 Poster: A snowHead
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Inghams, Canadian Affair, Thomas Cook Airlines. The flight number begins TCX, but who the heck knows who defines carriage restrictions?
Inghams say it's nothing to do with them and entirely up to the airline. Thomas Cook Airlines say it's whatever limit the tour operator has arranged with them. And no-one mentions it's 'Canadian Affair' - that goes between the two, apart from forums such as this. I haven't got a clue what the details are, but I know I'm in danger of exceeding limits and coughing up £15 per kilo overweight each way and thus making a cheap holiday a very expensive one.
I think it's pretty conclusive that hold luggage is limited to 20Kg, and hand luggage to 5Kg. The confusion comes when it comes to ski carriage.
I have paid £18 for return ski carriage. Depending on the web sites I read there are about three possibilities:
1) This entitles me to a ski bag up to 10Kg in addition to my 20Kg luggage allowance.
2) This entitles me to an extra 10Kg beyond my free allowance of 10Kg ski carriage such that my ski bag may now weigh up to 20Kg.
3) This entitles me to take a ski bag - up to the max single item weight of 32Kg.
So which is it? Or is it 'other'?
As for boot bags, yeah, no chance. I have to wear them or pack them. The idea of boot bags as included with ski bags has disappeared from the tour operator's consciousness.
Any elucidation much appreciated. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ha ha, having the same issues myself http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=73011
Well im all packed,
skis bag comes in at 11.6KG
luggage bag 14Kgs
hand luggage ??ks, but its only a netbook, topgear mag and a tube of pringles 
But whati gathered , is it, ski bag no limit, but only 1 pair of skis, checked luggage 20KG and 5KG carry on, booked 1st choice, flying thomson.
will report back tomorrow evening if i can find some free wifi, if geting to GVA is excess payment free
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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 tried ringing Thomas Cook Airlines (whose website lists all sports equipment apart from ski gear  ) cos they don't have an e-mail address, and after selecting 'Canadian flight' on their phone menu they just give you a phone number for Canadian Affair.
I e-mail Canadian Affair (pointing out that I'm already aware they provide 10Kg of free ski carriage to folk who buy flights via them, but I need to know what £18 (I paid) or £35 (Inghams advertised price) ski carriage buys beyond that.
All I get back so far is "We do allow up to 10kgs of free ski carriage on top of your 20kgs luggage allowance".
And then a different representative from Canadian Affair replies: "We do not have the facilities to agree to extra ski carriage we do however allow 10kgs of ski carriage on our Thomas Cook flights free of charge."
Well, yeah, that's what I read on your site, but I haven't booked through you, but Inghams (who let's remember say "Please check the airlines' website for the most up-to-date information regarding baggage allowances. All baggage allowances are set and enforced by the airlines, not Inghams"). And Thomas Cook Airlines's website doesn't mention ski carriage, so it's a bit of a problem isn't it?
If I get up to 10Kg free then I want my £18 back!
If I get up to 30/32Kg (depending on who you read) max single item weight then I don't have to worry about my skis/board bag being 11Kg and getting charged £15 each way for the extra kilo.
If they're going to charge for carriage why don't these companies at least make it clear what the charge pays for? It's not difficult.
Has anyone flown via a TCX flight recently and can reveal whether the ski/board bag is weighed and whether the limit is 10Kg, 20Kg, or 30/32Kg? And especially whether things are different at the return airport?
STOP PRESS:
I've now received a reply from an enquiry I sent to Inghams:
"Your hold baggage allowance is 20KG each, plus one item of hand baggage weighing no more than 5KG. You are allowed up to 10KG of ski equipment to be carrier free of charge. I have taken off the £18 x 2 carriage of skis charge, so you will receive a refund from us shortly."
So, that pretty much resolves it. Ski/snowboard bags are now limited to 10Kg, and I guess by way of compensation it's now free (this year). I think I'd still want to pay £18 for <30Kg though, just in case I slipped over 10Kg. 
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Uncle Fester!, just pack your boots in your hold bag, or in with your skis if the bag is big enough. Much easier to carry two bags instead of three anyway.
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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 wrote: |
| Uncle Fester!, just pack your boots in your hold bag, or in with your skis if the bag is big enough. Much easier to carry two bags instead of three anyway. |
Hi Queen! Yeah I had thought of that, but then of course I'll lose the equivalent weight of clothes if they're in my suitcase, and I believe I'll get pulled up if my ski bag contains something other than skis + poles - It seems like a no win situation. How ridiculous to sell a sports holiday, and then expect people not to want to carry the relevant equipment!
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\Uncle Fester!, you could well get away with boots in hand luggage. But, I suggest getting a lightweight holdall (Gelert 140L cargo bag) and putting boots in that. The 10Kg is skis/poles only. You get 20Kg for holdall, 10Kg for ski bag, and 5Kg for hand luggage.
I spoke to an Inghams rep at Calgary airport about this and they said the limits are only enforced when the flights are pretty full (and they need a load of fuel I guess), so UK to Canada with a following wind and Wednesdays back you're probably ok, but Saturdays from Calgary to UK at peak periods you may end up stuffing your pockets and spreading gear around (or paying through the nose). It does happen. Of course, Sod's law means if you're within weight limits you'll be on an empty flight, but if you're over you'll be on a full flight and bags will be weighed and inspected.
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So is it still cheaper to pay ski carriage? or do people rent even though they have their own equipment - also saves hassle of carrying?
Inghams are offering 2 for 1 ski carriage on all 2011/12 holidays by charter flights BUT you have to book by 15th April.
It's been a while since i've rented but I'm not sure what to do anymore reading this. 
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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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We flew last week with Canadian Affair (actually Thomas Cook) from Manchester to Calgary. We checked in a bag each plus a ski bag each in accordance with the information shown on Canadian Affair's website (after I typed into Google - wait for it - "Canadian Affair Luggage Allowance"). Extract from website, as follows:-
A ski/snowboard or boot bag up to 10kgs is in addition to the hold luggage allowance )see sporting equipment for terms). Any hold luggage in excess of the 20 kilograms or 30 kilograms limits will be charged at GBP £15/$20 per kilogram on Thomas Cook flights, and GBP £11 per kilogram on Air Transat flights.
Ski / Snowboard Equipment
When travelling with Thomas Cook. Each passenger is allowed 1 FREE ski bag / snowboard bag or boot bag per person up to a maximum weight of 10 kilograms, in addition to their normal luggage allowance - which is 20kgs in Economy or 30kg Premium.
If the ski/snowboard/boot bag weighs in excess of the 10kg FREE allowance, excess baggage rates will apply. It is important to note that this FREE 10kg allowance is only for ski/board equipment – for example: One set of skis or one snowboard or one pair of boots per person.
For info, the website link is here:-
http://www.canadianaffair.com/en/useful_info/detail/luggage.asp
We had no problems and managed to take our ski boots as the sole item in the (miserly) 5kg hand luggage allowance. Having said that, we played by the rules and took our ski boots in the tiniest of bags - in fact the bag was a flimsy thing which was only the size of my 2 ski boots put together. The permitted dimensions for hand luggage are ridiculously small and the sole of my ski boot was in fact 2mm too long (if they'd decided to get the tape measure out!) Imagine our annoyance, therefore, when we got to the boarding gate to find giant holdalls and rucksacks being carted on to the plane without so much as the batting of an eyelid by the staff...
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FAQ
