J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by Neiltoo

As said above by many people I dont think there is anything to be gained by making a general comparison. There are just so many variables like .. when, where etc.

I worked in the Alps for 12 winters and then 2 winters in Banff. There were weeks in Banff when I wished I was in Europe and vice versa.

Best days powder skiing I ever had was in a tiny resort called Fortress in Alberta, but that was down to the conditions on that one day. I wouldnt recommend it to anyone unless you could guarantee the same conditions that we had on that day.

IMHO the service is generally better in N. Amerca, the vertical drop isnt, etc etc.

There are less places where you can ski in / ski out in N. Amerca but you get better hotels for your money (imho) :D

Put it this way, they are both a whole lot better than where I am now :mrgreen:

Oops, getting off topic (as usual), in terms of snow, well, it still depends on when and where. And the when and where dont matter until the when is now and the where is here :wink:

If you are doing your own flights to Geneva then check out Chalet Chardon in Tignes Les Breviere. www.chaletchardons.com

I stayed there for a couple of months a few years back. It is basic (dorm rooms, 6 or so beds per room) but its also cheap! The location is great too. There is a direct bus to Tignes from Geneva airport and if you ask the driver he will drop you off in Les Breviere.

If they have space you can probably stay for the exact number of nights that you want rather than the usual Sat to Sat thing.

Companies tend to change the specs of their bags each year or two and I haven't seen this years Head ski bags yet but last years Head bags seemed very well made and pretty heavy duty.

schussman wrote:What would be a good quality ski bag ? Am umming and ahhing about buying a hard bag but not sure.

There are pros and cons to them all - in terms of protection a hard box will be best but you wont get anything else into it!

In terms of soft bags, check them out at your local shop, open them up and feel the material and see if there is any padding for the bindings etc. Ask the shop staff - they should know which are strongest.

Chuffy wrote:What does everyone do with their skis?

Going on my second ski trip in January and will be putting my boots in my luggage. However, I will have my own skis. If I put them in a big and wrap them in clothes will they be ok?

Any tips with skis on a plane?

They should be fine just as you describe.

I usually wrap something around the bindings and I've never had a problem. I should say that I get my monies worth out of the ski carriage charge :) I put lots of things in my ski bag - day pack, shovel, spare shoes cloths etc.

Ive heard some people say that they have been challanged at check-in when doing this but its never happened to me.

In my experience as long as you've paid for ski carriage the check-in staff don't care what the bag looks like and the people working at the outsize baggage check-in dont work for the airline!

Get a decent quality bag too - I'd worry more about the quality of the material than whether the branding matches your skis )

My father, an aircraft engineer at Heathrow in the sixties and seventies was threatened with getting knee capped when he stumbled upon some baggage handlers riffling through bags in the aircraft hold.

I'm sure Macski doesn't want to say too much in public.

Trencher

I can well believe that!

I wasnt aware of anything organised as such, it was more a case of opportunity.
I should point out that I'm not saying that all baggage handlers are dishonest- far from from it, I met many decent and honest people when working there. There are unfortunately bad apples anywhere.

If you are travelling in a larger plane where the bags go into a container (Boeing 767 etc.) then there is very little chance of anyone having enough time to open your bag un-observed.

In a smaller plane (737 for example) there are generally 2 people inside the hold loading or unloading the bags. One at the top of the belt and one stacking bags further into the hold. The person stacking bags is out of sight of everyone except for the person at the top of the belt. If they are so inclined they could open a bag and if there is anything worth taking in plain sight .......

There is a lot of pressure to load / unload quickly so they will probably not try to open a bag that is dificult, even a wire tie twisted through the zips will probably be deterrent enough.

Please note - I'm not saying this practice is rife or that it goes on everywhere. But it does happen.

In terms of breakable items - lets just say that some people don't have as much respect for other peoples property as they should have.

I should also point out that my experiences were 15 + years ago, security may have improved

I spent a very interesting summer many years ago working as a baggage handler at Belfast airport. Ever since, I have never put a bag into the hold of a plane without all the zips being padlocked, and I would never put anything breakable into the hold of a plane. I have no reason to doubt that what went on there happens at all airports :-(

I always tend to travel with my boots in my hold baggage, mainly for reasons already mentioned.
I dont however understand the airlines/airports reasoning for refusing them as hand luggage.
If your hand luggage is within advertised size and weight limits and contains no banned 'security' items what reason can they have for refusing them .... other than that by increasing your hold baggage weight they might be able to sqeeze more money out of you . (Cynical! Me!)
They are indeed sports equipment, but so are are golf shoes,running shoes, scuba fins etc.
The airlines/ airports will get away with whatever we let them get away with. So if its important to you ,complain. It probably wont make any difference the first time but if enough people do......