Ski boots - hand baggage or checked in

I think it depends more on the airport/check-in staff than the airline sometimes...

We just got back from Italy and went with Crystal on a Thomson flight. In Bournemouth Airport, we ended up being stung £60 for excess baggage - as we had to check in boots into the main hold and they count towards your total of 20kg each. Also, they weighed our hand luggage, and one was overweight and one underweight - they actually made us stand there at the check-in desk and transfer stuff from one hand-luggage to the other so that both were technically under 5kg. Totally ridiculous, it did not change how much weight was going on the plane!

Compare that to Turin airport on the return flight, where we had the same baggage going back - no excess baggage charges, and they didn't even weigh the hand-luggage. I have a feeling they didn't count the weight of the ski boots towards the total weight, even though they were being checked into the hold.

I guess it depends on a number of factors - airline poicices, airport policies, whether the check-in girl is having a bad day, or whether they are Italian and therefore totally laid back about the whole process!

I love Italians! They're so laid back it creases me. Anecdote I was told by a mate - apparently when they proposed making helmets compulsory for motorbike riders there was uproar. Everybody complained it would make answering their mobiles really hard :lol:

I think the difference is that in UK airports the airline uses its own check in staff. So have a greater level of control. I find the check in staff at European resorts are usually agency staff who would rather have an easy life.

As for Turin airport, if you want the check in staff to be efficient, pray and make sacrifices for at least a week beforehand. I hate that airport :(

I double checked what Crystal/Thompsons current policy is for carriage and the girl who I spoke to said that it's 6kg but so long as everything is in 1 bag that's acceptable i.e you can have 2 pairs of skis in so long as they fit in the same bag. My boots will be going in with my skis my boots weigh over 5kgs alone and the bag I'm taking 3 so it doesn't leave you much to play with up to 20kgs.

Smokey Barr wrote:

andymol2 wrote:I suppose the work around is to put your ordinary shoes in as hand luggage and wear the ski boots until you have gone through security and swap over after that.

:mrgreen: Brilliant!

I may go a step further and don my jacket, ski trousers, goggles and hat.

Check in - "Going skiing sir?"

"What gives you that impression??"

I do wear one of my ski jackets - pockets for passport etc - the salopettes I packed to avoid melting.

Thanks everyone for all the replies. Boots are definitely going into checked in luggage - one in each case as I can't be bothered faffing about at the airport :roll:. If they lose any of my cases I will seriously have a tantrum at Salzburg Airport on Saturday :evil:. Ria x

I find this subject absolutely farcical...I spoke with Thompson airlines yesterday as we are flying to chamberey on saturday and was told that boot bags would be counted as part of your 20kg allowance even if you could get them on the plane so that leaves no option of sepearate hand luggage. In addition to that i was told i would not be able to get the boots on as hand luggage as they are classed as an offencive weapon!!!

This whole weight thing does my head in and i will take things out of my suitcase and wear them to board the plane if challenged about extra weight. I am 85kg plus 20 kg hold and 5 kg hand luggage so my weight on that plane is 110kg..why cant i have the same sum of weight to MrX who is 6'4" and 100kg without any bags?

arrrggghh rant over and sorry to all those who are heavier than me and will be in the check in with me on sat morning :lol:

pauljames wrote:why cant i have the same sum of weight to MrX who is 6'4" and 100kg without any bags?

I've been challenging this for years. If airlines are so particular about weigh, a passenger's weight should be taken into consideration, for the very reasons you've stated. It is of course though a massive money spinner…

I'd love to know, if someone took it that far, how the argument would stand up in court.