 Poster: A snowHead
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We've booked to go away skiing next season  and this time we have our own equipment to take too for the first time! I've booked two lots of ski carriage for me and Mr CD but we're also planning on taking our eldest daughters skis too - the terms in the brochure say we can only put one pair of skis in each bag - will we be able to get away with putting her skis in with ours? Is this something people regulary do or will we be pulled up on it?! We're travelling with Neilson (Thomas Cook). Many thanks!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We have travelled many times with neilson, provided the combined weight is not over the limit I doubt they will look. Last trip the boyfriend had 2 boards and 1 pair skis in same bag, we had to remove bindings and pack them in his case to keep within weight limit but nothing was said or charged extra.
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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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cloudy day, The chances are very high that you will not have a problem. At check in they will weigh the ski bags (so best to put your daughter's skis in with the lighter of the two bags) but providing you don't exceed any weight limit on the ski bag you should be OK. I've never known the check in desk people to ask to have the ski bag opened for inspection, and once they have put the baggage label onto it they ask you to take the bag to the oversize baggage check in point. There the security people will put it through the X-Ray machine, but they are separate from the TO check in desk personnel and couldn't care less if you have more than one set of ski gear in the bag! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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lilywhite, Alastair Pink, thanks! I'll pop them in with mine 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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I went with Ski Total (who use Monarch) this year and both me and my friend took two pairs of skis each. No worries. I even had two sets of poles, shovel, probe and trainers in the ski bag and no one batted an eye lid. Dont think it was even weighed.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I've never had a problem with Neilson ski carriage. Many times I have taken Mrs M's uphill skis and mine in a "single" bag, though obviously those skinny little things don't weigh as much as a proper ski. They usually go over a weigh scale, and are x-ray'ed so it is obvious that there are two pairs in there, but never had any questions yet.
I was once asked by a reptile who was patrolling the check-in queues if I had more than one pair in the bag. I had no problem being disingenuous as I have read many a Neilson brochure!
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You're not supposed to. The reason is insurance - if the bag goes missing you'll be lucky to be able to claim on both sets of skis. Also, any deals you get for delays to ski carriage will probably only apply to 1 set of skis. Not checked Neilson't brochure, but I know that other TOs give you free ski rental if your skis are delayed. Since you've only paid for 1x ski carriage, you'd only be eligible for 1x free skis. I'd guess it will be clearly brochured that ski carriage is 1 set per bag. You'll be unlucky if you get caught out though.
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jiagedaping, You may well be right if you are claiming for loss/replacement rental cost directly from the airline - I assume they would only pay up for one pair of skis per bag. However, is the small chance of your ski bag going astray with the airline sufficient to make it worthwhile paying extra for carriage of an additional ski bag? Most people (myself included) would probably decide it's not.
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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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Many thanks for all the advice - my daughters skis, while very much loved, are 2nd hand and I'd be willing to risk them getting lost and not claiming for them rather than pay for more ski carriage.
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Ive only ever paid for one pair of skis and put two pairs in, along with a whole load of clothing as "padding". So far, so good.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Asjiagedaping, says, if the bag went permanently missing, or the contents were damaged, you'd only be able to claim for one set I would think.
In respect of packing other things in there, I tend to pad my ski bag out with a couple of fleeces and other odds and ends like that. The husband's board bag has a lot more room - so his boots go in there, plus hoodies/fleeces, etc.
Thomas Cook weighed ours this year, same as last year adn the year before that, never had to open the bags up to "prove" what is or isn't in there.
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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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Sorry to resurrect another ski carriage thread but I am making several trips with different airlines and have spent longer than I would like trying to decipher their rules. I have just booked a trip with Neilsons. The flight is with Thomas Cook Airlines whose normal baggage allowance is 20 kg. Neilsons try to earn a little extra by reducing this to 15 kg & pimping an extra 5 kg for £20. 15 kg for a weeks winter holiday is mean. I just gets my back up that they don't put £20 on the base cost if that's what they need to make it pay. I have booked ski carriage for £35 which is reasonable but all their wordage makes me feel they resent having to carry skis. It pains me that the airlines seem unable to compose clear concise information on what ski carriage allows. I have studied Neilson’s information but it seems to be muddled. I am loathed to seek clarification from them as I doubt if they would know and when you get to the airport there will be an entirely different interpretation. That is why we have recurring debates about the subject.
If anyone can anybody be bothered to wade through this can they decipher what they are trying to say on the booking screen ?
"Ski Carriage
Carriage of skis and snowboards is strictly limited on charter flights. If you wish to take skis or boards with you, space must be reserved for them at the time of booking. (Up to 10kg. Combined weight of baggage & equipment must not exceed 25kgs.)
For each ski & snowboard carriage, only 1 pair of skis & boots or 1 snowboard & boots may be carried, with a maximum total allowance of 15kgs. Carriage of skis and snowboards is strictly limited on charter flights. If you wish to take skis or boards with you, space must be reserved for then at the time of booking. (Combined weight of baggage & ski carriage must not exceed 30kgs)."
In their “Essential Ski holiday Information” we get this
“Ski & Snowboard Carriage
Carriage of skis and snowboards is strictly limited on flights. The cost to pre book ski
carriage at the time of booking your holiday is £35. If you chose to book this at the
airport with our representatives, the cost will be £50 (subject to availability as space cannot be guaranteed).
For each ski/snowboard carriage paid, only 1 pair of skis & boots or 1 snowboard &
boots may be carried, with a maximum total allowance of 15kgs. We do not allow 2 sets of skis or snowboards to be placed in any one bag.
Should you wish to use one large ski/snowboard bag or hard case to carry both your
equipment and personal belongings together, this may not exceed 30kgs due to weight and lifting restrictions. Ski carriage must still be paid and no other luggage may be checked in (with the exception of your boot bag which falls within the 30kgs maximum weight allowance). Ski or snowboard boots may not be carried on to the plane as hand luggage, they must be checked in as hold luggage.
Passengers who pre-book carriage of their skis and snowboards are guaranteed that in the event they are off loaded (due to aircraft weight restrictions), the booking fee will be refunded and the skis/snowboard will be forwarded to your resort at no extra cost. Should this not be practical, quality skis/snowboard will be provided in resort for the intervening period (one set per fee paid). For this reason, we do not recommend that you use a large ski/snowboard bag or hard case to carry both your equipment and clothing together as we do not replace clothing.
Important note: You are responsible for the airport storage and costs of any equipment refused passage due to failure to pre-book aircraft space for your skis or snowboard.
Please note: On scheduled flights, skis/snowboards count towards your total baggage allowance.”
Whilst booking extras I read a pop-up box which gave me more explicit information saying that the 15 kg ski allowance could be appropriated between ski bag, boot bag and main bag. Unfortunately I can’t seem to find this info again.
I was intending to pack my boots as normal in my main bag which always seems to then weigh about 19 kg. My small ski bag c/w skis & pole comes in at 8 kg. I reckoned I did not need to purchase extra allowance above the £35 ski carriage.
I was to be armed with print outs of the T&C for check-in but I am not sure they will help. I don’t fancy being hit with a punitive charge for excess baggage or have a long argument at 5:30 in the morning. It might be less stress just to cough up £20 for the extra 5 kg allowance.
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Lechbob, flown with Thomas Cook a number of times, always put my boots in my suitcase. Skis & poles and a few odds and ends for padding, such as fleeces, all go in my ski bag. Same for the husband with his board - in his board bag with his boots and stuff for extra padding, bindings go in the suitcase.
Never had problems with TC, and with all the extra stuff that gets packed in the ski/board bags they're at their weight limit, suitcases are usually on the limit too although we have always had 20kg weight allowance. If you're worried you're going to be over your 15kg limit, bu how much? A kilo or two? Worth chancing it if that's the case. If you're going to pushing 20kg, I might think differently.
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You know it makes sense.
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jocrad, Thankyou for taking the trouble to respond. We should not have to be wasting our time with this when we could be talking about winter tyres or h*lm*ts.
I suspect there will be no problem checking in but I have occasionally witnessed them being sticklers whilst other time they totally ignore bags being over the allowance. The fact that they drop the included bag allowance to 15 kg and then make the sale of an extra 5 kg very prominent in the booking procedure makes me think it is an attempt to raise their income, as is: paying to choose seats, selling on board meals. Why anyone would choose to eat on-board "food" on a short flight is beyond me. It is made prominently obvious that the included baggage allowance is 15 kg, the purchased ski carriage allows for 15 kg or 10 kg depending which bit you read and the combined total must not exceed 30 kg or 25 kg depending on which bit you read. Then if you take a coffin bag you cannot take another bag other than a boot bag. I think they make it unnecessarily complicated. Just to confuse them I often use a board bag to carry skis and boots + a bag for clothing. This is not allowed according to some charter operators and boots must be carried with your normal bag, although I have never seen this enforced.
I bought the trip in an offer, the price is low, probably too low for them to make a profit. I object to their feeble attempts to claw back what they should not have offered. As a result I people will be boarding wearing the heaviest items and carrying the maximum 5 kg of hand luggage.
We'll see what happens but I'll have to reign in my temper as I can be very tetchy at 5:30 in the morning and don't want to be barred from the flight.
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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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I agree, it's very pedantic and hit and miss, depending on who you get and what mood they're in!
I don't buy food on board, so they're on a losing streak with me there, but I must admit a G&T at 8am somehow gets the holiday started....hope all turns out okay.
We're flying with Monarch for the first time on a ski flight, been with them on sun holidays and they were okay - worst we had was BMI Baby to Geneva a few years ago, so mean it was untrue. It was in the days before we had our own skis/board so only 2 suitcases to check in. Okay, they were both a kile or so over the 20kg, as husband was still skiing then, so both had boots in there. No hand luggage to speak off, literally a small bag for me and a rucksack for him that was almost empty, and they were insistent on charging us. Never again!!
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Poster: A snowHead
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my reading of the conditions in neilsons 'paper' brochure is :
5kg hand luggage
15kg of hold luggage
15kg of ski luggage (35 quid.......)
if combining skis with normal baggage = 30kgs total (still get 5kgs hand )
I think my skis/poles weighed 7kgs - i'm sure you will be able to get inside the limit (especially with a LARGE bag for hand luggage  )
Just realised my flight is with FLYBE - so I am off to check what their 'allowance' is !!!
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