This Monday we will celebrate Memorial Day, the official kick-off of summer. Over the next several weeks schools will dismiss children for their summer recess and many families will begin to travel with their children on a vacation they have been planning, budgeting and saving for.
This summer, with prices increasing for everything from milk to motor oil, a traveling family of 4 will find themselves digging a little deeper if they are planning to check 2 bags per person on their trip. As of May 5, 2008, US based carriers are now charging $25 each direction for a second checked bag. Of course there are exceptions to that rule particularly if you are traveling in FIRST CLASS, on full fare coach ticket or have met the Silver, Gold or Platinum (terms will vary by carrier) requirements of your frequent flyer program.
For summer travelers , this should not be an issue. Many simply are going on a cruise or to the beach and will have little more than shorts, t-shirts and bathing suits to pack. However, come ski and snowboard season, it will be a whole new ball game.
Consider this, the average skier checks his or her skis, boots and one piece of luggage. The skis and boots, according to the airlines, will still be considered 1 piece of checked baggage. In an attempt to minimize damage to their skis and snowboards, many wrap their equipment with ski jackets, pants, sweaters and turtlenecks. The key here is to watch your BULK and weight! Exceed the 50 pound limit and you will certainly be hit with an over-weight surcharge averaging $100 each direction. Exceed the total linear inches mandated by the carrier and you could face an additional surcharge. And if you are checking a suitcase, you could find yourself paying $200 or more to take your skis with you.
So how is a savvy traveler going to get around this challenge? One might consider taking a smaller roll-on with their clothing as a carry-on, but that again can come back to haunt you. Several carriers have tightened the reins on what is a legal sized carry-on and are actively implementing it. Northwest airlines specifically states that you will be permitted one carry on item on certain flights (this is clearly stated on their website http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/carryon.html ). This doesn't mean a personal item like a purse or diaper bag and a roll-on, it means one or the other – period!
As carriers continue to down size their fleets, in an attempt to leave fewer open seats, they are also utilizing smaller planes. As a result, the smaller, more compact overhead storage areas cannot accommodate an over-stuffed carry-on. I mention this because I was recently a victim of my own efficiency. In order to save time on a recent weekend trip I packed everything into a regulation sized carry-on and had only a small purse with me. My husband had a personal item, his laptop, and a carry on as well. When the pre-boarding announcements were made, we were informed that we would have to check our bag prior to getting on the plane and then it would be returned to us when we arrived in our connection city. Although we were not assessed a checked baggage surcharge, we did have to wait 10 minutes until all of the "checked baggage" was brought up to the walkway. By advising people of this while they are still in the boarding area, an airline can decrease the amount of time it takes to board a plane (since there are fewer people trying to push oversized pieces of luggage into the overhead storage areas) and increase their on-time departure rating.
So how can you travel on a ski vacation this winter without having to take out a small loan to get you baggage there? There are two easy answers – ship your clothing or rent skis! Although both options will cost you something, more than likely it will not cost you as much as you think! Let’s compare the options. Last year a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids under 12) traveling from Birmingham, AL to Steamboat Springs, CO for a long weekend of skiing mid-January paid $2750. Their package included air (on a special Kids Fly Free promotion), lodging in a 2 Bedroom ski-in/out condo, lift tickets for 3 days and roundtrip shuttle service. They each brought a set of skis and a piece of luggage. This year, using the same parameters the package could run them $3700 plus an additional $80-100 each way if they decided to check their skis and luggage. At $4340 - 4500 they are likely to opt putting the kids in day care and simply say "NO THANK YOU!!"
So how can you get the price back to something that a skiing family can manage? GET CREATIVE! Ski rental for 3 days for the family will run about $300 which will save them about $500. Opting to bring your equipment with you but consolidate by packing your clothes around your skis and boots (remember to watch your weight, going over 50 pounds will cost you) is yet another creative way to cut costs. By consolidating the amount of clothing you bring and utilizing the washer dryer in the unit (if applicable) or complex (just about every complex has at least one set per building) and carrying on 4 smaller suitcases, they could possibly bring the trip cost right back to $3700.
It is important to remember that each carrier has their own policy for carry-on baggage and personal items. Although the price of the checking that extra piece of luggage varies, it will still cost you something. The policy of what constitute ski equipment has not changed your skis and boot bag will still count as one piece of luggage. But remember what you have packed inside that bag may determine if that bag will cost you $25, $50, $80 or $100.
In future articles we will try to read through the fine print of the Baggage Policies of American, Continental, Delta/Northwest, United and USAir. We will also compare the cost of shipping your clothing and/or skis to the resort and how to make the best of something that is not likely to go away any time in the near future.
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Have a great day and as always…….
THINK SNOW!!
