With some ski resorts opening early because of heavy snowfalls, the season looks set to be busier than ever – but how much does it cost to fly your ski gear?
To ensure ski enthusiasts plan ahead and avoid any unplanned expense, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has compared the cost of travelling with ski equipment across all major airlines this winter. The guide is available in the Know Before You Go section of the website, at www.aph.com/ski-equipment.
The research compares the baggage allowances across both short and long haul flights on 26 major airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways and Ryanair, highlighting the cost of travelling with ski equipment.
When flying short-haul, most airlines allow passengers to check-in a standard baggage allowance of up to 23kg free of charge, increasing to 32kg for First-Class and Business-Class passengers. Some airlines were found to be even more generous, with Swiss Air allowing Business-Class passengers to check-in two bags of 32kg each and First-Class passengers three bags of up to 32kg each.
Skiers should be careful when flying with low-cost carriers as many charge passengers to check-in luggage, with Flybe charging £15 for a Standard Bag of 20kg and Ryanair charging £40 for one bag of only 15kg when booked at the airport or through a call centre.
The baggage allowance on long–haul flights was found to differ slightly with certain airlines allowing passengers to check-in more bags than on short-haul flights. Passengers flying with British Airways, for example, are able to check-in up to two bags of 23kg in Economy free of charge compared to one bag in short-haul and passengers flying with Aer Lingus can check-in up to 23kg, compared to 20kg on a short-haul flight.
When checking-in ski equipment, the standard baggage allowance across most of the airlines was found to include one pair of skis, one pair of ski poles and one pair of ski boots with Lufthansa also including one ski helmet as part of checked-in baggage.
Skiers should watch for excess fees with some airlines charging more, dependent on the destination. For example, Alitalia charges passengers £17 when flying to Europe and £64 to America, whereas Aer Lingus includes skis as part of a passenger’s normal baggage allowance when travelling to North America but charges up to £34 per bag when flying to Europe.
Excess fees were also found to vary greatly, with Swiss Air charging £31 per one way journey on short-haul flights and £62 per one way journey on long-haul flights. It is also advisable for skiers to plan ahead and pre-book excess baggage as most low-cost airlines charge passengers more if booked at the airport, with easyJet for example charging £25 per item online and £30 per item at the airport.
For more information, see www.aph.com
