 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Probably because of your prior experiences? Most van drivers who have to lift heavy stuff are male.
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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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| wigan wrote: |
However it might be cheaper just to ship them over and back yourself, if you are a big family/group and send a few together. Couriers will take a ski-sized box with 2 or 3 pairs in over to France for about £60 + VAT, probably less. Quotes at https://www.transglobal.org.uk |
Double that if you want them back after your trip.
You would also need a friendly hotel or chalet who would receive them on your behalf.
But I like the idea of not having to lug them around. Could be the way forward.
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smithski, good point re taking skis home as well  maybe not best value then.
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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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| Bigtipper wrote: |
I think is a scandal, and at those prices it will not be long before some entrepreneur in London sets up a ski carriage business driving a van through Eurotunnel from the airport, in order to compete.
How many skis can you fit in the back of a transit van for £25? - can you think of some way of an advance pick up and drop off point at Geneva airport and central London or something? |
Edge2Edge have done just that.
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These guys also do the same thing, for pretty much all the French resorts; pick up from your home (Southern based) drop off at your accommodation, taking all your luggage with no weight restriction! Snowheads discount given too 
http://www.pisteofmind.com/
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When you pack all your stuff in there, and only take a carry on bag on the plane it starts to make sense. How do they make any money in the summer months?
Extra £10 for Scotland, seems fair compared to an extra £50 if you have to fly via London and change flights. (duh! but they do not deliver to INN)
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I find it is always cheaper to package, although this rules out a lot o good accomodation. Maybe it's sometimes cheaper if you are going outwith school holidays and self catering, but if you want regional flight, transfers and to be fed and occassionally watered you are hard pressed to beat a package. We package twice a year as a family and I diy a 4 night trip in late Jan. I spend as much or more on the DIY as I do on the package.
Example: 4 of us half board to Soll for New Year flying ex Edinburgh is £2750. I can't come close to that DIY.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ghost Dog, But you pay extra for ski carriage on a package also normally.
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| Quote: |
| How do they make any money in the summer months? |
Anyone for Golf?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Well yes, but 2 pairs of skis in one bag is £35 (I think) with Crystal. I just noticed I horrendously overstated the cost of my NY package, I meant £2275.
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I am just looking at Ryanair. Yes, I know I swore not to use them again but they seem to have the only late flight back which allows me to ski my last day in the Dolomites. Basic flights £90..... plus £40 to take a suitcase plus £80 to take skis (20kg limit).
ie me, £90, luggage £120 !!!!!!!!! 
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You know it makes sense.
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| snowball wrote: |
I am just looking at Ryanair. Yes, I know I swore not to use them again but they seem to have the only late flight back which allows me to ski my last day in the Dolomites. Basic flights £90..... plus £40 to take a suitcase plus £80 to take skis (20kg limit).
ie me, £90, luggage £120 !!!!!!!!! |
Scandalous! £120 and the luggage doesn't even get it's own seat!
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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 I'm at least twice the weight of my luggage. Though I admit my luggage isn't self-propelled.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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For a flight to Salzburg in Jan 2010, Ryanair quoted me £1.98 for the flight....plus £174 in taxes and luggage (1 bag+ snowboard)
I flew with Easyjet to Munich at £104 all in..
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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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Kruisler, iirc I flew at the same to to Munich with Lufthansa for £95 all in - plus I got two bottles of beer and a muffin from frauline stewardess 
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| Quote: |
| Scandalous! £120 and the luggage doesn't even get it's own seat! |
No point whining...
Flying has never been cheaper or more affordable than in the last decade.
There are 2 reasons for this.
1) The budget airline business model. The only reason that Ryan Air / EasyJet can offer such cheap tickets is because their business models depends on charging for the services that you use. A key part of the cost reduction drive involves discouraging passengers to take hold luggage. This reduces staff numbers and aircraft turn around times - which in turn reduces air fares for passengers. (Ironically it has also lead to an expectation that £1.98 return is a realistic sum to pay for a flight). Paying £25 each way for skis might seem like a rip-off. However for airlines trying to get aircraft turned around quickly it probably makes sense to charge a premium for awkward oversize items. Without doubt the airlines will have done their maths, using business analysts, to work out what price to charge.
2) Aviation fuel is taxed at a much lower rate than fuel for trains / cars / boat. A litre of aviation fuel costs around 40p, while a litre of petrol for the car costs around £1.30. This is another reason that flying is often cheaper than taking alternate forms of transport such as trains / planes / road. Despite the much higher environmental impact and increased CO2 emissions.
People seem to forget that budget airlines are running a business, in a sector that traditionally operates on very tight margins. In the current economic climate most airlines are actually losing money. A £200 return flight to Geneva (including bags) might seem at the expensive end of the scale. However in historical terms it has never been more affordable.
If I had to guess then its almost inevitable that rising oil prices, eco-taxes & inflation can only push the cost of flying higher ?
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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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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Scandalous! £120 and the luggage doesn't even get it's own seat! |
No point whining...
Flying has never been cheaper or more affordable than in the last decade.
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Flying in the last decade has been relatively cheap, yes. But within that last decade it has never been more expensive than it is at present. So it's easy to see why people are whining.
The costs are increasing and being passed onto passengers in the most stealthy way possible. More upfront, transparent and fair prices would cut down the whining.
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| Quote: |
| The costs are increasing and being passed onto passengers in the most stealthy way possible. |
No they're not - can't think of anything more visible than charging to take luggage.....if you want to fly for a quid, take no luggage. Simples.
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| Guvnor wrote: |
| Quote: |
| The costs are increasing and being passed onto passengers in the most stealthy way possible. |
No they're not - can't think of anything more visible than charging to take luggage.....if you want to fly for a quid, take no luggage. Simples. |
on line check in ?
web check in !
debit card payment fees?
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smithski, So pay with an Electron card, and check in on-line - simples.
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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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| Guvnor wrote: |
| smithski, So pay with an Electron card, and check in on-line - simples. |
check in online? with ryanair, that'll be £6 please.
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| Quote: |
| But within that last decade it has never been more expensive than it is at present. So it's easy to see why people are whining. |
With out doubt the relative cost of flying in 2011 is *much* cheaper that it was back in 2001.
For example way back in 2001 Ryan Air were a much smaller airline with only a handful of routes.
According to wikipedia the average Ryan Air fare is currently 32 euros.
| Quote: |
| The costs are increasing and being passed onto passengers |
Yip - Because airlines are running a business.
As mentioned above the profit margins in the airline industry are currently very small.
Most European airlines have been running at a loss since the credit crunch began.
| Quote: |
| More upfront, transparent and fair prices would cut down the whining. |
British Airways used to charge a flat fare, hand out free newspapers and carry skis for free. They almost went bankrupt in 2010.
Meanwhile the budget airlines such as Easy Jet / Ryan have thrived in the last decade by reducing passenger costs.
The only way they can do this is....
- no free meals / newspapers
- faster aircraft turnaround times. (one way of ensuring this is discouraging over size baggage items in the hold)
- online check in (allows them to close the airport check in desks which are expensive to rent).
- charging for the individual services that people use.
The end result is that flying has never been more affordable. Its a scandal 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Haggis_Trap,
errr..
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As mentioned above the profit margins in the airline industry are currently very small. |
| Quote: |
| Meanwhile the budget airlines such as Easy Jet / Ryan have thrived in the last decade by reducing passenger costs. |
Not sure about the wiki detail, maybe the base fare but I doubt very much whether €32 (try Ctrl-Alt-4) is the average price paid by the customer.
And I don't believe BA's problems were anything to do with carrying skis for free or dishing out newspapers - other airline continue to do this.
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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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Yup  Airline margins are very small, and the only ones currently doing well are the budget airlines.
Love them or loathe then Ryan Air were one of the few european airlines that managed to return a profit in 2009 (after the economic downturn)
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| And I don't believe BA's problems were anything to do with carrying skis for free or dishing out newspapers |
BAs well documented problems were primarily caused by EasyJet and Ryan offering cheaper prices.
How did they manage to do this ?
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
Yup
Love them or loathe then Ryan Air were one of the few european airlines that managed to return a profit in 2009 (after the economic downturn)
| Quote: |
| And I don't believe BA's problems were anything to do with carrying skis for free or dishing out newspapers |
BAs well documented problems were primarily caused by EasyJet and Ryan offering cheaper prices.
How did they manage to do this ? |
pay their staff at the market rate?
and at the time of BAs demise, many of the extra charges we see now were either far lower or non existent
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You know it makes sense.
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Yup - you just listed another example of how Ryan Air has managed to reduces prices
Their cabin crew and pilots are often contracted, rather than salaried staff. There are many more examples of how Ryan & Easy have reduced their base fares. Charging extra for skis is just one of them.
The cost cutting business model is the main reason that budget airlines managed to reduce their base fares and thrive.
The end result is increased competition / cheaper flying for you and me (and also higher C02 emissions due to increased air traffic).
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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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To be honest, I remember 25 (or so) years ago I used to expect to pay £100 for cheap chalet accommodation for a week in Val d'Isere and another £100 for the air fare. Then, if I chose to take the overnight train I was given a small discount. (Do any companies still have a train option?- Some package operators offer £90 back if you do your own travel.)
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 28-06-11 13:12; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Does making the charge for baggage so much larger than the ticket cost really reflect the cost to the airline? I rather doubt it.
What would the cost of posting my skis to Italy and back be? Would it be less than £80?
Edit: I just checked and the price is about the same but with inadequate compensation for loss. They obviously checked.
Unfortunately you can't hire off-piste skis in the Dolomites and certainly not good ones with touring bindings.
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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: |
| Does making the charge for baggage so much larger than the ticket cost really reflect the cost to the airline? I rather doubt it. |
Cheap airlines seats are like supermarket loss leaders.
Ryan Air or Easy Jet certainly don't make a profit from selling airline seats at 99p, or even £20.99, each way.
At that price they are calculating that a certain percentage of customers will buy a meal on board / forget to check in / require hold luggage or purchase insurance.
For sure - it sucks having to pay £50 to carry skis on an airline. But if budget airlines can minimise hold baggage, especially over size items, then they can turn the aircraft around much faster. Typical Ryan Air turn over is less than 30 minutes.
What ever the arguments about being 'ripped off' flying is still cheaper that it has ever been.
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Tue 28-06-11 16:30; edited 2 times in total
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I'm sure I paid £25 each way for my ski carriage last season with Jet2 anyway
Tip if you're considering Jet2 - about 3 days after I booked my flights they started an offer for free ski carriage or something for the one week only, so wait a while and keep checking back on it in case they do something similar. It might have been only for people on the mailing list or previous customers or something.
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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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Haggis_Trap,
I heard that they've reached the pinnacle of turnaround times now, and that the only thing holding them back now is the time they legally have to leave the landing gear braking systems to cool. I have no sources and it was just a rumour so I have no idea if it's truth or not!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Haggis_Trap wrote: |
| .....For sure - it sucks having to pay £50 to carry skis on an airline. But if budget airlines can minimise hold baggage, especially over size items, then they can turn the aircraft around much faster. Typical Ryan Air turn over is less than 30 minutes..... |
Skis aren't just hold baggage, they are awkward hold baggage. I bet that EJ and Ryaniar would prefer not to handle them at all - and do so only on the basis that they can charge enough to reduce headline fare price. The halcyon days of ultra cheap flying may be over, but even after allowing for inflation, flying (with all the extras) is still cheaper than it was in the early 90s.
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I wouldn't object to the easyJet charges though they are steep - but the prospect of having to pay £120 for my luggage was a bit of a shock (making the total £210 which puts it out of the budget class).
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| Quote: |
| but the prospect of having to pay £120 for my luggage |
nah - just book ski equipment on it own.
your allowed a ski bag, plus boot bag, plus your cabin bag - which is plenty luggage space even with off piste gear etc.
have done this several times - never been charged excess or had problems.
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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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How is everyone getting on this season with Easyjet ski bags? I travelled back from Milan yesterday and, trying to avoid paying for a regular bag as well as a ski bag, I think I only just got away with having my ski bag stuffed with quite a bit of gear other than ski gear, in one of those big puffy oversized ski bags. More detail here
http://morethanskiing.wordpress.com/2012/01/03/212012-easyjet-ski-carriage-my-attempt-at-beating-the-system/
Has anybody had the contents of a ski bag checked, to make sure it's sports equipment only in there?
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MountainMaid, we have just smuggled 2 pairs in a bag. Worked ok.
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FAQ
- except leaving them at home of course!
