Skiers often travel by air when going on vacation to the best ski resorts in the world. In addition to the main luggage, such passengers take sports equipment on the road - skis and poles. This inventory has large dimensions exceeding the standard baggage allowance for passengers.

In this article we will tell you how to transport ski equipment on an airplane, how to properly pack and arrange it, and whether additional payment is required.

How to transport skis on a plane

A set of ski equipment may include not only skis and poles, but also additional accessories - overalls, helmet, boots, goggles. Each airline regulates the rules for transporting sports equipment at its own discretion. For example, low-cost airlines, where the lowest ticket prices are set, do not offer free baggage allowance at all.

When purchasing air tickets from a specific company, inquire about the rules for transporting sports equipment, taking into account the selected tariff plan. You can read about transporting a bicycle on an airplane.

Basic rules for transporting skis on airplanes:

  1. Sports equipment must be packed in special cases equipped with a carrying handle.
  2. The passenger should agree in advance with the airline regarding the transportation of skis and other sports equipment on the plane.
  3. Boots, helmet, goggles and other additional sports equipment are packed in a separate bag.
  4. If, according to the airline's rules, transportation of skis on the plane is free, the passenger can take one standard set with him. For transportation of a second pair of skis you will have to pay extra according to the tariff for non-standard baggage.
  5. You cannot put other personal items in the ski bag.

In the cabin or luggage of an airliner

Some airlines have a seat system for travelers' luggage. If the fare includes two free seats, the passenger can take skis and a suitcase with other personal items at no extra charge.

Sports equipment is checked out at the airport near a special baggage claim counter. The specialist will mark the ski case with a special tear-off tag, and attach the second part of the tag to the traveler. Using this document, he will be able to receive his luggage at the airport of arrival.

Other articles on the topic of carrying luggage on an airplane:

Carriage of ski equipment in popular airlines

Each carrier sets certain rules for carrying sports equipment on an airplane. During the ski resort season, almost all major Russian airlines, with the exception of low-cost airlines, they allow free transportation of skis in the luggage compartment of the aircraft.

Aeroflot

On this carrier's planes, free transportation of skis is allowed from November to March. Allowable weight inventory – 23 kg. There are no size restrictions. In addition to a bag with one pair of skis and poles, a passenger can carry a bag with one pair of boots for free.

During the off-season, transportation of skis on Aeroflot aircraft is carried out for a fee. The company has the following tariff: the cost of transporting sports equipment on flights internal direction– 2500 rubles, international – 50 euros.

UTair

Free transportation of one pair of skis, two poles and boots is allowed. The weight of sports equipment should not exceed 23 kg. For exceeding the norm, the passenger will have to pay extra according to the tariff excess baggage. There are no size restrictions. Additional sports accessories are transported for a fee in a separate bag.

Ural Airlines

On the aircraft of this carrier, free transportation of sports equipment is allowed for all passengers traveling at the selected fare, with the exception of Promo.

The free baggage allowance applies to one pair of skis + a pair of poles, a helmet and boots. The permissible weight is 23 kg, there are no restrictions on dimensions.

The passenger must agree in advance on the carriage of sports equipment on the plane. This must be done no later than 24 hours before departure of the flight.

Cost of transporting skis according to the Promo tariff:

  • on domestic flights – 2000 rubles;
  • for the CIS countries and Georgia – 2500 rubles;
  • for international destinations – 40 euros.

S7

On airplanes, you are allowed to carry a pair of skis, two poles, a helmet and boots at no extra charge, provided that the baggage weight limit is met (up to 23 kg in economy class, up to 32 kg in business class).

Free transportation of sports equipment is allowed in any season of the year.

Victory

A passenger can transport skis on a Pobeda plane for a fee. Tariffs for transportation of sports equipment: 1,500 rubles on domestic flights, subject to booking seats through the company’s call center or. If a passenger orders the service at the airport, the cost increases to 4,000 rubles. IN foreign airports The tariff for ski space on the plane is 55 euros. There are no restrictions on dimensions, weight – 20 kg.

When planning to take skis and other sports equipment on the plane, check with the company in advance for the rules and regulations for the transportation of oversized items and inquire about the current tariffs. Be sure to coordinate your upcoming transportation in advance with authorized representatives of the selected airline.

Transporting ski equipment is an important point that many people forget about when booking an air ticket, this is especially true for budget airlines, where visual low price on a ticket may be offset by the expensive service of transporting sports equipment. Well, it’s better to remember this at the time of purchase, having carefully studied the website and tariffs, otherwise you will have to pay much more at the airport. It is also very important to know what the airline understands by “sports equipment”, as airlines have very different views on this seemingly very simple issue.

In general, today I will consider the issue of transporting skis or snowboards to ski resort. Is it possible to carry two pairs of skis in one case? How to avoid paying for a ski rack at a car rental? Where to put the shoes?

Your experience and interesting tips in comments:)


1. Before purchasing an air ticket, be sure to check whether the airline charges for the transportation of skis?

For example, Aeroflot, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, UIA do not charge a fee for transporting ski equipment to winter period, however, in each specific case it is better to check this information on the carrier’s website. There are also additional nuances when the airline transports for free only a certain number of sets of ski equipment, each of which must be pre-reserved at the airline’s call center.

2. How does the airline regulate the set of ski equipment?

Usually one set is a pair of skis and boots in a case, i.e. 2 pieces with a total weight of no more than 20 kg. But there are exceptions, especially among low-cost airlines. For example, Rainair only counts one place, i.e. It's best to stash your boots in your checked baggage. EasyJet also has a size classification - "large" or "small" sports equipment.

Here are some examples of the cost of transporting a set of ski equipment from low-cost airlines.
Attention! This is the cost of one set one way, i.e. feel free to multiply by two.

Victory - 1999 RUR
WizzAir Hungary - 30 euros
WizzAir Ukraine - 750 gr
EasyJet - 30 euros
Ryanair - 50 euros

An important nuance - you need to pay for the service of transporting ski equipment at the time of booking an air ticket, since in the future the cost of the service will increase if you add ski equipment to an existing booking in the system (plus a fee for payment is possible again credit card), and at the airport the service will cost twice as much.

3. Is it possible to carry two pairs of skis in one case?

Usually the website indicates a limit of “1” pair of skis, but in practice they rarely pay attention to this point. I use a two-pair case and always carry two pairs of skis in one case, thereby saving half the cost. At the WizzAir-Ukraine call center they even once told me that this is not prohibited, the main thing is that the cover is tightly closed.

4. How to return and where to receive skis at the airport?

Typically, a set of ski equipment is checked in at a separate check-in point for oversized baggage, and it is also received in a specially designated place.

Therefore, if you don’t see skis on the baggage carousel, you don’t need to panic, but you just need to ask the airport staff where the unloading point for oversized baggage is.

Here, for example:

My carrying case alpine skiing- This Atomic AMT. It is presented in the line PRO products, which can be purchased in flagship stores Sportmaster HYPER. This is a lightweight case for two pairs of skis and poles. Made from dense Poly 600D material. Length adjustment from 165 cm to 185 cm with tightening straps. Adjustable shoulder strap. You can even put it in a backpack while riding without any problems; when folded, it won’t take up much space.

And if there is only one pair of skis in it, then the whole set fits absolutely comfortably into the case ski clothes, which is also very convenient if there is little space in your checked luggage.

A large selection of covers is presented.

5. Transporting skis in a car.

If you rent a car, then in the ski areas there is usually an option for a ski rack at a cost of 10-15 euros per day, usually this is the simplest magnetic roof rack. I prefer to save on this option and bought such a trunk at home a few years ago for 45 euros. It is compact and not heavy, even if you take it with you every season in your luggage.

My car trunk looks something like this. It is written on the box that you do not need to exceed the speed of 110 km/h, it is placed on the roof, fixed with a magnet, and removed simply and conveniently.

However, on the very first trip with this trunk, an unexpected “surprise” awaited me in the form of a full-size glass roof in the Peugeot 3008. There were no options, there were no other cars, so it wasn’t very comfortable that time. Now, when I book a car, I always indicate in the comments that I am bringing a magnetic trunk and ask for a car with a regular roof.

So we made it to the ski resort! The tracks are waiting, but more about them next time :)

Winter is the same best time of the year! Those bright moments when you rush down the mountain, cheerfully skirting the hills or emerging from the fresh powder. I have already talked about my experience in selecting ski equipment. I can absolutely unequivocally say that after spending time in the store SKI .

Many airlines carry skis and snowboards absolutely free. You just need to pack everything well in a special case and bring it to baggage check-in. We tell you about the rules for transporting ski equipment. Go!

Fans of alpine skiing and snowboarding will not let you lie: skiing in your favorite boots and on the skis and boards you once liked is a real pleasure. Of course, you can rent everything you need for skiing, but then you are relying on chance: the choice of boots, skis and boards of your size may not be very large, and you will have to ride what they give you.

Yes, one day you will have to spend time and money to choose and buy what is right for you. But then you will ride with pleasure. Let's see which airlines are friendly to skiers and snowboarders.

Life hack: you can put not only a pair of skis with poles or a board in the case, but also quite a lot of things. This is especially useful when flying on airlines that charge baggage fees. For example, Siberia Airlines has tariffs where you can fly with ten kilograms of hand luggage and still take skis or a board with you. Or with the Pobeda airline, which charges for absolutely everything, you can only pay for the transportation of ski equipment and put all the things you need in a case and not pay separately for luggage. Moreover, the denser you pack the contents, the more intact the most valuable thing will be - skis or board.

Free transportation of ski equipment

Aeroflot

If you are planning to go skiing and snowboarding - in our country or in near abroad— most likely you can fly there on Aeroflot flights. During the winter season (from November 1, 2017 to May 15, 2018), ski and snowboard equipment is transported free of charge. In addition to the main luggage, each passenger can bring two more cases to check-in: one with a pair of skis or snowboard and the second with boots. If you are flying economy class, your total weight should not exceed 23 kilograms.

Aeroflot is also friendly to those wishing to transport water skis, bicycles, hockey equipment, golf clubs, fishing gear, diving and surfing equipment. However, transportation and payment rules may vary, please find out about them before your trip.

"Russia"

On regular flights"Russia" transportation rules hand luggage, luggage and ski equipment are fully consistent with the “parent” company - Aeroflot. But on charters, conditions may differ; you can find out about them from the tour operator, who is the consolidator of the flight.

Where Rossiya flies: the main airports are Pulkovo in St. Petersburg and Vnukovo in Moscow. It is from them that most flights to other Russian cities are carried out.

S7 Airlines (“Siberia”)

With any ticket for S7 flights (regardless of whether you paid for baggage allowance or not), passengers can carry a set of skis or a snowboard with boots. The weight of equipment in economy class should not exceed 23 kilograms.

Where S7 Airlines flies: this airline has a lot of convenient destinations for skiers both in Russia and abroad.

Georgian Airways

If you want to go skiing and boarding in Bakuriani or Gudauri, you may want to consider flying with the Georgian airline Georgian Airways. For passengers from Russia and Ukraine, ski and snowboard equipment is transported free of charge.

Where Georgian Airways flies: flights to Georgia are operated from Moscow, Kazan and St. Petersburg.

Air Astana

If you decide to go skiing or boarding in the Almaty area - for example, at the Chimbulak or Ak-Bulak resorts, then you may be interested in Air Astana flights. Transportation of ski equipment is included in the ticket price; the total weight should not exceed the baggage allowance of your fare. Under the same conditions, you can check in equipment for tennis, squash, badminton, fishing, horse riding, roller skating, archery, surfing and kitesurfing. A separate rate exists for the transportation of canoes, bicycles, golf clubs and diving equipment.

Where Air Astana flies: flights to Kazakhstan are operated from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Magadan, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, St. Petersburg, Ulan-Ude, Khabarovsk and several other Russian cities.

Armenia

In Armenia there is one, but very decent ski resort, Tsakhkadzor. If you want to fly with Armenia Airlines, the transportation of ski or snowboard equipment must be agreed with the airline when purchasing a ticket. Transportation of equipment will not require additional payment if the total weight together with the rest of the luggage does not exceed the norm specified in the tariff. The same goes for transporting golf clubs.

Where Armenia flies: flights to Armenian cities are operated from rather “rare” Russian airports - Voronezh and Mineralnye Vody.

Payment for transportation of ski equipment depends on the tariff

Utair

Ticket holders of all tickets except the cheapest “Light” fare can transport sports equipment all year round: in principle, it does not include free baggage allowance and allows flights only with hand luggage. In economy class, the weight of ski equipment is limited to 23 kilograms.

Where Utair flies: the airline has an extensive route network in Russia and abroad.

"Ural Airlines"

At any time of the year, free transportation of sports equipment is allowed for all tariffs except “Promo”. Weight should not exceed 23 kilograms if you are flying in economy class.

Where do they fly? Ural Airlines": as the name suggests, this airline has many interesting destinations for skiers in the Urals, but not only that. For example, an airline flies from Moscow to Sochi.

Paid transportation of ski equipment

"Victory"

Pobeda Airlines charges an additional fee for transporting everything: hand luggage, baggage, and, of course, ski equipment. The weight of one case with skis or snowboards and other related equipment should not exceed 20 kilograms. If you pay for the transportation of ski equipment when purchasing a ticket on the airline’s website or through a call center, the price will be 1,499 rubles. If you have not done this in advance, then you will be asked to pay for this piece of luggage at the airport: in Russia it will cost four thousand rubles, abroad - 55 euros.

Where does Pobeda fly: in addition to flights to Sochi, there are many destinations in the Urals - Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Perm, Novosibirsk and others. And also Gyumri, Tbilisi and Alma-Ata in the “skiing” countries of the CIS.

There are no uniform rules for transporting ski equipment on airplanes; all airlines have their own conditions. Here we will look at the most common airline rules, but before departure (or better yet, before purchasing a ticket), ALWAYS check the rules for transporting skis with your airline. Search the website for information about sports or special luggage, or simply call the call center.
Below we describe our experience in transporting skis. various airlines but it was in different years, the rules may have changed, so be sure to check!

Will skis fly for free?

Low-cost airline companies keep ticket prices at the lowest by saving on everything, and especially on luggage. Typically, the lowest ticket price will not include any luggage at all, only carry-on luggage. You have to pay extra for the transportation of luggage separately, and significantly; often the additional payment for a piece of luggage immediately eats up all the savings on the ticket. Skis and snowboards are considered oversized luggage, and their transportation costs significantly more than a regular bag. Therefore, in most cases, low-cost airlines are not suitable for traveling with skis.

Usually, major airlines Ski equipment is transported free of charge, but subject to certain conditions:

  • a set of equipment means 1 pair of skis and 1 pair of boots (1 snowboard and 1 pair of snowboard boots) for 1 person, sometimes a helmet may be included in this list. Moreover, the weight of the equipment can either be included in the norm free transportation luggage (23-26 kg per person), or provided in excess of this norm. If you want to take two pairs of skis with you, for example, for piste and for virgin skis, the flight of the second ones will in any case be paid;
  • Free ski transportation is only available during the ski season. It varies from company to company, from about the end of November to mid-April. If you fly on a European airline in the summer, go to Chile or New Zealand, you will have to pay);
  • sometimes free ski flights need to be booked in advance. Just call or write to the e-mail indicated on the baggage rules page, indicate your reservation code and the number of sets. You can do this immediately after purchasing a ticket, or a week before departure;
  • skis must be packed correctly. Here, too, the requirements vary, but one thing remains the same: 1 ticket = 1 set, so each ski must be in a separate case. If the skis are packed in a case for 2 pairs, for the airline it will mean that one person is flying with two pairs of skis, and the second is simply without skis, so they will force you to pay.

How to pack skis for a flight

If skis are carried free of charge in addition to your normal baggage allowance, then boots are packed in a separate bag. That is, you should have 3 bags of checked luggage for each: 1 ski bag + 1 boot bag + 1 bag with luggage (not exceeding the baggage allowance) + hand luggage. 2 pairs of boots cannot be put in one bag for the same reasons as skis. It's stupid, of course, but there's no point in arguing.

If the skis are included in free rate luggage, you are entitled to free transportation of 2 bags of checked luggage: 1 bag with skis + 1 bag with luggage, where you will have to stuff your boots + hand luggage. In this case, the weight of the cover and luggage should not exceed the free allowance, for example, 23 kg. Hand luggage is not included in this allowance.

Save space, you can put a lot of things in your boots, such as socks, shaving accessories or bottles. Some things (fleece, gloves, etc.) can be put in a ski bag, having first covered the fastenings with cellophane (things can get dirty with grease). A helmet takes up a lot of space, so it is wiser to take it in hand luggage, as well as fragile things: masks, glasses, tablet, computer, camera. But t It is better to transport the thermos in luggage, otherwise at each check it will have to be opened and shown that it is empty. Walkie-talkies can be transported both in luggage and in hand luggage, but in a disassembled state, without batteries. Rules for using walkie-talkies in different countries Europe is very different. Before traveling, be sure to make sure that the use of walkie-talkies in your range is permitted in your destination country.

Our experience of flying with ski equipment

Austrian Airlines , 2015 Skis are flying free, reservation required, equipment in excess of baggage allowance (26 kg of baggage + set of skis and boots free of charge).

SAS , 2015. Transportation of skis costs 3,300 rubles. Meals on board are also paid, although the company does not belong to the budget segment. We do not recommend skiers to use this airline.

Air France , KLM, 2014 Skis - free, reservation required, equipment included in baggage allowance (i.e. 26 kg, including skis and boots).

Aeroflot , S7 , 2013. Skis - free.

Lufthansa , 2012 Skis free of charge, reservation required, equipment in excess of baggage allowance.

AirBerlin , 2011. Skis are free only to “ski destinations”, otherwise the transportation of skis is paid. We flew Moscow-Berlin-Milan, we had to pay for the Berlin-Milan segment.

Pobeda Airlines . We haven’t flown yet, but according to the information from the website, transportation of 1 piece of luggage is 999 rubles, transportation of 1 pair of skis is 999 rubles. for a ticket Moscow-Perm.

Once again, I remind you of the need to check the rules for transporting skis with your airline!

With the coming of the new ski season Many people are beginning to have questions about transporting equipment to a ski resort. It is impossible to answer all questions unambiguously, because the requirements of different companies differ, sometimes radically. In this article, we decided to summarize all the pressing issues, make a summary table of popular airlines and finally collect all the information about the transportation of skis and snowboards on airplanes.

Most often, the weight of ski equipment is about 10 kilograms. Some airlines count this weight as part of their total baggage allowance, but you may still be able to check in a bag to fill the gap.

There are companies that count luggage space and limit it by weight. That is, one bag with skis and equipment will just occupy one piece of luggage. As they wrote at the end of the article, in this case tourists fill all the free space of the case with their personal belongings.

Rules for transporting skis on Aeroflot and S7 aircraft

Aeroflot and S7 airlines have almost the same requirements for transporting skis.

One passenger has the right to carry one piece of baggage free of charge, no more than 32 kg (at S7 airline 32 kg is intended for business class fares and 23 kg for economy class). This standard may include:

  • One set of ski equipment. It includes one pair of skis with poles, a cover, as well as additional ski equipment: goggles, .
  • One set of snowboard equipment. Inventory in a case, also a pair of boots.
  • Hockey equipment - equipment and 2 sticks in a case.

Baggage weighing more than 32 kilograms will have to be paid at oversized rates. Standard size restrictions on three planes do not apply to skis, snowboards and other ski equipment!

Free transportation of skis on Aeroflot planes is possible only in winter, and this is one of the most loyal carriers for Russians. These rules also apply to Aeroflot codeshare flights from Rossiya and Aurora airlines.

Summary table with requirements and prices for transporting ski equipment from popular air carriers:

Carrier Freight cost Conditions Period Phone for information
Aeroflot For free Maximum 32 kg in total, any size. Included in 1 piece of luggage. from November 1 to May 15 8 800 444-55-55
S7 Business class 32 kg, economy class 23 kg and included in 1 piece of baggage. All year round 8 800 700 07 07
Lufthansa Report your intention to transport skis at least 24 hours in advance. Economy class 23 kg, business and first class 32 kg. Light class tickets are available for a fee. +7 495 411 8444
Swiss +7 495 411 84 43
Austrian Airlines Limit 23 kg +7 495 705 91 04
Air France Up to 23 kg economy, 32 business class. The size of the sum of three dimensions is no more than 300 cm. +7 495 411 66 55
Airberlin from 50 to 180 Euro Weight no more than 20 kg, overall size is not limited. 8 800 5550737
Czech Airlines from 15 Euro Weight up to 15 kg. Dimensions for the sum of three sides should not exceed 158 cm.

If something does not agree with the size and weight standards, then contact support at least 36 hours before departure. The air carrier will easily allocate additional luggage space, but for an additional fee.

Low-cost companies try to save on everything, so most often you will have to pay extra for ski equipment. There is a clear relationship between the cost of a plane ticket and the possibility of transporting oversized ski and snowboard equipment.

Popular questions

How to transport ski poles on an airplane?

The poles are included with the skis, so pack them in the ski bag without any hassle. Remember that some airlines have a free carriage rule: 1 person - 1 set of ski equipment. We do not recommend packing several sets in one case. But there are exceptions, so in any case, call the support service in advance, book an additional piece of luggage, or inform them that you will be carrying oversized luggage.

What is the best way to put your skis in a case to avoid damage during the flight?

A cover is required. Simply tying your skis and poles together with tape will not work; many companies require you to wrap them with something additional. And so everything is simple - if the weight is not standardized, then fill the case with additional clothes of your own: sweatshirts, glasses, some other equipment. Firstly, it will be denser, and secondly, you will save on the weight of luggage or hand luggage.

Just be careful with the edges of your skis, they can cut your clothes. There are ways to avoid this.

Where to drop off and pick up skis at the airport?

Most often, a separate terminal or rack is allocated to accept oversized cargo. You will also receive it at a separate counter, and not on the belt with regular luggage. And don’t forget that the language will take you to Kyiv, just ask the airport staff.