J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by ise

bandit wrote:Tony, I'm certain you have done your sums on these trousers. I would be interested to read what the applied charges are once you get them. I think you'll get Import Duty, VAT and a Handling Charge :roll: applied by the Post Office.
When I have got stuff over from the US in the past, I always seemed to underestimate the charges :(

does the vendor charge US sales tax though? aren't you technically exempt if the vendor is on the ball?

that's how it always is here, not being part of the EU there's import duty, good vendors like Telemark Pyrennes don't charge TVA in France and then Swiss customs charge Swiss duty on import, that's correct. Some vendors don't deduct the overseas tax so you pay twice, ouch :cry:

The current dollar rate does make it worth looking for bargains in the US though.

bandit wrote:

I just knew you should have gone by train )

yes, you can take as much as you can carry for no extra cost. It's that connection in Paris that's a problem though, it's not too bad in London now the Eurostar terminal's moved although that depends where you're going of course.

Tony_H wrote:

ise wrote:

bandit wrote:
Some carriers are now charging more for ski carriage than their owner pays for a trip in the cabin. For example ryanair charges £50 return for a pair of skis.

50 quid is still reasonable

£50 is £35 more than taking your skis with First Choice, Monarch, Thomas Cook, etc, and they include 20kg (some 15kg) of luggage per person, and their basic flight package is of a better standard than the likes of Ryanair, because you get allocated seats so there are no fights breaking out onboard. Their seats are also more comfortable (with the exception of some of the T Cook planes) in the main, and they dont tend to get cancelled at short notice or turn round in 20 minutes so you are left sitting in the previous persons sick.

Therefore, in comparison to those airlines most UK based skiers are able to use to Europe, £50 is most certainly not reasonable.

You're quoting me out of context. I said it's reasonable compared to their excess baggage charge which it is.

bandit wrote:
I'm not sure that I can agree with you on the good deal point. It's unfair that mountaineering kit is not classed as sporting equipment though. Some carriers are now charging more for ski carriage than their owner pays for a trip in the cabin. For example ryanair charges £50 return for a pair of skis.

50 quid is still reasonable, much cheaper than 10kg of excess baggage at 12 quid a kg for each leg of the journey.

Every kg of payload costs fuel, all that you can conclude from the old practise of not charging on scheduled flights a few years back is that the margins were huge. It seems reasonably fair the people carrying the most luggage and costing the most to get into the air pay more. It wasn't the principle I objected to just the level of the charge compared to skis etc, more than that I'm not as heavy as some of my fellow passengers )

bandit wrote:ise, Geneva check in for Easyjet have a reputation for raking the money in on excess baggage, as do B.A there as well. There has to be some sort of bonus or profit sharing scheme running, keen as a description does not really do them justice.

I think it's managed by servisair or someone like that so they'll get commission and have been presented with an incentive to not exercise any discretion. I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same people who operate those disgraceful shops in the departure lounge, they're the most expensive places in Switzerland to buy anything and a national embarrassment, they should be shut down or their monopoly broken. They're certainly the same people who operate one of the business lounges and that's the worst lounge I've ever been in.

AJ wrote:
How come you had to pay extra ise ? Is it classed as bulk.

I'm not sure what you mean by bulk? If you try and check in much more than 20kg they charge you per kg, at least EasyJet at Geneva do.

bandit wrote:

You paid Excess Baggage charges... :shock: I believed you when you said that you travelled "fast and light"

Hmmmm :lol:

different trip. it does highlight what a good deal ski carriage is though, for the weight much cheaper than an excess baggage charge, it's pretty disgraceful that bikes or golf or ski kit will be carried at a good price and mountaineering gear won't be though, a complete scam :evil:

bandit wrote:

I'm really not sure if you could arrive at Geneva Airport and offer Swiss Francs at the Easyjet ticket desk. Perhaps you could try it and report on your findings )

they're perfectly happy to take cash for excess baggage :evil:

and it varies on branch, Sierre didn't have a machine to do mine but Sion did. Worth knowing if you happen to try.