jasoncapecod
Well-known member
Are you a traveling barber ?
ski-air travel stories
- Thread starter jimk
- Start date
I have a Swiss Army knife, which you never know might come in handy. I suspect most people have manicure scissors or toenail clippers. The latter is quite important for skiers. And you never know when the carry on inspectors might be extra zealous like those guys at Heathrow on our last trip. I also once had sunscreen confiscated in Albuquerque, and New Mexico is surely a ski destination where sunscreen is essential.
For the first time in 20 years of skiing destination trips, I had a new-to-me experience before my flight with JetBlue from SLC a couple days ago --
At luggage check-in, the combined weight of your ski bag and boot bag (which everyone here knows count as one piece of baggage) is not supposed to exceed 50 pounds. Normally, they weigh my ski bag and don't bother with the boot bag and even when the ski bag alone has gone a bit over 50 pounds (when I bring two pairs of skis), I haven't been sacked with a fee.
This time, they put both pieces on the scale and it hit 66 pounds so I was forced to remove a few things (mainly the boots, which weigh a lot more than I thought) and carry them on board instead of paying the not insignificant overage fee. It was annoying and a bit humiliating to schlep them around the airport and stow them on the plane; however, as a card-carrying member of the bankrupt jetset, I refuse out of principle to pay for checked-in luggage. What's your opinion on this weighty matter -- do you pay baggage fees?
****
Separately, this was the first time that I flew into the new SLC airport and I didn't dig it. Very generic looking and for those who fly in/out of Concourse B, there's a long drab tunnel that you have to walk. Not a huge issue for people who are in OK shape, but for those with small children or elderly people, you have to flag down a cart. Apparently, there have been a lot of complaints so the airport has, in an effort at comedic PSAs, hung signs reminding travelers that a) doctors recommend 10,000 steps a day (and the tunnel is a good way to do that) and b) the tunnel is a good way to get into shape for ski season. Also, after picking up your luggage, there's another decent-sized walk and an escalator to navigate. Again, not a major concern for me but other demographics may feel otherwise.
Too bad as I liked the previous airport, which had a nice color palette and signage, was big but not too big, and the luggage carousels were right next to the passenger pickup zone.
Rant over and on the plus side, the rental car center still appears to be on the other side of the passenger pickup and doesn't require a bus (like Denver).
At luggage check-in, the combined weight of your ski bag and boot bag (which everyone here knows count as one piece of baggage) is not supposed to exceed 50 pounds. Normally, they weigh my ski bag and don't bother with the boot bag and even when the ski bag alone has gone a bit over 50 pounds (when I bring two pairs of skis), I haven't been sacked with a fee.
This time, they put both pieces on the scale and it hit 66 pounds so I was forced to remove a few things (mainly the boots, which weigh a lot more than I thought) and carry them on board instead of paying the not insignificant overage fee. It was annoying and a bit humiliating to schlep them around the airport and stow them on the plane; however, as a card-carrying member of the bankrupt jetset, I refuse out of principle to pay for checked-in luggage. What's your opinion on this weighty matter -- do you pay baggage fees?
****
Separately, this was the first time that I flew into the new SLC airport and I didn't dig it. Very generic looking and for those who fly in/out of Concourse B, there's a long drab tunnel that you have to walk. Not a huge issue for people who are in OK shape, but for those with small children or elderly people, you have to flag down a cart. Apparently, there have been a lot of complaints so the airport has, in an effort at comedic PSAs, hung signs reminding travelers that a) doctors recommend 10,000 steps a day (and the tunnel is a good way to do that) and b) the tunnel is a good way to get into shape for ski season. Also, after picking up your luggage, there's another decent-sized walk and an escalator to navigate. Again, not a major concern for me but other demographics may feel otherwise.
Too bad as I liked the previous airport, which had a nice color palette and signage, was big but not too big, and the luggage carousels were right next to the passenger pickup zone.
Rant over and on the plus side, the rental car center still appears to be on the other side of the passenger pickup and doesn't require a bus (like Denver).
Last edited:
Marc_C
Active member
Recall that the airport isn't finished yet - that long walk to Concourse B will be eliminated.
Right, there was a sign that alluded to it but didn't provide details. According to the SL Tribune, the under-construction tunnel will cut 1,000 yards (a little more than a half mile) off the walk when it opens in October 2024. You probably saw this story from last April.
For the record, shortcomings like this are pretty insignificant against being able to travel safely across the country in a matter of hours. I didn't even think about it until the I saw the PSAs mentioned above and figured that lots of people must've complained.
Last edited:
ChrisC
Well-known member
I'll pay a checked bag fee - often have some credit cards for one free bag.
Overage fees - oh no! Those are $100+ I have a Dakine Boot backup (boot compartment, storage compartment). That thing can weigh almost 50lb++ Load it up! Heck, I will have underwear flowing out of the computer bag if need be.
I often see guys with their boots double velcroed together over their shoulder on many ski town flights. At least 2-3 going into places like Jackson, Montrose, Eagle, Bozeman, etc. Aspen - not so much. It's shiny jackets with fur trim.
EMSC
Well-known member
Almost never.
Have high enough status for 2 free bags on United/partners which is what I mostly use. A few times I wasn't able to, I found reasonable Southwest flights which come with 2 free bags. Although my last SW flight is rapidly receding to 'long ago' status. Ironically I have some old AA miles I need to burn up which may require bag fees. Might try to use them next summer just to be rid of them and get use out of them.
I'm in the same situation as EMSC with 2 free bag status on Delta/Skyteam partners. I also get one free bag with a United credit card, though I haven't used Star Aliance for skiing in a long time. But I'm really surprised James checks a boot bag. I learned my lesson about that in 2008. Liz and I always wear boot bag backpacks that also contain a day's worth of ski clothing. Liz will sometimes put her boots in checked luggage on the way home from skiing but never on the outbound flights. On some of the smaller planes the backpack will not fit in the overhead without removing the boots.
I have not flown into SLC since 2013; all ski trips there since then have been by car. Iron Blosam is a whole week plus I'm hauling over a case of wine. I have changed planes in SLC a few times more recently. There's a longer distance between the two main terminals but that corridor has a moving walkway.
I have not flown into SLC since 2013; all ski trips there since then have been by car. Iron Blosam is a whole week plus I'm hauling over a case of wine. I have changed planes in SLC a few times more recently. There's a longer distance between the two main terminals but that corridor has a moving walkway.
Last edited:
We've had this discussion a few times. Since moving near Newark Airport 20 years ago, 90+% of my flights have been nonstops including overseas and whenever I've needed to change planes domestically or abroad (including a few extremely short layovers), I've never had delayed baggage. Chalk that up to luck or whatever, but given my success rate why would I schlep a heavy boot bag onboard and through airports?
The last time I had baggage issues was in the bad old 80s when you often had to deal with inter-airline transfers, which would have an approx. 50% success rate. I remember lots of tedious visits to luggage offices -- I was on a first-name basis with several employees at Stapleton Airport in Denver -- and deliveries of my bags one or two days later.
ChrisC
Well-known member
It does not matter whether your flight is direct or not. Whether your flight is delayed or not. Airlines screw up. Eventually, you will get burned.
A few direct, non-delayed flight screw-ups:
1. February 2020: SFO to Portland. Direct. Meet friends to ski Mt. Hood.
United managed not to load my skis on evening flights and sent them the next day. However, I had my boots and ski clothing - so no loss of a ski day over a long weekend. Direct? Yes. Screw up? Yes Potential loss of ski day? Yes
Just charged United and Credit Card for any losses.
2. January 2016: Florida to Albany. Direct. Meet friends to ski Lake Placid/Whiteface.
Southwest sent my skis to Providence, RI. Took 2 days to get them.
However, I had my boots and some ski clothing - so still a great weekend.
Just bought about $600 of additional clothing - thank you Southwest.
I am not sure why you ignore this sound advice. But Tony does not wear a helmet. ( I have skied into a few trees and stumps that have saved my noggin - the helmet was cracked/dead, but I was still alive. Just a few minor bones broken.
I understand and choose to ignore it at my own peril.
ChrisC
Well-known member
But really, what's the worst that can happen? You rent boots that might not be optimum, but adequate. And you go buy some clothes for about $500-600.
I'm good at maximizing my lost luggage allowance. Airline policy: Replace luggage for the activity it was meant for....skiing is expensive. And if the airline does not cover it completely, I file a claim with the credit card company.
About 1/3 of my ski gear is from lost luggage allowances. I have a form letter by this point. And I have photos and receipts of equipment I normally pack in my luggage to document items that went lost/missing.
That's good counsel -- having photos of what you pack. Wow, luggage delays must've happened to you enough times to have developed a detailed SOP like that.
Speaking of ignoring sound advice -- how about skiing avalanche terrain in the Alps without a helmet?
Yes. Air Canada lost my skis for 2 days in 1999 after a direct flight. Alitalia lost my luggage for 36 hours in 2004 when I was getting on a cruise 48 hours after landing from a direct flight. And the Warsaw diversion story in 2018 had nothing to do with the flight connection. The ski bags never got on the originating flight from Geneva. Liz doesn't like schlepping heavy boots either, so she carries them on the way to skiing and checks them on the way home.
James' trips are also short, typically 4-6 days of skiing, so missing your boots for 2-3 days would be a significant setback. At any rate, James has demonstrated that he will schlep rather than pay for the boot bag to be checked!
I will have to say that I've yet to lose a piece of luggage completely like Jimmy Petterson did. In the delay scenarios we have rented top end demo skis and bought some clothing and always been reimbursed. I don't recall whether ChrisC has had a completely lost luggage incident, which is when you would really need a complete set of receipts.
Last edited:
My Alps trips are always the same -- land Saturday morning, on the chair no later than noon, and ski through the following Friday: seven ski days. My U.S. destination trips like the recent one to Solitude are usually shorter, in the 4- to 5-day range.
Remind me -- what's the limit the airlines will pay out for a complete loss luggage incident?
EMSC
Well-known member
I've never completely lost luggage -yet- either. But have had innumerable 'lost luggage' fun over the years. No big ones recently, but in 2021 had luggage delivered by some random guy in his own car (think Uber style) at midnight after I arrived home at the airport at 3pm.
My worst ones for luggage have so far been non-ski. Like when travelling to a funeral 10+ years ago. I flew to Rochester NY. Luggage went initially to Rochester, MN, then somehow went to Raleigh, NC etc... After I spent my 4 days on the ground back east, I eventually picked up my bag in baggage claim as I walked into the airport to fly home. So the bag literally went straight back into their system as a checked bag in the opposite direction within minutes. Ski stuff is mostly pretty easy to obtain at the destination. Same with shorts & t-shirts. Try a suit & tie for a funeral in a very rural location though...
My worst ones for luggage have so far been non-ski. Like when travelling to a funeral 10+ years ago. I flew to Rochester NY. Luggage went initially to Rochester, MN, then somehow went to Raleigh, NC etc... After I spent my 4 days on the ground back east, I eventually picked up my bag in baggage claim as I walked into the airport to fly home. So the bag literally went straight back into their system as a checked bag in the opposite direction within minutes. Ski stuff is mostly pretty easy to obtain at the destination. Same with shorts & t-shirts. Try a suit & tie for a funeral in a very rural location though...
jimk
Active member
Don't care for flying at all. It's strictly a means to an end. In my senior years I have the time and good fortune to do most of my ski travel and other travel by car.
For the recent 10 day trip to Belize in early Dec 2022 my wife and I flew United economy with only a personal bag. (Like James, I really hate paying baggage fees and I don't do enough flying to seek free bag status.) It was the first time flying for me since 2018. The experience has only gotten worse. We had a transfer coming and going in Houston. Fortunately, our flights were sufficiently close to being on time so that we had no trouble making various connections, which also included a third flight on a short puddle jumper (now that was a flight I enjoyed) from Belize mainland to the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, and then a boat ride across a lagoon to the seaside rental house near San Pedro that was our home for 7 of the 10 days.
The plane to/from Houston to DC was an A320 that was super cramped especially since my personal bag/backpack took up much of the space were my feet and knees were supposed to fit. TERRIBLE experience that I was only able to endure because it was 3 hours in duration and I kept telling myself that the whole flight. There were times in Belize when I didn't have a few things because I forced myself to stick to a personal bag only, but for the most part I had what I needed.
Here's my analogy between skiing and flying:
-The rise of the mega ski pass over the last two decades has created crowded conditions at some ski areas, but I know how to avoid the worst times and places and generally derive great and affordable pleasure from my megapass.
-The relatively cheap cost of airline tickets over the last two decades has coincided with an increasingly crowded and churlish flight experience which I do not have enough experience and savvy to navigate happily.
For the recent 10 day trip to Belize in early Dec 2022 my wife and I flew United economy with only a personal bag. (Like James, I really hate paying baggage fees and I don't do enough flying to seek free bag status.) It was the first time flying for me since 2018. The experience has only gotten worse. We had a transfer coming and going in Houston. Fortunately, our flights were sufficiently close to being on time so that we had no trouble making various connections, which also included a third flight on a short puddle jumper (now that was a flight I enjoyed) from Belize mainland to the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, and then a boat ride across a lagoon to the seaside rental house near San Pedro that was our home for 7 of the 10 days.
The plane to/from Houston to DC was an A320 that was super cramped especially since my personal bag/backpack took up much of the space were my feet and knees were supposed to fit. TERRIBLE experience that I was only able to endure because it was 3 hours in duration and I kept telling myself that the whole flight. There were times in Belize when I didn't have a few things because I forced myself to stick to a personal bag only, but for the most part I had what I needed.
Here's my analogy between skiing and flying:
-The rise of the mega ski pass over the last two decades has created crowded conditions at some ski areas, but I know how to avoid the worst times and places and generally derive great and affordable pleasure from my megapass.
-The relatively cheap cost of airline tickets over the last two decades has coincided with an increasingly crowded and churlish flight experience which I do not have enough experience and savvy to navigate happily.
My friend Garry Klassen hates flying. He worked counter and baggage for American Airlines for ~35 years: only occasionally used the perks. As a retiree I think he still gets perks, but on a standby basis. But that's mostly irrelevant. His long trips are mostly by RV these days, like the former admin here.
Liz and I are travel junkies, much of it outside North America, so we learn to deal with the airlines as best we can. Overall air travel costs have declined relative to inflation for ~40 years. 2022 brought a sharp reversal of that, which has resulted in our use of mileage awards more often for 2022 and 2023.
jimk:
Liz and I are travel junkies, much of it outside North America, so we learn to deal with the airlines as best we can. Overall air travel costs have declined relative to inflation for ~40 years. 2022 brought a sharp reversal of that, which has resulted in our use of mileage awards more often for 2022 and 2023.
jimk:
Within western North America, a much higher proportion of my ski travel is by car vs. before retirement.
Last edited:
tseeb
Well-known member
The only times I've recently paid baggage fees is flying to/from Calgary to go to Mustang. Last trip there was on Alaska where I get a free bag (and annual $99 companion flight) from credit card and had to pay $50? for 2nd bag. Return was on Delta and I had to pay $70 or $80 total for both. No problem that one was under 50 lb. roller ski bag with two pairs of skis and some clothing (for padding). Boots, helmet, googles and gloves go in carryon boot bag/backpack.
I think some of your problem is flying low-cost US airline that start with cheap fare, then try to add-on as much as they can. Besides JetBlue, this includes Allegiant, and Frontier and Spirit (who tried to merge earlier this year). I try to avoid legacy US carriers like American and United who too often seem to not care how badly their customers are treated. Going to/from SLC, I fly Southwest who has non-stops from SJC for +/-$100, gives one year credit for cancellation and allows two free bags. Even better my wife has enough points that when we use those and cancel, points get returned.
The last time I can remember paying for bags we were flying Ryan Air from Girona to Ibiza where I think bag was $10 and reservation fee and flight were $5 each (2008). My wife has to scramble to lighten her checked bag that was over low weight limit. I don't remember if it was 10 Kg or 25 lbs, but it was low.
We spent most of this Oct. in Spain and Portugal and only had carry-ons to speed getting out of airports and to be able to fit in rental cars. We mostly stayed in AirBnbs, always booking ones with washer/dryer. We found much smaller laundry units than at home, usually combination washer/dryers that were hard to figure out. One place only had a clothesline.
Friends flew same SFO-BCN redeye as us. Our flight was $363 while theirs was $416. They booked through Iberia while we booked through flylevel who operated the flight. You could also book through Vueling for $363. Friends could have checked a bag and they got a meal that my friend slept through as he found an empty row and slept through it.
The more interesting flights were on TAP where carryon limit was 8 Kg (17.6 lbs) and personal item was supposed to be limited to 2 Kg (4.4 lbs). At check-in for Alicante-LIS flight, they weighed my friend's wife's large carryon and it was too heavy so she had to move weight to backpack. They did not enforce 4.4 lb limit on personal item, but they did not complete check-in. After looking for 10-15 minutes for boarding pass, they returned to check-in for it. For LIS-SFO flight, we checked in at kiosk since my carry-on was 1 lb over and my wife's was about 4 over. No problem except my wife got ahead of me boarding and hurt her finger and tendon extending into arm putting her bag overhead. Surprisingly to us, TAP gave us a decent meal and a snack before landing and free wine.
jimk
Active member
A couple months ago when I bought United basic economy fares to Belize for my wife and myself for our December trip I couldn't stop thinking that the way the airlines, not just United, make the process these days it's almost predatory, especially towards seniors and other not-so-tech-savvy customers. They ask you about 5 or 6 different questions during the purchase that are designed to get you to pay more money, like seat selection, extra bags, insurance, etc. The questions are phrased in such a way that you are not sure if you'll get a seat on the flight if you don't say yes and accept the extra fees. Basic economy flyers don't get an assigned seat until getting to the airport and we didn't always get to sit next to each other. Our roundtrip fares from Wash DC to Belize City were something like $570 each, which I though was a low enough number to be worth the hassle. And I guess that's what it comes down to, but don't expect me to like it or fly very often.
BTW, I also read recently that Frontier has terminated all human help line services. You can only contact them now through chatbots or emails. Uggh!
BTW, I also read recently that Frontier has terminated all human help line services. You can only contact them now through chatbots or emails. Uggh!