THE ULTIMATE TIPS FOR TRAVELING BY PLANE WITH YOUR SKI EQUIPMENT

For all those who love snow and trying new places with their skis, keep reading. At Uller we are going to give you some advice so that you can travel with all your ski equipment without problem in the most comfortable way and with the peace of mind that you are not going to lose anything.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO TRAVEL WITH YOUR SKI EQUIPMENT?

Many of us fear losing our bags when we make any plane trip and those moments when we wait for our luggage on the checked baggage carousel. it is most desperate! For this reason, when we are talking about materials as important as the one you use for skiing and that have value, we cannot risk losing them.

In addition, more and more people are taking advantage of the low prices of the companies to take their skis and go to explore the slopes around the world such as the Alps, Japan or Canada. However, if you are going to transport your ski equipment, the low cost companies will require you to check in most of your luggage, which will mean that the price will increase considerably and that it will be the same or more expensive than if you were traveling with a quality airline

HOW DO I ORGANIZE MY LUGGAGE?

The first thing to keep in mind is that the more things you carry in your hand luggage, the better. The bags that will go with us on the plane are the only thing we can control and the only thing we know with a total guarantee that they will not be stolen.In any case, we know that traveling to the snow does not only mean carrying ski equipment, as we show you in our blog article "the perfect suitcase to go skiing". For this reason, in this article we will focus on the necessary equipment for skiing, and we will show you the best way to organize it.

The essentials of our ski equipment are ski boots since if we lose them it will be more difficult to find ones that suit us for skiing. Also our ski pants, socks, gloves and ski mask, since it is very easy to fit in a bag that goes with you. In addition, the helmet can be attached to hand luggage, so in principle I don't think you'll have any problems. You will see it clearly in the photo that we show you below.

Maybe this means going very loaded, but it will be worth it. After all, what do you do on a ski holiday if you've lost your ski boots or ski pants?

If you lose your luggage, you run the risk of spending a lot of time in equipment rental shops, or even having to buy it again. And it is that when a suitcase is lost, many times there is no solution, so renting it will be a short-term option for that specific trip, but you will surely be forced to invest again in buying it. And that really makes me angry!

BAGS INTENDED FOR TRANSPORTING YOUR SKI EQUIPMENT

There are a specific type of bags for these trips that are designed to fit your boots and all the material perfectly.

One of them is the DoucheBag Hugger 30L. One of the best bags on the market, which is very comfortable to carry and with different pockets where you can even carry your laptop.

Another backpack that we recommend is the Hot Gear Bag Classic. This one is heatable (it has a device to increase the temperature), it is very easy to carry and also much cheaper than the previous one if you don't want to spend so much money. If you plan to make this type of trip frequently, we advise you to invest 100% in this type of backpack.

WHAT INCONVENIENCES WILL THE AIRLINE COMPANIES GIVE YOU?

Today there are few airlines that give you facilities if you want to fly with your skis. Only the company SWISS, of Swedish origin, allows that it does not cost you extra money to transport your boots, skis or boards as an addition to your regular luggage. This decision may be due to the fact that Switzerland is the most famous European country for skiing and its snowy slopes.

In the rest of the companies the normal thing is that it costs you from 50 to 100 euros more to carry all this material. As we want to make it as easy as possible for you, we are going to explain some of the conditions that the different low-cost flight companies require so that you take everything into account.

• With Ryanair you will not be able to travel in the cabin with skis or a snowboard weighing more than 20kg and the billing price will vary depending on the number of bags you are carrying and that You will have to select the time to make the reservation of your flights.
• In Vueling it is different. You can check in as special baggage as long as it is packed, labeled and protected, a pair of skis, poles and boots. For snowboarders, the snowboard and a pair of boots will be included in the special luggage. The price that Vueling has for special sports luggage is from 45 euros per person and way.
• Finally, with Iberia we also have restrictions when it comes to transporting ski sports equipment in the cabin, since it only allows two packages that do not exceed 23kg. The price will vary depending on the distance of the flight.
• Some such as Air France or Air Berlin allow the transport of cabin baggage up to 300 cm in length while others such as US Airways, Austrian or Lufthansa and United do not allow targets larger than 158 cm. In general, this measurement is less than what many skis or snowboards occupy, so it is almost always necessary to pay the extra.

As you can see, there are few facilities that are given to skiers to be able to transport the material. However, we hope that this article has clarified some of your doubts and that you start your journey with enthusiasm.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

• CAN I COME ON THE PLANE WITH MY SKIS?

In principle, your skis will have to be well packed and you will have to invoice them. However, it all depends on the company you fly with. If it is a priority for you, we recommend flying with US Airways, Austrian or Lufthansa and United, which allow objects up to 158 cm. In no case travel with a low-cost company because it will not allow you to upload your skis or your board.

• WHAT MATERIAL SHOULD I PRIORITIZE AS HAND LUGGAGE?

The ski equipment that I should prioritize as hand luggage is, first of all, the boots, since they are the object of great value. Next, the ski goggles, ski socks and gloves. Both the pants and the jacket if they do not fit in the bag, we recommend that you wear them.

• WHAT ARE THE BEST PLACES TO GO SKIING?

The best places in the world to catch a flight and go skiing are the French Alps specifically Chamonix, Zermatt in Switzerland surrounded by high altitude mountains such as Monte Rosa, Dent Blanche and Matterhorn.

On the other side of the map we recommend the slopes of Aspen Snowmass in Colorado, this American station has 193 kilometers of slopes.

In Niseko, Japan, powder snow makes its slopes irresistible as you gawk at the sunset.