Ski equipment on board Delta Airlines aircraft?
The winter holidays start in February. Do you plan to reach the slopes, in France or abroad, by plane with your skis or your snowboard? You can put them in the hold but it is sometimes paying.
Are you planning to fly Delta Airlines with your pair of skis or your snowboard to reach your resort, in the United States or abroad, during the winter holidays? What is sure and certain is that Delta Air Lines accepts your equipment in the hold.
Skis or snowboards are counted as checked baggage. You can take them on condition that you do not exceed the maximum lengths and weights, which differ from one company to another.
A passenger taking a Delta Air Lines flight at any fare is entitled to carry his ski equipment of 292cm (all dimensions combined) and a maximum weight of 50 IBS (23kg). The traveler must pay a supplement if his ski equipment does not meet the requirements of the American airline in terms of weight or size.
Flying with your ski equipment: A few updates
– Shoe bags never count as checked baggage, provided they accompany a pair of skis or a snowboard and the bag only contains shoes.
– Ski and snowboard bags are subject to the same set of rules as “ordinary” baggage and must, in fact, comply with the specific and individual regulations of the airline.
– Like the vast majority of airlines, Delta Airlines considers skis and snowboards to be standard checked baggage. Regarding the weight, you should generally not exceed 23 kg. Note that sometimes a maximum size should not be exceeded.
Unfortunately, aside from these generalities, airlines differ in their restrictions (size and weight) as well as the cost of checking “ski/snowboard” baggage. So, as with any other piece of luggage, the price to check in your ski equipment depends first and foremost on the airline you plan to travel on.
Some tips for traveling less loaded
Between skis, boots, poles, helmets, masks, gloves, safety glasses, jackets and pants, the least we can say is that in terms of size, the equipment needed to practice skiing is unquestionably in the XXL category, to the point of discouraging more than one when packing their suitcases to go skiing on the other side of the country.
The temptation is great to bring your latest trendy jeans or that jacket that makes you look so good, but will you really wear them during your stay in the resort? Is it really useful to carry around three pairs of shoes? Take only what you need, favor practical clothes that you can wear independent of the context.
– Don’t be fooled by deceptive appearances
Don’t be intimidated by the volume of your neatly folded ski outfit in your closet. Most snow clothes are very light and easily packable. Slowly fold jackets and pants, making sure to squeeze all the air out of them. Pants can be rolled up and down to the size of a packet of coffee. Similarly, jackets can be “compressed” significantly. Another tip: fold your jacket a few days before your departure and put your suitcase on it. This will force the air out of it and significantly reduce its volume.
– Be smart
Although airlines including Delta Air Lines stipulate that ski boot bags must only contain boots, we highly doubt they will sue you if you also slip a pair of socks or any other small accessories such as your gloves or your ski mask (which will in fact be well protected).
– Fill your ski bag to the maximum
Unlike shoe bags, the use of ski bags is not exclusively reserved for the transport of skis. You can therefore slip in some additional objects/clothing/accessories. Put on as many small ones as possible (hat, gloves, socks, après-ski) but also why not your ski outfit (jacket + pants). This will save as much space in your suitcase.
– Check rental offers on site
Some destinations / hotels offer equipment rental free of charge or at a reduced price when you book accommodation, a great way to avoid unnecessary clutter.
– Get your money back
Check with your hotel/residence to see if they offer reimbursements for costs associated with transporting ski and snowboard equipment or general baggage fees. Some hotels offer “checked baggage credits” in the form of a discount to help customers cover travel costs incurred by their equipment.
– Can you ship your equipment in advance?
We have seen all the options for traveling with your equipment, but what about shipping options? If it is comfortable to arrive at the hotel and find your equipment there ready, previously dispatched a few days earlier, this option is much more expensive and you obviously have to pack and ship your equipment at least a week at ten days before your ski trip.