Cheapest way to Bring skis on a trip?

You don't need a ski bag. Just wrap the top and bottom tightly with saran wrap and check them. You cannot bring your skis on the airplane. Travel would be very difficult if people were allowed to carry that shit on. You do more to your skis when they are clipped on your feet than the handlers will, unless you are a total gaper.

Ship them to me and then pick them up from me.

ship them to where your staying.

Just rent. You will get a selection of skis to choose from and so long as you go for the damage waiver you can ride them like rentals. Look at it as a way of demoing skis.

tomPietrowskiJust rent. You will get a selection of skis to choose from and so long as you go for the damage waiver you can ride them like rentals. Look at it as a way of demoing skis.

Screw that. Most demo/rental bindings a. are thrashed b. ride like shit, even if they're on really nice skis.

Surely renting will cost considerably more than flying your skis out there and back, most airlines have pretty good options for taking skis, read the small print on their website.

Otherwise, as suggested, maybe ship them to your accommodation a few days beforehand?

No, they are just charged like your first bag.

Do not check another bag. Be prepared to have your boots travel alone as just boots. And pay like you are checking one bag. Stick up for yourself and make sure the boots go free. Put clothes in with your skis. Carry a small suitcase that fits overhead and don't be a woman bringing too much shit.


Simple stuff here. The 25 dollar first checked bag fee to United isn't gonna break your trip.

rozboonScrew that. Most demo/rental bindings a. are thrashed b. ride like shit, even if they're on really nice skis.

Surely renting will cost considerably more than flying your skis out there and back, most airlines have pretty good options for taking skis, read the small print on their website.

Otherwise, as suggested, maybe ship them to your accommodation a few days beforehand?

I guess it depend where you are renting. Here in whistler we have most of te skis we sell in the shops as demo rentals and tees have things like griffon demo bindings so they are as good if not better then a lot of people's skis.

Well Depending on where your going it costs $30-40 fedex each way. So if that's cheaper than baggage fees do that

Switch to southwest. Free baggage including ski bags. In fact, last I knew, a ski bag and a boot bag counted as "one" bag.

bunch of dumb crap in this thread...

What airline are you flying? If it's not southwest, you may have to pay for your ski bag. Regardless of the airline, a ski bag + boot bag counts as regular checked luggage, and should not have an overage fee or anything like that. Golf clubs fall under this as well. Bikes and surfboards do not. That said, don't put your boots in a bag and check them. Assuming you have boots that you like, and fit you well, you don't want to risk the airline losing them. Skis are easily replaceable and having to demo for a day or two if yours get lost isn't a huge deal. Having to ski in rental boots, however, sucks balls.

Pack your skis in a ski bag. Pack as much other clothing as you can around the skis, which will pad them, and save you a lot of space in your overhead bag. I usually put my boots in a small overhead suitcase with goggles and whatever else i can cram in there. Other than that, laptop if I need it for work, and other small stuff in my dakine pack, with my helmet strapped to it, which goes under the seat. That setup should cost you no more than $25 each way on any airline in the US, and all your most important stuff is with you on the plane, not in the cargo bay, so you've got the essentials with you as soon as you land.

The above assumes that you have suitable all mountain skis. If you've just got some shitty park skis, screw it and demo stuff.