Continental Airlines - Travel w/skis

[volklgirl]

My boots NEVER leave my sight, even on the return flight. Too much custom work has gone into them to risk having to try to ski without them, much less lose them permanently. I have a strap that loops around the buckles and I sling them around my neck as my "purse". I carry on my book/overnight necessities/iPod (and now laptop) in a backpack, and check everything else.

No matter how much I love my Auras, I can always rent skis, poles, and helmet, and buy whater clothes I have to have if my stuff gets lost, but it would take months to replace my boots

 

[abc]

Would you check your laptop? Your jewelry? Are you that confident in the airline's ability to not lose/reroute your luggage?

As a matter of fact, I've check my laptops before. After backing up the harddisk just in case. Don't feel I need to hang a 7 lb dead weight around my neck for 6 hrs.

Yes, I'm willing to take the very small chance of the airline mis-routing my luggage ON A DIRECT FLIGHT. After all, I once worked on baggage routing softwares. But if you have a tight connection, your luggage may not make the second flight. And when they start to send your luggage on a different flight, the bar code scanner can get really confused...

Volklgirl's Auras were bent on her flight in May; that, to me, is a strong statement of how manhandled luggage is, even if you've never witnessed the tossing yourself.

Believe what you like. There's no way a "tossing" of ski will bend it permanently (unless it's defective to begin with). Skis are made to land on hard snow with a 150lb skier on top from 10 feet up!!!

 

[Jilly]

Believe what you like. There's no way a "tossing" of ski will bend it permanently. Skis are made to land on hard snow with a 150lb skier on top from 10 feet up!!!

Sorry, but I tend to disagree with that statement. A friend picked up his skis from Air Canada in SC Utah. 30 degree bend over the length of the skis. Packed in a sport tube too! Things can get damaged no bones about it.

 

[abc]

It's possible they drove a truck over it.

Yes, anything could happen to the luggage. Just ask the passenger of the flight that landed on the Hudson what happen to their carry-on, never mind the checked luggage.

Still, it's not from being toss around. That's just physics.

 

[Pequenita]

Getting sort of back on topic - anyone know how early I can check my bags if I do online check-in? I want to bring my bags over earlier in the day so I can later take the train to the airport and not pay for parking there.

Right now I have preferred status on the airline(s) I'm flying, so free bags for me! And then back to hording miles......

 

[volklgirl]

Hmmm..I hadn't thought of that. What a great idea!! Did you check their website to see if they had that info on there? Otherwise, I'd just give your departing airport a call and talk to one of the agents.

 

[Slidergirl]

From the Continental Airlines website:

"For domestic and international flights (excluding certain flights departing for Agana, Guam (GUM)) baggage will not be accepted for check-in more than 4 hours prior to scheduled flight departure."

I guess that's their answer.

 

[Pequenita]

From the Continental Airlines website:

"For domestic and international flights (excluding certain flights departing for Agana, Guam (GUM)) baggage will not be accepted for check-in more than 4 hours prior to scheduled flight departure."

I guess that's their answer.

Thanks. Hm. I'll have to hunt around on the USAirways website to see if they have something similar posted up....otherwise, I'll just assume its roughly the same.

 

[bettei]

Has anyone flown Southwest Airlines with your ski gear? They say the first two bags are free,( under 50#) a 25$ fee for a third bag. Sounds reasonable, hope it is true. Because we are flying with them for the first time next week.

 

[Jenny]

MaineSkiLady's son just did recently, I think. It's in another thread which I can't remember the name of, sorry, but everything was fine. I only noticed really because we're flying Southwest to the summit and I'm still trying to decide whether to rent or bring our skis.

 

[skigirl]

I just flew Southwest to SLC and back. Yes you can check 2 bags for free. Mr. Skigirl and I had 2 bags each to check, 3 suitcases and 1 double ski bag with 2 pairs of skis plus some extra stuff in it and we had no problems with any of them.

 

[abc]

I just experienced the randomness of the bag fees.

I flew AA to Jackson Hole. On the outbound, I was charge for two bags, one ski bag and one boot bag. When I objected, the gate agent was pretty firm "yes, I've been charging a whole plane load of skiers to Vail all morning!". Given I (or more importantly, my luggage) was already late to check-in and in danger of not making the flight, I was in no position for lengthy arguements.

On the return flight, there was no arguement, the ski + boot bag was only charged as 1 bag. Simple as that. I thought briefly about sending my skis home by UPS to avoid the second bag fee. But since my last day was President's day, the UPS store wasn't even open so it's not an option. In any case, I came out ahead when AA only charge me the two bags as one peice.

 

[Slidergirl]

ABC,

Write a letter to American. Ask them for some of that excess baggage fee back from them! I would imagine that the baggage fees were recorded on your PNR (the reservations record that was checked when you checked in). Either that, or your credit card receipt, if you paid that way, should be copied and sent to them, if needed.

I can't stand it when people can't follow the guidelines set up by their own companies

 

[abc]

AA's bag fees are a bit un-clear in their writing form. So it's "open to interpretation".

Granted, I can always "interpret" it in my favor. But I've got bigger battle to fight for the moment (just my luck or what, seems like every "institution" I've been dealing with had one form or another of billing errors large and small). So the AA bag fee had to be religated to the lower priority.

Talk about not able to follow the guide line of their own company! I have a former co-worker who didn't get paid properly for her job!!!

On the other hand, I got charged less than quoted for for my stay at the motel at Jackson Hole! Seems like in this day and age of computerized billing, we've totally lost our ability to count!!!

 

[Slidergirl]

abc,

I do understand the need to prioritize. I just get p**sed at companies that don't follow their policies. They count on people just accepting what happens rather than complaining. If enough people complain, there is a chance things will get fixed. That's just me and my opinion. I will complement when things go well, and I will complain when things aren't right.
As for the underbill at the hotel - just watch your credit card bill when it comes to be sure that it wasn't "readjusted" after you left!!

 

[Sassy]

I don't trust the baggage handlers with something as valuable as my skis. I've known of too many incidences where skis have come off of the carousel damaged. What a way to start a ski trip. If you are able to plan it and have the time to do so, I ship my skis myself. I usually leave at most 7-business days for delivery time. This is doable for shipping east coast to west coast. I use Fedex Ground delivery. If you have a residence you can ship to, it's super cheap. I think my skis shipped for about $28 that included insurance up to $600. I got a box from my local ski shop, made sure there was no play for the skis to bounce around during handling, put bubble wrap around the bindings and filled in the gaps with crumpled up newspaper. My skis shipped from California to the east coast in 4-business days, and that was during the big snow storms of this winter. I have also shipped via my local ski shop, and they charged me about $10 more to do it. Either way, it left me with more piece of mind with not having to deal with the skis and the hassles of airline travel. Also, the couriers only know that it's a long brown box, but the baggage handlers definitely know that it's a pair of skis coming off the airplane.

 

[Sassy]

I haven't checked my skis with Southwest, but I did get confirmation that skis count as 1-bag in your 2-bag limit.

 

[vanhoskier]

I'm flying US Air to the summit.....I bought this ticket because it was non-stop and cheap. However, their baggage policy is not generous at all, and they will charge $100 for a ski bag and not even take it at all if the total dimensions are over 80 inches. My single Sportube, when packed with my Lines or Auras, ends up at 80 inches. So, I decided not to take ANY chances and I UPS'ed my skis to CO (thanks, KatyPerrey!)

Turns out it will be cheaper than US Air's fees, and I can track them on their route out and back. Now I don't have to worry about them at the airport......flying out of Philly can be very sketchy....lost bags happen all the time from there. One rolling duffel to check and a carry-on with my ski boots and a few essentials and I'm good to go.

 

[Pequenita]

I'm flying US Air to the summit.....I bought this ticket because it was non-stop and cheap. However, their baggage policy is not generous at all, and they will charge $100 for a ski bag and not even take it at all if the total dimensions are over 80 inches. My single Sportube, when packed with my Lines or Auras, ends up at 80 inches. So, I decided not to take ANY chances and I UPS'ed my skis to CO (thanks, KatyPerrey!)

Turns out it will be cheaper than US Air's fees, and I can track them on their route out and back. Now I don't have to worry about them at the airport......flying out of Philly can be very sketchy....lost bags happen all the time from there. One rolling duffel to check and a carry-on with my ski boots and a few essentials and I'm good to go.

USAirways has gone downhill. Interesting that the skis don't count as a normal piece of checked luggage with USAirways -- I thought I read on their website that they did. I've elite status w/ this particular airline, so my skis and bags flew for free this weekend. But, I discovered that there are no more complimentary beverages on board!! What the heck? Formerly complimentary beverages are now $2 each. Geez. I fill up a water bottle after going through security, but man, what a pain in the rear.

 

[Bumblebee]

I just spoke to KLM today as they were REALLY p*ssy with me taking skis last month. Anyway this flight is a KLM/NorthWest and this time I'm allowed 2x23kg "free". WTF?

They said I can put my boots in the ski bag... yeh RIGHT!