Steve Haigh wrote in message ...
Ace wrote:
On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 23:45:29 -0000, "Alastair Mackinnon"
wrote:


I've always driven to the Alps, but I'm taking an extra break and flying,
for a change. (Mark Warner, flying with Excel) I've just weighed my boots
and they'll take a quarter of my 20kg!

How flexible are airlines (Excel, in particular) about the 20kg limit? Are
they likely to let me take the boots on as hand luggage?


While different airlines have different policies you can be lucky or
unlucky with the same airline. I can just about get my bag containig
everything except my skis down to about 20kg (if you are a couple of
kilos over they never charge). I only once been charged on airlines
(other than ski bag charges when flying charter). That occasion was 2
years ago when flying Scot Airways from Dundee to London City (before
taking the Eurostar), The baggage allowance was ridiculously low (14kg
I think) and on the way out they weighed my skis so I got whacked with
about 15kg of excess, the reason was that as it was a small plane
(about 30 seats and 10 passengers) they had less space for excess
luggage, the arguement that they also had less passengers whose
luggage they needed to take was ignored. On the way back at London
City no charge was made.

Last year I booked to go British Midland to London and phoned up about
their policy with skis, and was told that the dimension limit on
luggage is waved for them but they are included in the weight
allowance. They also read the rest of their rules concerning ski
luggage and it incluuded "Ski boots are not allowed to be worn in the
cabin" the operator wondered why that was required but possibly
someone has tried it. I don't know how the rules are applied in
practice as I broke my thumb skiing the Lecht a week before I left and
had to cancel.

Travel as light as you can, wear as much as you can without being too
uncomfortable (thick jumper/2 thin ones, ski jacket with gloves in
pockets etc), you will find that 20kg including boots but not skis is
possible as long as you don't require boot dryers, hair dryer,
different ski outfit for every day etc. Alternatively go to North
America where luggage restrictions are much more generous!
The closer to the limit you are the more likely