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How to pack skis for airline travel?

post #1 of 76
2/9/08 at 1:32pm
Thread Starter 
We're going to Denver in 1 week and this is my 1st time to take skis along. This is also my first set so I don't want them abused by the airlines.

My travel case is made by Sportube and can house 2 sets but I'm only bringing one. I have a new travel bag by Transpack for my boots, goggles etc., and it's going on the plane with me.

We're travelling on American. I think they're going to make me check the skis rather than carry them on. Should I use foam rubber to keep them from moving around inside the container or should I just strap them in with the supplied mountings? Anything that I'm missing?
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post #2 of 76
2/9/08 at 1:55pm
I do nothing more than strapped my two pairs of skis into a dual padded ski bag, using the straps of the ski bag. I would not do any additional padding, as the TSA will open the ski bag and you don't want to confuse those idiots.
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post #3 of 76
2/9/08 at 2:03pm
2 inch pieces of foam pipe insulation (tube type avail at home depot for less than a buck a tube) do wonders for protecting the side of your tips and tails. Stay on with a rubber band and slide on easy coz they have a cut on 1 end and, even the TSA people are smart enough to recognize those (well maybe)
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post #4 of 76
2/9/08 at 2:21pm
Put the one pair in your sportube and stuff the other side with Newpaper. I have had the airlines bend 2 pair of skis in their conveyor system plus they throw them in a pile into a cart to take them to the plane. No foam is going to help when they get forced into the conveyr system and get hung up and one skis bends!
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post #5 of 76
2/9/08 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
Put the one pair in your sportube and stuff the other side with Newpaper. I have had the airlines bend 2 pair of skis in their conveyor system plus they throw them in a pile into a cart to take them to the plane. No foam is going to help when they get forced into the conveyr system and get hung up and one skis bends!
point well explained...I should have said that...foam ain't gonna beat a conveyor belt!

or even better...
UPS or FEDEX to your destination
guaranteed delivery
trackable
insurable
hassle free
relatively inexpensive if you go ground (requires a bit of pre-planning)
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post #6 of 76
2/9/08 at 2:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by makwendo99 View Post
point well explained...I should have said that...foam ain't gonna beat a conveyor belt!

or even better...
UPS or FEDEX to your destination
guaranteed delivery
trackable
insurable
hassle free
relatively inexpensive if you go ground (requires a bit of pre-planning)
I've done that too when we had multiple pairs to go to a race. (jackson Hole)

I think the shorter skis of today can more awkwardly get caught in the baggage systems.
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post #7 of 76
2/9/08 at 5:23pm
Pack some of your extra clothes around the skis.
As far as the Transpack, you'll need to make sure you don't pack much in the middle (try to leave empty if you can) otherwise it won't fit in the overhead bin.
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post #8 of 76
2/10/08 at 4:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by agent.5 View Post
I do nothing more than strapped my two pairs of skis into a dual padded ski bag, using the straps of the ski bag. I would not do any additional padding, as the TSA will open the ski bag and you don't want to confuse those idiots.
FYI, the security folks at SFO are not TSA.
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post #9 of 76
2/10/08 at 8:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjohansson View Post
FYI, the security folks at SFO are not TSA.
True, but all the independent contractors in the Screening Partnership Program need to follow protocol and standards established by TSA...They still open ski/snowboard bags.
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post #10 of 76
2/10/08 at 8:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
Put the one pair in your sportube and stuff the other side with Newpaper.
Empty soda/tonic bottle, with the cap back on, tight>>bubblewrap.
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post #11 of 76
2/10/08 at 9:01am
Quote:
Originally Posted by comprex View Post
Empty soda/tonic bottle, with the cap back on, tight>>bubblewrap.
Sounds like a great idea, but are the cargo holds of commercial passenger aircraft pressurized????

You may have an exploding Sportube on your hands when they reach 35,000 feet!:
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post #12 of 76
2/10/08 at 9:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
Sounds like a great idea, but are the cargo holds of pcommercial passenger aircraft pressurized????

You may have an exploding Sportube on your hands when they reach 35,000 feet!:

Hasn't happened yet. :
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post #13 of 76
2/10/08 at 9:29am
Here's a great thread on ariline travel for skiers:
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...airline+travel
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post #14 of 76
2/10/08 at 9:53am
You know, that kinda begs the question. What happens to closed-cell foam at FL350 without pressurization?
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post #15 of 76
2/10/08 at 4:56pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the infomation! I hope this is worth the performance benefit over rentals.

I like the idea of putting my ski pants and heavier clothing in with the skis along with pipe insulation. I have plenty of 2 liter bottles but no bubble wrap yet. I'll start the packing adventure tonight.

They'll be replacing bent skis if I can help it! BTW, I really hope this doesn't happen. I had $1200 of luggage lost once before. What a pain!
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post #16 of 76
2/10/08 at 5:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
Sounds like a great idea, but are the cargo holds of commercial passenger aircraft pressurized????

You may have an exploding Sportube on your hands when they reach 35,000 feet!:
The luggage compartment is within the pressure hull of the aircraft.
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post #17 of 76
2/10/08 at 5:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jmar View Post
Thanks for the infomation! I hope this is worth the performance benefit over rentals.

I like the idea of putting my ski pants and heavier clothing in with the skis along with pipe insulation. I have plenty of 2 liter bottles but no bubble wrap yet. I'll start the packing adventure tonight.

They'll be replacing bent skis if I can help it! BTW, I really hope this doesn't happen. I had $1200 of luggage lost once before. What a pain!
Good Luck proving the airline bent them:!

I would never pack any of my ski clothes in with my ski clothes. Maybe put the clothes in plastic bags. Concern? Wax, grease, dirt, edges? And would not even do it then because of the edges and bindings damaging expensive ski clothes.
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post #18 of 76
2/10/08 at 5:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
Sounds like a great idea, but are the cargo holds of commercial passenger aircraft pressurized????
Is that a serious question? I know you aren't dumb, but that is a really, really dumb question.

Sportubes are heavy, clunky, annoying. Read your contract of carriage. Does it cover ski damage? Yes? Use a reasonable ski bag.

Big tip: Travel on airlines that hire and train their own baggage handlers. Fly on some POS legacy carrier with outsourced illegals throwing your bags around and you get what you pay for.
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post #19 of 76
2/10/08 at 6:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Garrett View Post
Is that a serious question? I know you aren't dumb, but that is a really, really dumb question.

Sportubes are heavy, clunky, annoying. Read your contract of carriage. Does it cover ski damage? Yes? Use a reasonable ski bag.

Big tip: Travel on airlines that hire and train their own baggage handlers. Fly on some POS legacy carrier with outsourced illegals throwing your bags around and you get what you pay for.
First off it was a joke Moron! I know nothing is gonna explode in the cargo hold. what the hell is wrong with you?

2ndly Mr. Always Condescending Know It All, How ya gonna prove they bent them! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Mr. all knowing , all seeing, guru of everything, have you dealt with an airline claim lately????


If you consider Alaska Airlines some small POS airline (The only one to fly to some ski areas) then you are just too cool: for all of us on Epic:

And I disagree with you here Mr. Brain. Double Sportube works much better then a shitty ski bag. How much traveling have you actually done with skis?:
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post #20 of 76
2/10/08 at 6:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
Mr. all knowing , all seeing, guru of everything, have you dealt with an airline claim lately????
No, see comment about not flying on POS airlines.
Quote:
And I disagree with you here Mr. Brain. Double Sportube works much better then a shitty ski bag. How much traveling have you actually done with skis?:
Did the airport shuffle with skis 10 times last year. You?

Sportubes are gaper gear, plain and simple.
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post #21 of 76
2/10/08 at 6:51pm
Airlines hate skis.

Let me repeat:

Airlines HATE skis.

I work in a shop here in JH and I've seen many, many vacations ruined, delayed or even missed because some baggage tossing chump in Chicago didn't feel like rushing to the next connection.

At the very least pack your boots into a carry on with your shell & pants. Maybe gloves.

How the pros do it:

UPS your skis to a shop or the front desk of the hotel/property management company for delivery to your room/condo a a few days/ a week ahead of time. Most hotels have a bellhop room or some storage room for this purpose.

Don't trust your skis to the airlines. Who cares about a sport tube? If they are three days late into a seven day vacation, you're screwed.

I see it every day.

Just not to me.
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post #22 of 76
2/10/08 at 7:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Garrett View Post
No, see comment about not flying on POS airlines.

Did the airport shuffle with skis 10 times last year. You?

Sportubes are gaper gear, plain and simple.
yeah, I'm a real gaper:

I will never use a really cool nylon bag again! it is a sporttube all the way for me!

Can't wait till they ruin your skis. Of course you won't tell us when it happens.
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post #23 of 76
2/10/08 at 7:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skiing-in-Jackson View Post
Airlines hate skis.

Let me repeat:

Airlines HATE skis.

I work in a shop here in JH and I've seen many, many vacations ruined, delayed or even missed because some baggage tossing chump in Chicago didn't feel like rushing to the next connection.

At the very least pack your boots into a carry on with your shell & pants. Maybe gloves.

How the pros do it:

UPS your skis to a shop or the front desk of the hotel/property management company for delivery to your room/condo a a few days/ a week ahead of time. Most hotels have a bellhop room or some storage room for this purpose.

Don't trust your skis to the airlines. Who cares about a sport tube? If they are three days late into a seven day vacation, you're screwed.

I see it every day.

Just not to me.
Shipped skis to Mammoth ahead of time. They showed up late, late, late! Unfortunatley, no foolproof method. I have never had skis that I checked, not show up.

Apparantly Garrett Airways handles skis in nylon bags like gold!:
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post #24 of 76
2/10/08 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post

Can't wait till they ruin your skis. Of course you won't tell us when it happens.
LOL

We ship skis UPS/FedEx all the time- both flat and w/ bindings in cardboard boxes and never see any problems. If they were my skis, Id wrap the bindings, tips and tails in bubble wrap and be done with it.

I recap:

Ship right to the front desk and grease the Concierge. Don't ship unless you call them first.
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post #25 of 76
2/10/08 at 7:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skiing-in-Jackson View Post
Ship right to the front desk and grease the Concierge. Don't ship unless you call them first.
Holy Gapicski Batman. Concierge? Is that a resort in France?
Quote:
I work in a shop here in JH and I've seen many, many vacations ruined, delayed or even missed
Ruined? Missed?

Skis are a dime a dozen. There aren't any skis available to rent in JH? News to me. Irreplaceable gear walks into the tube with me. If you leave your boots in a checked bag you deserve what you get.
Quote:
We ship skis UPS/FedEx all the time- both flat and w/ bindings in cardboard boxes and never see any problems.
You don't ship skis that much then. I've seen skis trashed by all of the above as well as truck freight and airlines. Airlines certainly lead the way in screwups, but UPS/FedEx/DHL aren't perfect. Filing claims with any of the above can be a pain in the ass, or it can go really smoothly. The only organization I know of where claims are ALWAYS a pain in the ass is the USPS.

Given enough opportunities with any form of transport, something bad is going to happen.
Quote:
Originally Posted by a-man
Can't wait till they ruin your skis. Of course you won't tell us when it happens.
Sure I will. I'll probably get more money out of whoever screws up than I spent on the gear. I'll probably get an excuse to ski on something else for a few days. And if not, well, at least I didn't drag a flippin' gapertube around with me for the last ten years. Don't see any reason why I wouldn't tell you.

And just for relevance, I put my skis in a double Dakine Concourse, "185cm" size. It swallows up my 193 Blowers, 207 skinny skis, 187 GS skis, and a couple pair of poles all quite comfortably and under 50 lbs.
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post #26 of 76
2/10/08 at 7:53pm
I've taken my skis with me on flights west probably 25 times over the years. Just put in a standard ski bag - no special protection. Never had damage and they never got lost or arrived late.
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post #27 of 76
2/10/08 at 8:19pm
That is just a Sportube with a Knuckledragger label on it, that makes you cool: ?
I bet you got the one with the psychedelic pattern on it!:
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post #28 of 76
2/10/08 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Atomicman View Post
That is just a Sportube with a Knuckledragger label on it, that makes you cool: ?
I bet you got the one with the psychedelic pattern on it!:
It is just a padded bag. Mine is navy and black, picked it up 4 or 5 years ago. Looks like it will make it another couple years at least.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimH
I've taken my skis with me on flights west probably 25 times over the years. Just put in a standard ski bag - no special protection. Never had damage and they never got lost or arrived late.
Sounds right. I like the Dakine bag for the wheels. I don't know if I could do a bag without wheels now that I'm spoiled.
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post #29 of 76
2/11/08 at 5:38am
I have used a plain old nylon bag many times. I wrap the tips, tails and bindings in towels w/duct tape to secure them. Never had any damage and never been lost. Knock on wood.

I am thinking of getting the padded Dakine bag that Garrett has. Anyone else have any experience with this bag?
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post #30 of 76
2/11/08 at 7:02am
There is no foolproof method of traveling with skis. I have used several different varieties of bags for my wife , son and I. Last year I had two sets of skis damaged in Dakine bags. The material was sliced through (as if with a knife) on one and the binding was exposed. It was ruined. The other bag looked like it had been dragged behind a car for 20 miles. The binding was bent beyond repair. The airlines replaced the bags, but they say they are not responsible for damage to sporting goods if it is not in a hard case.

So, my wife got a single sporttube for her skis. She loves it. Appears very durable and has worked well on 3 trips so far... except once when the TSA inspectors forgot to put the pin back in that holds the two section together. The skis arrived with about 2 inches of ski showing in the middle where the sections had come apart. Luckily no damage.

Bottom line... the airlines don't care about skis. Pack them up as best you can. I now use a cheap foam sleeping pad around the bindings inside the padded double Dakine bag.
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