Thomson/Crystal ski carriage

I too have had problems with taking ski equipment even extending to Ski Boot Bags being allowed as hold luggage on the way back but not on the way out? Even though we were allowed to check in with a Ski Boot bag as hand luggage, it was then taken off us at the gate? Apparently ski boots are blunt instruments :shock:

It would be much simpler if they would standardise the rules and also take into account that going skiing involves more and heavier clothing that your average beach holiday, so the weigh allowance is easily breached.

We have tired of the airlines/tour operators inconsistencies and are driving out this time, taking as much luggage as we like :D No hanging around at the airport, no long term parking charges, no coach transfers and waiting for 2 hours for other flights to arrive and best of all...... if there is no snow in our resort, we can move to where there is some.

Chedgrave wrote:I too have had problems with taking ski equipment even extending to Ski Boot Bags being allowed as hold luggage on the way back but not on the way out? Even though we were allowed to check in with a Ski Boot bag as hand luggage, it was then taken off us at the gate? Apparently ski boots are blunt instruments :shock:

It would be much simpler if they would standardise the rules and also take into account that going skiing involves more and heavier clothing that your average beach holiday, so the weigh allowance is easily breached.

We have tired of the airlines/tour operators inconsistencies and are driving out this time, taking as much luggage as we like :D No hanging around at the airport, no long term parking charges, no coach transfers and waiting for 2 hours for other flights to arrive and best of all...... if there is no snow in our resort, we can move to where there is some.

I appreciate why people would drive now, and have done it myself. But the best priced deals come in the form of packages, which means a flight.

The business of ski boots to me is a no brainer, as every single airline or tour op document I have seen CLEARLY states boots make up part of your checked in luggage allowance and may not be taken on as hand luggage. Therefore I don't understand why anyone would take ski boots on as hand luggage, and also why they would want to take a separate boot bag and run the risk of them going missing or being damaged. Each to their own and all that, but for me its a simple case of pack them in your hold bag.

As for taking more clothes than a beach holiday for 2 weeks, I disagree. Ski clothing is generally quite light, although often bulky. I think a lot of people think they should take their ski clothes, and in addition pack for a weeks worth of normal clothes, when in reality you hardly need any off the slopes clothing at all. If you have a particularly heavy jacket, wear it to travel in, simples. Otherwise, a 20kg luggage allowance seems ample to me for a weeks skiing, provided of course you can pack sallos and a jacket (or 3) around your skis in the ski bag......which brings us back to where we started regarding clarification on what ski carriage actually allows or includes.

Anyone from the travel industry actually got the balls to commit to having an opinion or making a statement on this?????

Tony, speaking personally, my ski boots cost a lot, and represent rather a lot of hours of work getting them right. I resent risking losing them to sloppy baggage handlers. I think if they went missing my bootfitter would cry, me too :shock:
I've not suffered lost/damaged ski boots yet, but I've had 1 pair of skis written off, and my brand new Black Roses were damaged between LHR and GVA last year.

Why is it acceptable to be able to take litre bottles of alcohol on in hand baggage and not be able to take ski boots which weigh less and are less of a safety risk. There is no logic to the restriction, unless, of course, it's an opportunity to gouge the passenger a little more with hold baggage charges.

My boots definitely weigh more than a litter bottle of alcohol, maybe 4 bottles.:) But I I can't understand why it is such a big deal to let boots onboard as a carry-on bag. I mean it's allowed to take small suitcases that would fit in the overhead bins, so what is the problem here?

bandit wrote:Tony, speaking personally, my ski boots cost a lot, and represent rather a lot of hours of work getting them right. I resent risking losing them to sloppy baggage handlers. I think if they went missing my bootfitter would cry, me too :shock:
I've not suffered lost/damaged ski boots yet, but I've had 1 pair of skis written off, and my brand new Black Roses were damaged between LHR and GVA last year.

Why is it acceptable to be able to take litre bottles of alcohol on in hand baggage and not be able to take ski boots which weigh less and are less of a safety risk. There is no logic to the restriction, unless, of course, it's an opportunity to gouge the passenger a little more with hold baggage charges.

Bandit, with the greatest respect, I feel the same way about my own ski boots, thanks. Which is exactly why I would never let them go in the hold in a boot bag, as they are far better packed in my hold bag. Yes, any bag can get lost, but you can't worry about that happening or else you'd never travel. I've not had damaged ski's touch wood, and this is one of my reasons for finding out whether the airlines and tour ops can come up with a solution to this grey area, so that one can pack ones ski bag with towels or clothing around ones skis to prevent damage, without some jumped up check in clerk demanding you unpack these items. A simple weight limit would make everyone happy, I have suggested 15kg, and I have no doubt people would happily pay the £25 or so knowing full well what they would then be allowed to take in terms of weight.

As for boots, I do not have an issue with any airlines policy in suggesting they cannot be taken as hand luggage. I believe some bodies view them as a security risk (snigger) but I suggest that some people try to take them as hand luggage so that they can fill their hold baggage out with other items and not have to pack these! Maybe. I may be wrong!

I took my new boots on as hand luggage in their special wheely boot bag in October, with no problem at all. I flew with EasyJet, out from Bristol to Geneva and back to Gatwick, and they knew they were skiboots because you could see them as clear as anything when they went through the scanning machine.

Tony,
I thought your Scott Neos were damaged in transit by the airline? How did you get on, ski-ing on them, after you'd had them fixed? Are they okay now?

Ally

Wibble

Sorry had second posted on the Lastminute.con, Ice Lolly and others thread instead