Skier Baggage Surcharge Protest

[from_the_NEK]

(passed along from another list)

Skier Baggage Surcharge Protest

As many of you may know, the airlines are talking about imposing a $25 surcharge for your 2nd bag which will be charged each way. That means an additional $50 on your next trip where you bring your skis and boots, or scuba gear if you're a diver, golf clubs, or any other sporting equipment. EICSL is a member of the National Ski Council Federation and an individual member has set up a web site which will send an e-mail to United and US Air who plan to go ahead with the surcharge starting 5/5/08 as well as a second e-mail to the other airlines discouraging them from imposing the same charge. I encourage everyone to go to the website and send the e-mails. It only requires that you put in your name and e-mail address, but you can also add whatever additional comment you wish below the form letter they have created. The site is at http://dneba.com/BaggageProtest/index.php

Looks like I'm probably going to get nailed for $100 to get my skis back and forth to Washington next weekend on Alaska Airlines. Baggage over 63 inches gets charged $50 each way. I wish I would have thought of shipping it via FedEx a couple of days ago. It would have been $57 each way. However I would have to ship them 3 day now which would bump the shipping price up to $125 each way. :x
Does anyone know if Mt. Baker rents good skis?

 

[from_the_NEK]

WAIT! I just found the following...

Exception 3: Via AS1-999 and 2000-2999, acceptance of skiing equipment as part of the free baggage allowance, no single dimension shall exceed 80in.

:-D:-D:-D

 

[drjeff]

You could probably Fedex your stuff overnight for the same cost with less of a chance of losing it. :lol:

FYI, when I went out to Utah a few weeks ago, I shipped my families ski bag via DHL ground from central CT to Park City. The bag had my skis, my wife's skis and my daughters skis in it, weighed 41lbs and cost me $44 each way. The bag was picked up for shipping on Monday and reached it's final destination both ways on Thursday (a day earlier both ways that I was told it would arrive!). Plus I had a tracking number to check it's progress the whole way. I also shipped all of our boots/etc the same way for basically a $1 a pound via DHL ground.

Less stuff to lug, which also tranlsated into once I got to Utah that I could rent a smaller car and still be able to cart my family and gear around without having to worry about the 2 big bags that DHL took care of.

 

[mlctvt]

I'm used to getting hosed by the airlines.Most have always discriminated against bicyclists. They charge considerable surcharges for bikes even if they're the same size as a large suitcase. A couple of years ago a couple in front of us checked 2 large golf club bags and 2 suitcases each and weren't changed any extra but we had to pay $100 extra for our much smaller bike boxes and one bag each.
I think they should weigh every passenger and their bags and charge by the pound. That would be the fairest system. Oh yeh, but some might consider that to infringe on our "rights".

 

[Geoff]

I fly in and out of Pease all the time. My office is on the base. There's only one runway. When you're doing a crosswind landing, it's rarely a greaser.

I'm a United Premier Exec. For the moment, I'm exempt from that 1 bag B.S. FEDEX must be lovin' it. The way you fight these B.S. rules is to refuse to fly the airline for ski trips. Sending some email is pretty pointless. If the load factors on the Denver flights are crappy next winter, that policy will quickly go away.

 

[RENO]

We fly Frontier. Great airline. Never have a problem with snowboard or ski bags...

 

[ctenidae]

This only happened about a month ago when Germany was having hurricane force winds. I think they shifted cross wise after he started his approach and were really pushing the plane off line. He came around and landed safely on another runway.

Actually, the female copilot took over and landed at another airport (I mention the copilots sex because the Polish and German press made a big deal about it, which I thought was interesting. FYI, I was in Poland when that happened and saw the coverage.)

Not surprisingly, the pilot was reportedly seen later curled up in the corner sucking his thumb.

We flew British to Poland- no charge for the skis, and we carried our boots on. I did see something that said BA would start adding a surcharge for oversized sports equipment in August or so. No matter what, you can't check your hang glider or javelins.

 

[twinplanx]

Airlines have been charging surfers upwards of 80$ per bag. Most surfboard travel bags fit at least two boards, some airlines have the balls to charge per board. Although I'm saddened to see this practice migrate to skiers I could care less about golfers. When I left Kauii(HA) this Feb. the couple in front of me was not charged for there full cart of baggage(clubs included). But I got slammed with an 80$ fee for one board. I have to admit though, the woman who checked me in (and charged me the extra$) was kind enough to grant me my own row of seats(3) for the flight(it was a redeye)

 

[ski220]

Message sent.

I never particularly liked United anyway. Unfortunately they seem to have the best schedules to the major ski destinations.

 

[GrilledSteezeSandwich]

Message sent.

I never particularly liked United anyway. Unfortunately they seem to have the best schedules to the major ski destinations.

United is my least favorite airline..but I have $250 in United vouchers to use in the next 10 months. $100 of it because my flight was bumped two days due to weather and $150 because they lost my ski bag on the way home from J-Hole for 3 days..

 

[jonhere]

A surcharge for extra bags would not bother me. I may have bad luck but 2 of my last 3 trips out west Delta lost my bags. The good news is I now have enough ski gear to wear something new everyday of the week.

FedEX for me from here on out! I will never check my luggage for another ski trip.