My Late Deals has identified the airlines that allow you to carry your equipment for free, those that take it out of your baggage allowance, those that charge and the associated fee, whether you need to pre book, the equipment that is included and any restrictions.
My Late Deals has identified Swiss Airlines as the best airline for skiers and snowboarders. Swiss Airlines allow passengers to carry ski or snowboard equipment for free, don’t take it out of their existing baggage allowance and there is no need to pre book.
Swiss Airlines are closely followed by Eurowings. They also allow passengers to bring their equipment for free and don’t take it out of their baggage allowance. The only difference is that although you are not required to pre book it is strongly recommended to pre book with Eurowings as carriage is dependent on availability.
The most expensive airline for ski carriage is Ryanair. Ryanair charges £45.00 per passenger, per direction when booked in advance.
The airlines that don’t charge but take it out of your baggage allowance:
- Air France
- Alitalia
- Austrian Airlines
- British Airways
- Finnair
- KLM
- Lufthansa
- SAS
The airlines that charge and the fee per passenger, per direction, booked in advance:
- Ryanair - £45.00
- TUI - £40.00 (minimum)
- EasyJet - £37.00
- Aer Lingus - €40.00
- Iberia (Unless traveling long haul) - €40.00
- Norwegian - £30.00- £35.00 on short flights. £50.00 on long haul.
- Wizz Air - €30.00
- Flybe - £30.00
- Jet2 - £30.00
Booking in advance
The research also shows that booking ski carriage in advance will not only save time at the airport but will also save you money with the majority of airlines. For example Aer Lingus charge a €40 fee prior to departure or a fee of €50 payable through the Aer Lingus reservations centre at the airport on the day of departure.
The majority of airlines don’t require pre booking but there are a few that do require advance notice. It’s necessary to pre book ski carriage for the following airlines: Austrian, Flybe, Jet2, KLM, SAS and TUI. It’s also strongly advised to prebook on Eurowings, Lufthansa and Wizzair as it might not be guaranteed. Finnair also require travelers to prebook if travelling in a group of ten or more people who will be taking ski/snowboard equipment.