How do you travel with ski equipment?
 

I am spending the winter in Seattle this Christmas, traveling out on 23 December returning 8 January. Also going skiing in Canada.

I plan to bring one pair of skis, my boots and clothing back to Europe with me, as I plan on going to Austria and I don't want to rent equipment. But I am wondering how it is going to work with baggage restrictions. I want to get other peoples' experiences in this regard, although from the BA site it seems I can take everything with me in addition to my usual allowance. Defintions of snow equipment, and baggage allowance are:

I interpret this to mean I can carry two normal bags of 32kg each, plus one bag containing skis+poles (max 23kg), plus a fourth bag containing boots (max 23kg). This seems far too generous, even for ski equipment, i.e. it is too good to be true.

However, elsewhere on the same page, there is info for other sporting equipment, where the equipment falls within the normal allowance, and is not "in addition" to. Windsurfers, for example:

Poor windsurfers.

So what has been peoples' experiences, and/or how to people interpret the rules per the website? I imagine I will have to shoot off an e-mail to BA just to be sure. I don't want to show up to the airport and get stuck with massive excessive baggage charges. Ski equipment is very bulky. Just my jacket and pants take up quite a bit of room, and they are not very collapsable either like normal jackets.

Oh, and can you spoon in First when fully flat???

Snow Ski Equipment that falls within this definition is carried free in addition to your normal baggage allowance, until 30th April 2007. A maximum weight of 23kg (51lbs) applies to each bag.

Seems pretty clear that this in addition to your normal allowance of two checked bags.

In the past skis and boots used to count as one piece of the two pieces of luggage, although you were always allowed take one pair of skis in a bag and one boot bag as well as a main bag.

I managed two pairs of skis in a bag for one person this year by accident (had forgotten that my son was on a different flight) No one batted an eyelid.


Generally people pad out their ski bags and boot bags with clothing, although you are not meant to.

You travelling alone or with someone else?

When skiing, I always go with my husband... between us we take:
- one hard-sided double ski bag (takes the skis and the poles)
- one big holdall (takes both ski boot bags, both ski helmets and all of the ski wear)
- one suitcase for everything else (clothes).
- in addition either both of us or at least my husband will wear his ski jacket (so we don't need to pack it)

Are you taking any internal flights whilst in the US/Canada? Because of this we are going to have to take a second suitcase (because our ski gear holdall weighs over is over 50lbs - especially now we need to carry all our toiletries in checked baggage too). So at least we can spread the weight a bit AND there will be room for a bit of shopping... :)

Boo

Boo, I will be traveling alone. Just shuttling some ski stuff to Europe so I can ski in Austria without having to rent (which I hate doing). I figure three pairs of skis in Seattle is pretty useless now anyway.

I was actually very pleasantly surprised about the generous allowance, as I had always assumed the skis counted as one piece. I think I will do this:
- one pair of skis with poles
- one pair of boots in seperate bags with as much skiing clothing as possible
- one other bag for everything else

Where do I complain about my 747 being replaced with a very plain-looking 777?

Just telephoned BA in Bremen (always so helpful there).

Apparently, the ski equipment counts as one extra item, not two as I thought originally (1x skis and 1x boots). So, in conclusion, my allowance would be as follows: 2x 32kg normal weight allowance + 1x 23kg skis, ski poles & boots.

Apparently, the equipment normally counts as one items of luggage of the total allowed two pieces in the piece system; only the restrictions on dimensions are waived. But from November until April (see above), they have some sort of special during which the ski equipment is carried free of charge above the normal limits.

Is this normal for the winter season, or merely something special now? :confused:

I think the formalised approach is new. In the past, I have always had my boot bag included in the 23kg limit (Euro Traveller) but the ski bag has only once (out of 30-40 times) been weighed. The new approach is very welcome indeed.

When I go skiing, I usually wrap my ski clothes around my (one pair of) skis in a double ski bag, protecting them as well as saving space (and, formerly, weight). Then either a holdall with boots and non-ski clothes, or (especially now) a boot bag with boots, and a small case with non-ski clothes.