Ship skis, fly with skis or rent?

[Scaredy-catSkier]

Any suggestions on what is the most affordable option when flying west for a ski trip? We are flying non-stop delta the first week in March to Park City. We always rented in the past because my friend had a hook up for a full week rentals for $60 per person. That option no longer exists. Is it better to fly with all of our own equipment (which is all brand new)? Ship is via FedEx or UPS? Or just rent equipment while out there? Thoughts and recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[vanhoskier]

What is Delta's policy with skis? If you are flying nonstop, I'd just fly with my skis. I have shipped skis in the past, but recently shipping prices are way more expensive. That said, do you have a place to ship your skis to?

I would compare prices of shipping vs. flying. If you are uncertain about flying witih brand new skis, shipping may be a better option if you have a hard case to ship them in, so you can track them and have them insured.

I don't rely on rentals when I go West because in the past I've had a hard time finding skis the right length for me (I'm tall). A lot of the women's rentals/demos were shorter lengths.

 

[VickiK]

I understand your worry, especially it being new equipment. Since it's a non-stop, there's not so much worry about losing them. I've always flown with my skis. I pad with clothes or packing bubbles like that come in Amazon shipments. Old socks on tips and tails for extra protection. My ski bag is padded, too. Renting isn't a bad idea, because you could demo or rent a ski specifically for the conditions you have, it's just an added expense. If there's a airline charge for skis, renting eliminates that.

 

[nopoleskier]

Last year when I flew Delta there were charges for baggage unless you have an AM Ex card then 1 bag free..so skis 25$ each way.. if non stop I wouldn't worry they shouldn't get lost on a transfer... I have a hard case for my skis.. but packing them like VickiK says works great too..

 

[Serafina]

I shipped my skis to Steamboat for a trip a few years ago, and it was AWESOME. I packed them in my Sportube, a driver showed up and picked them up, and the next time I saw them it was when we were checking in to our condo in CO. I did not have to wrangle them through the airport with the rest of my bags, I did not have to wrangle them off the luggage conveyer, we did not have to wait for a taxi with enough cargo space to hold them, I did not have to mess with them on our transport from the airport to the ski area. They just showed up there like they'd been taken care of by the fairies.

I would do it again in a flat second.

Now, my BOOTS I took with me in a piece of carry on luggage (there are boot bags that are specifically designed for this purpose - if you poke around on the forum you'll find a fairly long discussion of the different offerings).

 

[Serafina]

That said, the skis I shipped out to Steamboat in anticipation of all of that legendary powder were NOT the skis I needed for the actual conditions on the ground, which were ice. So even after I shipped my own gear, I still wound up having to rent. I'm sure Park City has this too - Steamboat had a couple of gear rental outfits, one with the crappy rental gear for the hoi polloi, and a different one for those of us with skills that demand more performance out of the gear. I did a four-day rental at that place, and it was basically an extended demo - I could take any skis I wanted, exchange them, etc.

 

[lisamamot]

It depends on where you are staying if shipping is even an option. If you are not staying in a resort owned/booked location there is likely no place for you to ship to. I made a call last year when I went to Big Sky, and because we were not in a resort owned condo, even though it was on mountain, it was not an option; they only provide that service for their guests. We are going to Winter Park in Feb and I expect the answer is the same; again, we are not in a resort owned condo.

I used a Sportube for Big Sky on a flight with a stop and my skis arrived unscathed with everyone else's. I carried my boot bag as a carry on.

Family of 4 is flying nonstop to CO and plan to check all the skis in two double Sportubes. Need to test and make sure they fit properly. Since the flight out is nonstop I am toying with the idea of checking the boots since they go for free with the skis.....still makes me nervous, although it probably should not!

United charges $25 for the first bag and $35 for a second. According to their boot bag policy as long as the boot bag contains associated ski equipment, it qualifies to go free with the skis. I assume that means helmet, goggles, etc.

Obviously transport at the other end needs to be considered as well. For our CO trip, we will take our pickup truck to the airport and pay for parking. We have reserved an extended cab pickup in CO.

 

[santacruz skier]

FWIW, I always check in both my skis and (gasp) my boots. I have been doing this for many years on various airlines. So when has my luggage not followed me? Well, a stopover (8 hrs) at Heathrow caused all my luggage to be missing for 3 days... hmmm nothing else I can think of in about 25-30 years of traveling on airlines (both domestic and international) for ski trips. Pretty good?
I use a snowboard bag and pad like crazy with ski related items....

 

[teppaz]

SO and I fly from NYC to SLC and back twice a year. We used to demo but now have our own skis. We used to take two double ski bags but this year we're going to put both pairs in a double wheeled bag from Sportube. This is to bring down the number of checked bags and accompanying fees. We pad the bags with our ski pants and other clothing items, and put tough bubble wrap around the bindings. In maybe 8 nonstop round trips, we've never had a problem with lost or damaged bags.

Pluses of flying with bags for us: convenient to have familiar skis so we know how they react in specific conditions and terrain; save time at the rental places so we can go straight to the slopes and don't have to worry about returning gear.

Minuses: It's a pain to lug ski bags to and back from the NYC airport since we don't have a car; missing out on the fun of demoing new models.

 

[Christy]

If you like your skis and they are right for the conditions, I'd bring them. It's not that much of a pain, for me anyway.

 

[RuthB]

FWIW, I always check in both my skis and (gasp) my boots. I have been doing this for many years on various airlines. So when has my luggage not followed me? Well, a stopover (8 hrs) at Heathrow caused all my luggage to be missing for 3 days... hmmm nothing else I can think of in about 25-30 years of traveling on airlines (both domestic and international) for ski trips. Pretty good?
I use a snowboard bag and pad like crazy with ski related items....

Our experience is the same. In our part of the world we have a 7kg weight limit for carry on baggage that is enforced, and the definition of a personal item is more restrictive than in North America.

Our bags have missed a transfer once at Denver, but we were flying out of Aspen and the airport was effectively closed and we were really delayed getting out. We had to run, without going through security again, to get our connecting flight to SFO and they closed the door behind us. The gear was delivered to our door 24 hours after we got home and would have been sooner except there is only one flight a day here from SFO.

Our bags have been routinely opened and inspected by TSA and everything has turned up undamaged.

 

[Jilly]

I'm with Christy....the baggage fee to take them with me was worth it.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Delta counts your ski bag and boot bag as one checked bag. If it's direct. I'd just do that. If they lose them, you can probably rent and have them cover it.

 

[marzNC]

I prefer to take my all-mountain skis (Black Pearls) for a trip out west even if not flying Southwest. They usually cover 4/5 days of skiing, so any baggage fee is less than paying for rental skis. Recently my daughter flew to Bozeman on Delta to meet up with friends during winter break. I paid for her to take her skis to avoid having to look around for relatively short skis for an advanced teen.

I have a double Sportube, but usually only take one pair of skis. Leaves room for a few other bulky items such as my snow boots. Did come in handy when I flew home with a new pair of skis in addition to what I brought.

 

[teppaz]

Marz, you've been good with airline weight limits with the double Sportube?

 

[marzNC]

Marz, you've been good with airline weight limits with the double Sportube?

Well, it probably helps that my skis are under 160cm. No wide skis, max 90mm. My memory it that the total was perhaps 45 lbs with two pairs of skis and only a couple small items. The main reason I bought the double was that I was flying to SLC with my daughter during spring breaks. Although I like having the extra space when I travel solo with just one pair of skis.

 

[santacruz skier]

Only once I was over 50 lbs at Heathrow and took some stuff out and moved to other bag... Easy.

 

[teppaz]

We have one pair that's 172cms and 98mm wide, another that's 156 for 82mm so it should be ok. Also the Sportube bag is maybe a tad lighter than the case. We have a handheld scale so I'll check when we're all packed in. By the way, I cannot recommend those handheld scales enough!