carry on boots?

[SKIQUATTRO]

i have a large Rossi Ski bag that i can fit 4pairs of skis in with poles....i wrap em in some bubble wrap and send em out...

 

[drjeff]

i have a large Rossi Ski bag that i can fit 4pairs of skis in with poles....i wrap em in some bubble wrap and send em out...

Same thing for me. A heavy duty fabric ski bag - I use an Atomic double ski bag and then I found a few years ago basically a bubble wrap sleeve that I insert the skis into. Works like a charm.

 

[Smellytele]

I have always checked my skis padded in all my clothing but now with the extra fees that is changing. Last year found it cheaper to rent some skis when I went to Tahoe but did bring the 3 kids' skis and our poles all in two bags wrapped in clothing. With 5 of us we brought 3 suit cases and the 2 ski bags and with United at the time 1st bag was free.

 

[severine]

If you can fly Southwest, when I checked a couple months ago, they still allowed 2 checked bags without additional charges.

When I flew, I brought my skis in a Sportube. Better protection from crazy handlers.

 

[ctenidae]

If you can fly Southwest, when I checked a couple months ago, they still allowed 2 checked bags without additional charges.

When I flew, I brought my skis in a Sportube. Better protection from crazy handlers.

We've used the Sportube, padded with clothes, to good success, too. Well, once. Carried on our boots, too. But, that was two years ago, flying Alitalia to Italy.

 

[dropKickMurphy]

Some airlines may have been lenient in enforcing their carry-on policies in the past. Given the recent events, I wouldn't assume this will continue to be the case.

I've never had my checked luggage lost. For my next trip, I'm seriously considering just taking my custom foot beds in my carry-on and checking in my boots. If they do lose my boots, I'd at least have the foot beds to make the rentals more bearable.

My concern is that if terrorists can hide explosives in their shoes and underwear, why not in a compartment carved into the bottom of the shell of a ski boot? The TSA should at least be aware of the possibility. Imagine how much of a pain it would be on a flight bound for SLC if they made everyone remove the foot beds and liners from every pair of carry-on ski boots before passing through security? But really, isn't that what they SHOULD be doing?

In the grand scheme of things, having to put up with rentals for a day or 2 is far from the worst case scenario when flying to a ski destination these days.

 

[dmc]

Be prepared to break a boot out of the bag if there's not enough room on the plane overhead and they need to be separated...
Try to get a seat in the back of the plane so you can get on first...

 

[BackLoafRiver]

I used my gym bag and it fit my boots, helmet, base layer, and gloves no problem. Carried it right on the plane and it fit no problem in the overhead.

 

[mikestaple]

Facing the same issue. Colorado in Feb with 7 kids and 4 adults. United states that their definition of a ski carry on is one set of skis and poles with a boot bag (that only contains boots and bindings). Delta says 2 sets of skis in a bag is thier "carry on" standard.

After getting ripped off by a grumpy US Air gate agent in the Caribbean (assured golf clubs were a no extra fee checked bag in Boston, charged 100 in the Caribbean to get them back to the US as an oversized bag), I'm very skittish about checking skis. (If it is over 50lbs, or considered oversized, United can nail you for a $200 bag fee each way - 175 fee and 25 for checking it). Insane.

Renting is a fortune, but the prospect of looking like Clark Griswald with 5 sets of ski bags hanging off me at the airport and being at the mercy that whoever is checking us in is in a "nice" mood is making me look at renting again.

 

[dmc]

Knock on wood... But I pretty much put all my gear under the plane and have never had an issue.. I just pack a bag to carry on my electronics and change of clothes.. Reasoning is - I'd rather explain what an avi transceiver is at the gate then have it pulled out of the luggage pile for inspection.

I label the crap out of my gabs with numerous tags and put my itinerary inside the zipper in case someone needs to open it if lost... I write my name and phone # in marker on my duffle and board bag..

I also double check it at the gate to make sure the airline put the right tags on..

Outside the US - you can even tip the guys at the gate for extra insurance... All our bags made it from the US to Dubai to New Delhi India to Srinigar Kashmir and not piece was lost...

Post 911 luggage doesn't go on a plane unless that person is on the plane.. So I think there's less lugage on the wrong planes these days...

 

[SIKSKIER]

Jeez it must be me.I've always worn all my ski gear including ski pants/jacket,gloves,helmet/goggles,and boots.They wouldn't let me walk on with the ski poles though.

 

[Smellytele]

Airlines have misplaced my luggage a few times. Once when going to Seattle to climb Mt Rainier they misplaced my 1/2 of my tent. With the way they check bags now it must take them longer so if you are running a little late your bags may actually take longer to board the plane then you. Misplaced bags happen a lot when catching connections. Good luck checking any equipment.

 

[dmc]

Airlines have misplaced my luggage a few times. Once when going to Seattle to climb Mt Rainier they misplaced my 1/2 of my tent. With the way they check bags now it must take them longer so if you are running a little late your bags may actually take longer to board the plane then you. Misplaced bags happen a lot when catching connections. Good luck checking any equipment.

Strange - I havent had the same experience...
But if I have luggage to check - I get to the airport early... Give the processes enough time to work...

Also tend to fly out of the NYC airports so there's less changes and more directs

 

[abc]

Strange - I havent had the same experience...
But if I have luggage to check - I get to the airport early... Give the processes enough time to work...

Also tend to fly out of the NYC airports so there's less changes and more directs

Fly enough, with checked luggage, it'll happen to you. Law of average.

It fly out of NYC and hadn't had that happen to me for many years. Partly because I didn't fly that much. Once or twice a year. Then I started to fly much more often, once or twice a MONTH. It didn't take long for it to happen. About month 5 or 6, my skis got left behind! Even though I checked in relatively early (pre9/11) and it was a direct flight. Was told they forgot to load the skis on the plane!!! (ok, it was nearly summer, actually summer in NYC but still skiing in California!) Though the skis caught up to me the next day.

Once the trance was broken, it happened again. The second time, the bags were missed for a WHOLE WEEK! Fortunately, it was the homeward bound leg so the missed bags aren't missed quite as much. Though I suspect they didn't try very hard knowing they don't have to pay for my buying new stuff. (this is a little known fine print, you can't claim money for buying neccessities when it's delayed on the homeward leg)