Monarch changes to so callled ski carriage

A snowHead

mark warner now advise that their chosen airline
monarch now (after booking the holiday a week or so ago) say that the ski carriage booked and paid for does not include carriage of boots Mad

WTF?

so they have effectively cut the normal baggage allowance in half as boots are not part of the ski carriage (yes, yes, those weasel words!)
but have to form part of the normal luggage allowance...

Not counting on a lot of repeat business, are they?

A snowHead

snowornever, put all of your ski clothes in with your skis, max your hand luggage, boots in suitcase, job done.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Boots in hand luggage?

Had a fight with the dumbass check-in agents for Swiss at LCY over my marginally overweight ski bag - Had to take one boot out put it in a separate bag and check it. All within my allowance of course and if I'd had a business ticket not an issue to have a piece weighing up to 32kg but rules is rules and the fact that they then had to handle 2 pieces rather than 1 and had completely undermined Swiss' marketing as the convenient skier's airline didn't really register with them. When I asked at GVA if I had to go through the same farce, the check-in lady looked at me as if I was mad and said "of course not".

Conclusion, a single airline can't even be consistent and desk nazis don't have a uniform application of common sense.

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

To be fair, the weight of my boots and case last trip still came in at well under 20k, it's perfectly possible - just take less make-up!

I will have to do the same for the EoSB as I'm hiring skis instead of paying stupid money for carriage.

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Fair play to Swiss last time out from LHR - I had skis in one bag, and a fully laden (31kg) board bag as well. Didn't bat an eyelid. Think it sometimes depends on who is on the desk.

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All this after they done a big advertising campaign about their flights to ski destinations before the season started. Another airline to knock off my list for winter flights

After all it is free

I don't think this is a change, I had flights booked with Monarch previously and the ski carriage clearly stated it was 'one pair of skis or one snowboard only'. I always put my boots in my main hold bag, job done, one less bag to carry.

Their ski weight allowance is enough for boots and heavy skis, if your ski bag is big enough to take boots.

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queen bodecia, From what I understand, that whole 'one pair of skis or one snowboard only' policy is specifically there to limit the airlines exposure to claims against lost or delayed luggage. As outsized luggage is the first to get left behind in the case of overload, the airline attempts to limit its liability if it doesnt turn up so you can't claim that "Oi I had 3 sets of WC skis, boots and my Louis Vuitton ermin-trimmed fartbag in there! Get your chequebook!"

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When I have flown I have always put my boots in my main bag/case and never had a problem with the allowance. By all means put some of your other stuff in the ski bag but bear in mind that if the ski bag doesn't arrive the insurance will cover ski hire but not Jacket and trouser hire.

If you main bag is too small consider using cling film to join main and boot bag together into a single piece of luggage within the limit. This was suggested to me by the BA checkin staff a couple of years ago when they stopped taking sports equipment for free.

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As other have said, boots going in your main bag shouldn't be a big issue. Can't remember my bag ever weighing more than around 18kg with boots in there (from memory Mark Warner give 23kg allowance, don't they?).

yep I know I can fit my boots into main bag, it would have been nice to have been told in advance, rather than book and then have changes imposed retrospectively.
Dear All,

Mark Warner have recently informed us of changes to some of the baggage allowances with certain airlines.

Please see updated details below for your corresponding airport, carrier and destination and ensure you have allocated your allowance accordingly. Also please ensure you have pre booked ski carriage where applicable.

French resorts:

Gatwick – Monarch

Hold baggage allowance is multiple bags up to 20kgs per person.

Hand baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 5kgs (56cm x 45cm x 25cm).

Ski carriage is 1 ski bag (pre bookable only)

Heathrow– British Airways

Hold baggage allowance is multiple bags up to 20kgs per person.

Hand baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 23kgs (56cm x 45cm x 25cm).

Ski carriage is 1 ski bag (pre bookable only)

Manchester – Jet 2

Hold baggage allowance 1 bag up to 22kgs per person.

Hand baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 10kgs (56cm x 45cm x 25cm).

Ski carriage is 1 ski bag (pre bookable only)

Birmingham – Monarch

Hold baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 20kgs per person.

Hand baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 10kgs (56cm x 45cm x 25cm).

Ski carriage is 1 ski bag (pre bookable only)

Courmayeur/ Italy:

Gatwick – British Airways

Hold baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 23kgs per person.

Hand baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 23kgs (56cm x 45cm x 25cm).

‘Ski carriage’ is pre bookable at the airport only, £40.00 per bag each way

NO ONE WAY SEATS AVAILABLE (both ways or no flights)

St Anton/ Austria:

Gatwick – British Airways

Hold baggage allowance is multiple bags up to 20kgs per person.

Hand baggage allowance is 1 bag up to 23kgs (56cm x 45cm x 25cm).

‘Ski carriage’ is 1 ski bag (pre bookable only)

For all airlines boots must be included within the baggage allowance.

You know it makes sense.

I think the BA hand baggage allowance may well be a mistake - 23kg that's nearly a bag of spuds (and would be close to the load limit of the overhead lockers where you can get at least 3 bags that size)

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

A snowHead

I don't get it.

My board bag fits my snowboard, boots and a few other things like helmet too. Am I defo not allowed to put my board inside my board bag??

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Iski, I stand corrected - I have just checked the BA website and indeed it does say 23 kg. However, I still find it incredible and would be interested in the views of our team airline pilot 2Planks. I understand that they use a standard weight for a passenger and hand baggage - if everyone took 23kg it could make it interesting!

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chocksaway, Most people can't lift 23kg into an overhead locker - though I've seen small fur clad women give it a good shot. Surely there's some algorithm that correlates checked bags with likely carry on weight across a plane's population e.g. short haul lo-co with baggage charges - lower hold weight, higher carry-on weight/pax.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We flew with Monarch from Birmingham to Geneva mid January, with a bag containing one snowboard and one set of ski's, it was 2kg over the allowance and we had to pay £50 for an additional 'ski bag', never had this problem with Flybe or BMI in the previous 4 years.

Then they weighed our hand luggage which was a few kg's over for all 4 cases and we were made to repack there and then, the stupid thing was they were perfectly happy for us to remove camera's etc, stuff them into deep ski coat pockets before our cabin luggage was weighed again and approved, upon which we opened it up and replaced everything just removed, bizarre. Puzzled

Behind us in the queue was a couple who had been to buy a new case from BHX terminal shop because no matter how they repacked 2 cases Monarch wouldnt accept them, I guess it must have been a weight issue but not sure

Never known anything like it on a ski flight before and wont be flying Monarch again

Also, regarding advice to stuff ski trousers and jackets into your ski bag (which we would normally do), dont, they were asking very specific questions at BHX and there was a zero tolerance policy,

At Geneva for the return flight all bags were over and the check in agents couldnt have cared less!

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Flew with them last month from Manchester, ski & board bag stuffed with jackets, trousers, hoodies, no questions asked. Suitcases were almost bang on weight at 19kg each (my ski boots and his board bindings were in there, hence the weights!)

However, I flew with BMI baby in recent years to Geneva, what a pallaver. Despite only having literally a handbag for me as hand luggage and a small satchel type bag for him, both of which were nowhere near the 5kg limit, our suitcases at 22kg and 23kg each (God knows what I took there!!) had to have stuff emptied out of them. I bought a huge Boots canvas bag in the terminal and carried it all in that.

Check in agents told me if cases go down that are overweight, it's they who get in "trouble" from the handling agents. Load of old baloney if you ask me, but you wonder if the experiences above are prompted from a similar issue.

After all it is free

I guess it all depends on where you fly from.

The last time I flew with monarch from Dublin, which was about 3 years ago, I followed my usual routine. Do not book snowboard bag onto flight. Turn up with snowboard bag with 2 boards, 2 sets bindings, 2 pairs boots and a sundries. Roll up at check-in to be told I'd need to pay about €60 each way, have conversation along the lines of "Well I've never had to pay before", check in muppet then says "You'll need to pay at the Airline check in desk". Then go to Monarch Information desk, where you ask them to check on prices for ski kit on their charter flights, which it turns out is zero. It seems that it's the TO who sets charges for ski carriage. Monarch info people then have a word with check in desk staff who let your bag on for free. I've probably done this 5 or so times, but only with Monarch/Crystal.

I have had no problems with Monarch. It must be a bummer if they cancel a flight - but it is with any airline. Basically if you don't expect to wear a different dinner jacket / evening gown and tiara every night, pack your boots in your hold bag and pay for extra leg room by the emergency exit, you'll have a pleasant flight with good cabin crew. Simples.

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I flew Monarch last week from Manchester and had no problems. I booked directly with Monarch, and booked free ski carriage at the time of booking. I've also previously flown Monarch via a tour operator.

Monarch made it perfectly clear to me when I booked my tickets last year (September I think) that boots could not go in the hand luggage. There website and booking process was very clear on what was and wasn't allowed- no boots in hand luggage, ski carriage must be single pair of skis weighing less than 13kg, no helmets in hand luggage, hold bags were 20kg max- all of this was made perfectly crystal clear on booking.

We had absolutely no problems checking our gear in.
Our suitcases weighed 19.2kg & 19.5kg with our boots and helmets in (well wrapped).
Our ski bags weighed 9.5kg and 10.5kg- single pairs of skis in each, wrapped in fleeces/jumpers/towels. Although their online guidance had said that only skis and poles were allowed in the bag, they never looked in the bags either at Manchester or Munich, just weighed them both. They weren't interested on what was in there, as long as it was less than the 13kg.
Our hand luggage was briefly visually inspected, albeit it they were rucksacks so clearly smaller that the prescripted sizes.

They also sent me 3 emails in the 2 weeks before we flew informing us exactly what was and wasn't allowed, how much allowance we had etc- so there was no excuse for getting it wrong!

The flights were on time. The staff were flexible about people moving round on board (except the extra legroom seats) in order to sit near friends and family as there were 30 seats empty. I'd definitely fly with them again.

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For all those people who a kilo or two over, buy yourself one of those handheld travel weighing scales. Ours cost us about £3 and its brilliant!

It comes with us on holiday, weighing only about 300g. We can check our bags before we get to the airport so no excuse for going over, no nasty surprises, no stress at the airport. Simples.

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I flew Monarch with boots must be in hold baggage rule, ski bag of 15kg but what caught out the try it on crowd was the weight limit on cabin bags of 5kg most amusing, although my wife carried a helmet in hers with no problems.

snowornever, Hi am trying to locate this information on the BA website do you know where this is located?
thanks Puzzled

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

snowornever, sugarmoma666, Thanks I was trying to verify this information:

A snowHead

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Re Monarch - I've just read their website and it says Ski bag can have max weight of 13kg, which is fine for my skis plus my wife's in the one bag. But upthread somebody mentioned that they only allow one pair of skis per ski bag. Do they really check this?

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Valkyrie,
Never had mine checked. As mentioned earlier in the thread, it's 1 pair per bag to reduce their liability. If they lose your bag, you can only claim for 1 pair of skis.
snowHead

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Swiss have always been excellent. But then I don't have 2 pairs of skis....... Toofy Grin

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Too much hassle now. Hence the reason there is 4 of us driving this year.
By the time you factor in flights, taxes, ski carriage, parking at airport, petrol, transfers to resort it's actually worked out cheaper to drive.
Might be different if your on a package but not for s/c.

And back on topic. Last year with Thomas cook. Paid for one ski bag. It did say 1 pair of skis no more than 18kg. Just stuffed both of our skis in there and hoped for the best. Got away with it.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

It still amazes me that there is so much griping about ski carriage.

Airlines are commercial entities charged by their shareholders and exec boards with generating profit – Fact
Generally in this world everything has either a price or a cost associated with it, it’s the world we live in like it or not.
The costs to Airline (capital equipment, safety, running) increase too.

If in the past or indeed future we’ve managed get free ski carriage – great.
If we have to pay people to carry our sports equipment – Bummer (RyanAir = mega bummer), but that’s reality.

Given that the majority of us opting for a week or two on the slopes are probably not in a position where <£140 per head will
drive us into the bankruptcy, why not plan/budget for the expense. If your holiday comes in under budget well done, you can now waste the money on an Ipad!
In my experience planning and budgeting correctly often allows everything to unfold with the minimum of stress, and when commercial reality bites- you are ready.

And for heaven’s sake pack your boots (usually <5kg) in your hold luggage, buy an extra allowance if you have to, it’s not the end of the world.
Remember you are going skiing, you don’t need to pack the whole wardrobe.

After all it is free

Bob,

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pam w, you're right, but airlines now seem to want to make a huge profit out of carrying luggage rather than selling passenger seats. As some luggage (and food on long-haul flights which is still 'free') is an essential, it would seem appropriate to provide these at cost plus rather than what appear to be rack rates.

Help!!

Monarch changes to so callled ski carriage

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