make any difference at all.
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aldoyle, that's tight, unless you can get a later bus if you miss it. If your time's on time then getting through GVA won't be the problem, it's the risk of delays. I've done it before (last train for Wengen), and it does make the journey someone stressful up to that point!
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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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aldoyle, have you booked the flight and transfer separately?
I usually find it takes about 30-45 minutes from landing to leaving the airport on transfer bus, but it was over an hour in Turin last season. They must have had 20 or so flights arriving in the space of an hour and it took a long while for the baggage to come through (skis and boots came first). Then there was a massive queue through passport control and customs.
An hour sounds like it might be cutting it fine, but I've not been through Geneva airport for many years. It might be a lot more streamlined than Turin.
Just pray your flight isn't delayed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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queen bodecia, GVA scheduled terminal is normally pretty quick, but it is cutting it fine.
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I fly with my skis. It is a bit of an extra hassle checking in - the skis have to be lugged to an additional check-in point - and there can be quite a wait at the other end. 20 minutes or so some times. If you take them on public transport, including trains, stowing them can be a little difficult. Most of all, their is the weight and bulk to cope with - not much fun of a long journey with changes/transfers to cope with. They become a real pain if you are on your own at an airport before check in - and want to go to a cafe or toilet.
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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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| Quote: |
if you are with a TO they still have to wait for you
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but the OP said he had booked a bus leaving an hour after his plane lands. Those buses are fairly used to people missing them and getting the next - if late, just go straight to the bus booking desk and explain. At Geneva you'd be unlucky not to catch that bus IF your plane is one time. But that's a fairly big IF. The skis can cause a bit of a delay at Geneva - largely because people just jostle round the trolley thing and grab. Advice to mark the END of your bag is very good.
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aldoyle,
oh dear - buses from geneva
4 hr delay a few years back from gatwick to geneva
transfer company trying to rebook everyone
not enough spaces at 10.30 pm
trying to find accom in geneva for teh night when "persuaded" driver to break law and stuff us all in on drive around deep snow drifts in les houches looking for peoples' chalets up unamrked tracks at midnight
of what a life 
but we come back again and again
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| snowpatrol wrote: |
aldoyle, ... just point the ****ing things and ski....
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Totally agree.
aldoyle, Lyon, skis are always last off.
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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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It completely depends on the airport and their out of gauge procedure and what hold they load stuff into on the aircraft.... saying which I have seen my skis (water not snow) coming round a 90 degree bend at Houston airport with the normal baggage and standing there praying that they would ride over the top rather than jamming the whole system and breaking.
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I have never had a problem travelling with skis, the big advantage is that you know the performance of your own skis, I carry all mountain skis so I never need to worry about the snow conditions.
And you save money!
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You know it makes sense.
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We had an hour wait at Toulouse this year but Geneva had them out when the main luggage hit the carousel. Toulouse was a Thompson flight as a package deal so they weren't leaving without us.
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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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>>And you save money!
Or not!
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Poster: A snowHead
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| James the Last wrote: |
>>And you save money!
Or not! |
Currently the only airline which charges as much for a return trip as the cost of iring (in a reasonable resort) is Ryanair at £80. Even they are cheaper than renting top end skis in an expensive resort for a week.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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alex_heney, But there is also the initial cost of buying, and servicing. I don't think you save money buying your own skis unless you ski a lot and / or have a place in the Alps you can leave them.
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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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I like taking my skis, it makes me look like a skier - sometimes for the only time on the trip.
Speaking of which, at the risk of agreeing with snowpatrol,
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| im a little concerned about their ability on piste for general skiing and their 'carve-ability'... |
That's usually a concern I have about myself rather than the skis 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Jerry wrote: |
I like taking my skis, it makes me look like a skier - sometimes for the only time on the trip.
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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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beanie1, I think that overall it has always been fairly cost neutral in the past for a one week per year skier.
But with the current exchange rate making renting a lot more expensive, and provided you aren't flying Ryanair, I think it does work out cheaper to own at the moment. But still not by much.
For myself, I won the skis in a website competition anyhow, but if I hadn't, they were on sale for around £300 at the time (inc bindings). I've spent about £50 on tools and wax, plus one shop service at €15, and have used them on 4 trips so far (will be on their 5th in three weeks ). I have paid between £15 and £30 for transport each time.
So, if we include the upcoming trip, total cost to date (if I had bought the skis) - about £480 - which is £95 per trip. I should get several more trips, so the total per trip will fall further.
Decent class skis in the resort I am going to this season are €79 for a week (Skis & poles only). So less than my cost per trip to date, but if I get 10 trips out of the skis (which I should), it would be more expensive.
And then there is also the fact that on two of the four trips so far, I have managed to get a couple of hours skiing in on arrival (and should do this year too), which would not have been feasible if hiring.
I probably would not have bought my own previously, because the payback time would have just seemed too long. But having had them, I would not now like to be without my own skis.
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