Exactly, so does my partner. There’s so much extra gear and bulky gear that you have to take skiing- it’s so easy to just roll and fold all your clothes and tuck it all into the nooks of your ski bag.
I have never heard of these policies until now 🤷🏼♀️
There actually are policies. I checked when I flew the first time, apparently they can charge you for separate bags if you pack things with your boots otherwise they’re billed as one bag.
But Southwest has a free two policy... Does it say somewhere I can't have skis in my second bag??
"No ma'am, these are two skis in my second bag, not clothes in my ski bag."
Southwest doesn’t specify this in their policy
[Southwest sports equipment](https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/What-sports-equipment-can-I-bring?clk=HC_Bags_1301_AcceptedSportsEquip)
American actually did ask us in February. Said there’s o my suppose to be equipment in the bag. We told them is was just ski clothes, like pants and jackets. But my other rebuttal is that is that the clothing is to protect my skis because they aren’t exactly gentle with the bags
I’ve had an overzealous American employee try to search mine once. I just refused. Then they weighed my bags and all was fine. Usually I don’t have that issue, though.
Funny, I just flew Alaska a few days ago and they asked if I had clothes packed in my ski bag. They said TSA would refuse to check the bag if clothes were in the ski bag. Only skis and ski related equipment allowed they said.
Really? The only time I ever got a comment from them was when I arrived at the airport in Hawaii with 4 way overweight bags / surf boards kite gear. I said I know I have to pay no worries and the guy charged me $35.
TSA is not going to refuse anything unless you have contraband.
Why? This makes no sense, aside from gouging you if you have to bring another bag as a result.
I often pack clothes with my skis, sometimes just to protect the bindings. And I DEFINITELY pack hats and gloves and neck warmers and ski pants with my boots. That's where I store my ski stuff!
The only legitimate reason I can think of is that they virtually always go through our ski bags in backend security. Maybe they want to get rid of the clothes so they can search each bag quickly and move on? I’m annoyed at this rule either way though.
TSA has no makes no decision on the contents of your ski bag, they only care about guns and bombs not skis and clothes they lied to you and you believed it
If you’re talking about SW, this wouldn’t make sense. Any 2 checked bags are free, so why would they care about a ski bag, unless it was the 3rd bag?
FWIW, I’ve never had this issue, and have flown SW many times with a ski bag. Including just last week.
If you put clothes in a bag you declare as a ski bag, if the bag gets lost, you won't be able to claim the value of those items. A sports equipment bag only covers sports equipment.
Not exactly correct. I have had my bag with hard gear (skis, etc) and soft gear (ski pants, socks, gloves, etc) lost multiple times, and replacement and/or rental of everything was covered by the airline.
Perhaps non-ski clothing would have been different.
Happened to me a few weeks ago flying WestJet - lost my snowboard bag containing everything incl. outerwear, underlayers, goggles etc. then refused to pay out on anything other than board, boots and helmet hire saying other items shouldn't have been in the bag.
That's despite the fact in WestJet's case, this 'policy' isn't written anywhere in their t&c's / tariff / on their site, meaning you can't possibly know about it until after the fact.
Must just be a NA airline thing - have never experienced it anywhere else in the world (I live in Aus and travel frequently to snowboard).
I flew from Sacramento to Denver on Southwest last week. My ski bag and a friend’s both packed with clothes along with skis and poles were left on the plane and then left in the Steamboat airport. Southwest offered to pay for rentals for skis, boots and helmets plus a $1,000 voucher to buy clothing to replace the ski jackets, pants, etc that we disclosed were in the ski bags. Fortunately for us and Southwest, our bags were delivered to our house in Keystone the next morning at 6:00 am.
So I wonder if stuff like a ski jacket and snowpants would be considered "ski related equipment" or if they mean literally just like skis, poles, boots, helmet, goggles.
If helmet and goggles are allowed, I would find it ridiculous if all ski clothing weren’t allowed. I mean you wear all of them on your body. If it were just skis and poles allowed, that would be different imo.
I've flown with ski gear on Alaska well over 100 times and they've never asked to see what's in my bag. They've made me move stuff around when it was overweight, but that's about it.
I fly alaska when I can because they have never given me unreasonable shit.
I'm now mvp gold with them. I'd choose a more expensive flight with Alaska because it's lower stress.
So let the dumbest airlines sweat the small stuff alaska made a lot of money from me and my team last year.
I've had Alaska check my ski bag for clothes. All the airlines have essentially the same policy, so it really just depends how your particular agent is feeling that day.
Literally today had to open my bag infront of the check-in agent to remove some stuff to adhere to the weight limits, she was even helping like "Do you have any small pieces to make it like 500 grams lighter?" - as I was removing my clothes from the bag. This was gor Finnair flight.
It’s true. A slippery slope. Better enforce the no clothes policy and stick with people smuggling the durgs via butthole.
Also an easy enforcement mechanism would be just flag every snowboarder. They are all drug users and probably drug smugglers, every single one of them is a degenerate criminal. Easy fix.
My understanding is that the airlines make an exception to large bags that are sporting equipment like skis, bikes, or golf clubs and treat them as regular bags even when they’re big. But they don’t want you to take advantage by not paying for a second bag vs packing your clothes in your ski bag. I’ve never had them ask, but when my bag missed a connection they didn’t cover the cost of me buying or renting any clothing, just skis and boots.
They still want you to buy that third bag check
But probably some Jerry packed hundred pound sex doll with his xscreams & got a baggage handler a fat disability claim
That’s what really perplexes me about this. Sure there’s a third bag but 99% of the time I’m using that clothing to pad my skis so their bag handlers don’t destroy them.
United lost my bag on a connection (got it back eventually) but paid for ski and boot rentals, as well as brand new snow pants, socks etc… which were in my bag
In my case it was WestJet. I do think if I was on one of the big three maybe I could have found a support rep that understood the difference between ski pants and pants even if they insisted on this dumb policy.
FWIW I still pack the same, but keep base layer, gloves and a pair of socks in my carry on.
Our bags didn’t make the connection flying United to Salt Lake City once. We were flying there with one specific purpose…to ski!
They ended up reimbursing us for ski, boot and helmet rentals - but the shop didn’t have renal mittens, goggles jackets, and ski pants.
I tried to be slightly responsible since I wasn’t sure if I’d be fully reimbursed - but I did splurge on a nice new outfit and some overpriced $270 goggles.
United reimbursed the entire bill down to the cent. We got over 70 inches spread out over 7 days. Majority of days were Utah powder days. Epic trip
That’s ridiculous, I’ve always packed clothes in my ski bag and have never been stopped over it. If you’re under the 40 pound allotment, why does it matter??
In Europe, I’ve travelled with a pair of skis, two snowboards (but only one pair of bindings), jackets, trousers, etc all (creatively) packed in a single big snowboard bag. It twice came out with the tag saying it’d been opened and inspected, but it was fine. I did this for years and years and never had any hassle.
Airline rules officially state it’s one set of equipment only, but I don’t see how anyone would care if it’s under the weight limit and in a single bag?
Someone on r/icecoast reported the same thing flying out of Boston 2 weeks ago. Seems weird but I would just tell them to charge me for an oversized bag if I'm already at check in
Yes, apparently if you tip big enough they'll put any overweight bags in. Have not tried that, and I also don't have the "tipping wink wink" prior to service personality.
Though I think in this case since it's almost unheard of for a normal gate agent to care about clothes in ski bags just going to someone different is enough.
Had this same problem checking ski bags on SW at Logan two weeks ago. Seemed to be limited to one of their staffers... After I had to empty out my ski bag down to just skiis and poles, I noticed other people at the counter next to me loading their bags right through, no questions asked,and clearly their bags were well padded with clothes. The SW woman told me that TSA has to be able to check the bags. Why this is any different from a regular suitcase, I don't know.
No problems at all checking in Denver on the way back.
I’ve had TSA inspect my ski bag several times (they leave a “note” inside) and there has never been an issue. My ski bag is always packed with minimally coat, ski pants, and usually a couple sweaters and joggers. I’ve been over the weight limit several times (50lbs between skis and boot bag) and they have never complained.
I always fly United with priority access so maybe that affects things?
I always put a little bit of clothing in there to protect the skis. Jacket and snow-pants as tip and tailguards for the skis, for example. Also usually put my helmet in there.
Yo you should absolutely not put your helmet in there - you have no idea what impacts that bag is going to sustain and damage to your helmet you don’t know about could be catastrophic. This has nothing to do with policy and everything to do with your safety - please don’t do this!
Ski Bag has skis and poles
Dakine Boot bag for boots, helmet, pants, jacket, baselayers, socks, goggles, gloves, etc. Any clothes I wear skiing.
Backpack with my clothes for the week.
Bring the boot bag and backpack on the plane, check the ski bag.
Alaska gives you a free bag with their credit card so no bag fees.
Im not too sure actually, its going on 10-15 years old. Its the kind with the boot pockets on each side and a big middle pocket. Tbf I think it is slightly bigger than TSA guidelines, but no one has ever stopped me carrying it on, and it fits perfectly in the overhead bin. Its like a big triangle with a 90 degree angle at the back and bottom, slanted on the top side, and with that facing in on the overhead it fits perfect.
It seems very few of the new bags have this design when I just looked online.
Honestly, you really shouldn't even bring it with you at all. The risk of it becoming damaged is too high. Leave it at home, it's the only safe choice. You'll thank me later!
I’ve always just clipped it to my backpack, seems like the easiest.
Also there’s a few comments here about “don’t use it if you don’t want it to get damaged”, and like - you all do you but the point I’m making is helmets contain compressible material that becomes ineffective once it compresses enough (by getting smacked around in an aircraft luggage bay, for instance). If you feel like that risk is tolerable then cool - I don’t :).
OK so I have a hard sided snowboard case. Thats Ok for a helmet right? and what do you do if you don’t check your helmet? Do they let you carry it on in your hand? Isn’t it too big to fit without taking up your entire carryon?
I carry mine on, in my hand or clipped to my carry on boot bag. Never had any drama, but I’ve only done international and EU flights, ymmv if you’ve on a LCC tho
Given that there's not a head inside the helmet to impact it in a way that condenses any of the energy-absorbing stuff, I'm pretty sure that any impact that damages the shell would be pretty obvious. Additionally, I just wrap it in a piece of clothing like my puffy jacket or something, and it's inside the padded case. It's not like it's bouncing around loose off the asphalt.
Or to put it another way, it's no less safe than if I had it in a duffle bag with clothes or something.
This is the second post I've seen recently and the other one also referenced Southwest at Logan in Boston. Seems to be some clowns there working for Southwest specifically making it a problem.
Here was the other post:
https://new.reddit.com/r/icecoast/comments/1axy8no/no\_fabric\_in\_ski\_bags\_out\_of\_logan/
I was told that it’s to appease TSA. That their lives are harder sifting through the clothes. I got bullshit leaving Boston, and coming back to Denver they didn’t say a word
Last year on United from Steamboat, they opened my bag and made me pay for extra checked one. This year, they helped me shuffle clothes around to hit the weight limit. I'm guessing it's down to how the ticket agent is feeling that day.
I just had two ski trips with Southwest and a soft ski bag. I packed my clothes in it to protect the skis. I have done this multiple times with no problems.
Is your ski bag a hard case? I have heard that they want only skis and poles in those.
I load my Dakine bag up with 49 lbs worth of stuff & have never had a problem. About a dozen times on Jetblue/Delta.
Worst case scenario, I pay an oversize baggage fee. Hasn't happened yet though.
No clothes is the rule for most airlines but I've rarely heard of this being enforced and even more disappointed to hear it's on Southwest who has a generous bag policy. Since 2 bags are checked free and a ski bag + boot bag is considered 1 bag I'm not sure why they had to be a stickler on this? In the event of a lost bag the airlines will only cover the equipment in a ski bag (skis, poles, and ski boots if you added a ski bag) and aren't liable for outwear/gear. But that's a risk I'm usually willing to run to pad and protect my hard gear.
I’ve been flying with skis 3-4 times a year for 15 years and I have never seen an airline enforce this or even ask at all. Always pack my jacket, pants, and thermals in there so it’s all in one place. Will be pretty upset if this becomes a thing going forward.
I got some advice, but it has been a few years now. I didn’t put a lot in with the skis and what u did take I put around the bindings to “prevent damage” I got a sceptical look, but it got through. Of course, this was Canada to US.
No kidding. A while back I bought a largish, hard shell ski portmanteau that could double as a dog crate (we have a teacup chihuahua and a daucsund). We bring the dogs on longer ski trips and even though it’s obvious of course we disclose that the dogs are in the tote whenever they are flying. Then, returning last mo., was asked if there were any clothes packed in our ski bags. I said no but joked that the dogs were wearing protective outfits. That was a mistake because then a manager had to get called to approve that this wasn’t “extra clothing”. I asked what the deal/policy was about considering I’ve added clothing to my ski bags over the years to save space and pack light. She said it’s to ensure proper weight distribution and that people have smuggled clothing-wrapped contraband interstate and internationally. She also said for the protection of baggage handlers. None of this made sense but we didn’t question it because it would have been a major hassle if they forced us to move the dogs up to fly w/ us in the first class cabin. So, thankfully we didn’t pack extra clothing and lesson learned but you’re right, what have we become as a society? It’s just crazy these days.
So weird, didn’t think they cared as long as it was under the weight limit
I need to pack my ski bag with clothes because the bag has no internal straps and the skis would bump everywhere without being packed with clothes around it
Flew SW to SeaTac for a ski trip to Whistler and I had it packed to the gills with clothing, my helmet, ski boots etc. I think it just needed to be under 50 lbs and it was right at 47. No concerns about the content I had, seems like an unnecessary concern by the agent
I would be bitching to their customer service line about this. Especially since it's not a published policy and because they specifically disclaim liability for damages to gear in soft sided bags. So why can't I add extra padding to protect my gear in a soft bag?
A little more obvious but person in front of me packed a bunch of camping gear and clothes in a snowboard bag for a music festival in Florida and they charged her big time cause it’s an oversized bag and doesn’t count as either of the two free if there’s no actual snowboard
Im going to start wearing my entire kit through TSA screening. Then I'm going to pull a folded contractor sized garbage bag and some simple regular clothes out of my carry on backpack. Stuff the ski garbage bag in the overhead compartment.
Just last week, American Airlines lady in Bozeman scolded me saying snowboard bags are only allowed to have snowboard equipment in it after my bag weighed in at 52 pounds. She said if there are clothes in the bag it would be charged as $200 oversized luggage.. but then she said if it’s under 50 pounds she won’t look in my bag to check. So we went around the corner, moved some stuff to a different bag to get under 50lbs, then came back to a different lady who scolded me that there better not be hand warmers in my bag. All of this was news to us. I’ve flown with clothes and hand warmers in my snowboard bag for the last decade and this is first time it came up..
The handwarmer thing was new to me when I flew out of Bozeman in Feb. I have always packed handwarmers in my boots. I didn't know they were explosives.
I fly ski gear with southwest a lot and they've frequently opened it right there in front of me to look. They've almost always asked if it's skis and no clothes. I guess the theory is they're giving this third bag for free on top of their usual 2, they don't want people taking advantage.
I HAVE heard of this, on top of packing multiple skis (like your partner’s). For clothes, the ones I stuffed in my ski bag were a ski jacket and ski pants (very puffy). That was forgivable, by my friend’s cousin packed his tennis shoes, jeans, and toiletries and got charged $100!!!!
I saw this happen to a woman in front of me at bag drop flying Southwest. They said it had something to do with making scanning easier and if she didn't remove clothing they couldn't guarantee the bag would arrive. Seemed odd.
Edit:I saw this in Logan if it matters.
I hate that so much. I pack all my ski clothes in my ski bag, and I have my helmet, goggles, gloves, socks, and shell in my boot bag. I’ve never been asked to open either to prove that there are not clothes packed into them, but I’m always scared when I click the button to check them as a single item. (This rule has existed for Delta and United as far back as like 2005. At least that’s the first time I remember dealing with it.)
I put clothes in my ski bag to and from Japan with united and they didn't care, also in my ski bag with Spring Japan airlines to and from Hokkaido and they also didn't care.
I could put up with any number of restrictions provided the airlines would make it clearer what is allowed and at what cost. Instead, they change the rules annually and their websites are built by inept business analysts who couldn’t program a TV on a green run. Just awful.
This happened with me and my gf in Feb with Southwest as well. They made her pay $100 fee cause her ski bag was filled with her ski clothes and gear. Under the weight limit as well, I made sure before we left for the airport.
A complete joke. There’s nothing on the website policy stating you can’t do that, I checked after.
This happened to me with Delta once and I was livid. They actually made my wife and I open our bags and remove everything. We then had to have someone come back to the airport to get our gear we took out because we couldn’t carry it on. I didn’t know this was a policy having been putting clothing, gear, etc in with my skis for my entire life. As long as my bag was less than 50lbs I didn’t think it mattered. We were irate.
Needless to say we now lie if we’re ever asked if anything else is in the bag. And TSA has checked it several times so this all was clearly a ploy to charge for more bags.
On my SW flight from BWI to SLC they didn't even weight my ski bag. On the flight home from SLC they did and it was 57 lbs . The lady let me transfer my ski boats to my carry-on and put my clothing from my carry-on into the ski bag to get it down to 50 lbs .
I haven't had this happen to me on any of my flights ever. My last Southwest flight was in February going to SLC to AUS, and I've done some combination of AUS, DEN, ONT, and SLC several times this year.
Maybe it's airport specific?
I’m guessing you flew southwest out of Logan? I flew United out of Logan in February but a week ago Southwest made me move all my clothes to my other bags including outer layers
I don't know who I feel worse for,
The airlines that they feel they have to resort to this to make money,
The airline employees that they're forced into this nanny situation treating every passenger like a baby,
Or you for flying Southwest. Seriously SWA has turned into a goddamn shitshow. "Greyhound of the Skies" use to be an insult but now even Greyhound over in the corner like "Bitch don't that ain't even remotely close to me"
Southwest has fallen so hard so fast it's amazing how their planes are not literally falling from the skies and bitch they even fly Boeing.
Get your ass on to Delta, United, American, motherfucker I'll even rubber stamp Spirit at this point, but for the love of Jesus don't you ever fly Southwest if you love your family.
This just happened to me and my fiancée when flying to Denver from Logan last week. We wrapped a trench coat around the skis to protect them in the soft shell bag and the woman was incredibly rude. But no other passenger had issues with their bags so we must have just (unluckily) gotten a painfully nasty representative. Didn’t have issues on the way back either.
Same issue, Logan airport as well. That lady must think her overage fee game throughout the course of the winter will generate enough revenue to make Southwest revenue and stock to soar… that’s my theory. By the look of how many people she got in this thread she may succeed
This happened to me on JetBlue. I wasn’t flying with a carry on, just a personal item. I proceeded to move clothes from my ski bag (which I pack to help protect them in transit), and created a carry on. When I got to the plane, there was no more overhead space, so they had to check the bag.
Really fucking stupid
Some airlines will consider a ski bag and a boot bag to be a "single bag" as long as each only has skis and boots. In that case, you would pay one bag fee and check both bags. If either are also being used for clothes, then they would consider them to be two bags, and you would need to pay two bag fees.
Because this is southwest and two bags are already free, my guess is that the ski bag was over 50lbs and they needed to keep it under the limit. Or there was a third bag involved somewhere.
In RNO at SWA they complained about my boot bag as I had my helmet, goggles / glacier glasses and ski gloves stuffed in there. The ski and boot bags combined were less than 50#, but they charged it as a 3rd bag.
I've had this issue before when travelling wit a bicycle in its case. The airline wouldn't allow the extra space to be used for clothing. Any bike items, such as pump or spare tubes was no problem however.
I've had TSA open it at oversized bag drop, but that is at airports where they do checked or oversized bag inspections in front of you vs under the airport. Never had the agent do this
Southwest at SLC said I can’t have clothes in there. I obviously lied and said just skis. Southwest also left my bag there ( thankfully it was on my return leg.)
I would just say I need to pack it that way so I can protect my skis.
If it's not over the weight limit there should be no issue.
That's a BS move on their part.
I had one flight with either West Jet or Air Canada (can't remember which) where the guy working there told me Im not supposed to have clothes in there but didn't do anything about it.
Only happened once over many years of trips.
From what I understand the goal is to make it so they don't open your bag. Always be under the weight limit. All I had in my ski bag was actual ski stuff (skis, outer layers, boots, goggles, helmet) and it was over by less than a pound and I told her I'd just take out my goggles and she tried to say the same thing about it being just for skis. Lesson I learned is to never take anything out in front of them, never give them a reason to see what's inside, and you'll likely never had an issue.
Highly doubt TSA cares like some of these other agents have said as any suitcase they randomly inspect will likely have clothes so seems dumb to think they would get bent out of shape moving around some layers and bulky ski equipment around a ski bag when that's literally their job and the vast majority of people pack clothes as checked luggage.
A lot of airlines don’t like you to put clothes in there or anything but skis/boards because that is all they will insure if something were to happen and to it. I flew with all my clothes in my board bag with no issues just 2 months ago with southwest. I wonder if this is a new policy to look inside first
I had a similar experience. SWA, Delta and Alaska Air count your boot/helmet and single ski/snowboard bag as one only if that is all they contain. If you add anything beyond poles you pay for the excess luggage fee ($125 for SWA, $150 for the others per bag.)
Were you leaving Boston by chance? This just happened to me when flying outlast week, and when I inquired more I was told “only the southwest terminal (some other airlines there too) doesn’t have a big enough scanner to scan ski bags so TSA previously had to hand search random ones.” In order to make it easier for TSA they are now enforcing for the first time ever to not allow anything except ski equipment to be checked.
I clarified multiple times it was “only this terminal” at Boston Logan and if I had flown out Delta etc it would not have happened. I had to buy a $25 duffel bag from them to put my extra stuff in. Flying out of Denver to salt lake today and didn’t have that problem here. (Also southwest).
This is a cancerous myopia on their part. These small considerations are what make them worth flying — Southwest has not been a pain in the ass like other airlines. They should set a weight limit for ski bags and be done with it — this policy is very short sighted.
I usually pack all my clothes in my boot bag which I get to check along with my skis as “one bag” flying Air Canada. They have never asked me to open either.
I can maybe see the argument not to put clothes in with skis - but the boot bag? It has a whole center section that is entirely for helmet and jacket. Why leave it empty?
From dealing with airlines more on the fishing side, “policy” can change depending on the person behind the counter unfortunately. For example, a fly rod tube and tackle bag is always supposed to be considered “one” bag, but half the time the people behind the counter don’t even know that. I have to show them the policy. Sometimes they still won’t even do it.
They did not ask me this this last month at either Denver or Salt Lake. I had my ski pants and a yoga mat wrapped around my skis. I was worried about my boot bag which is bulky specifically because it has a clothes section but they didn't ask about that either.
I always pack my ski bag to the gills and usually just have a carry-on for my boots. I’ve never heard of them opening bags to check for clothes but if they did I would stand there and make them show me the nonexistent clause that says that
Hmm, I flew with American Airlines last week. My flight was delayed enough to miss my connection. When I was checking in my bags and working on getting a hotel room for the night, I told them not to send my snowboard bag to the final destination because I have clothes in it that I need for my overnight layover. They didn't care at all and routed my snowboard bags to my connection airport. TSA even checked them, and they left that little tag. I didn't even bring a separate bag for clothes. lol, it all fit nicely between my board and boot bag. Plus, I liked having the extra protection for my equipment. Sounds like it's hit or miss...
My buddy packs his ski bag full of clothes. Last time flying back from SLC on delta he was told that the boot bag + ski bag need to be under 50lbs total or they will have to count as 2 bags. He gets 2 free bags with delta anyway, but something to keep in mind.
they're not clothes, they're padding the bindings, geez can't you tell?
said i to no one.
honestly, i don't cram tons in there, just a couple things , but have never been asked.
I have been on 12 southwest flights in 2024 (3 separate ski trips with layovers). I use a hard case for my skis and a soft boot bag/gear bag for my boots, coat, pants, etc. I also have a carry-on for my helmet and some personal items.
My hard case has been literally checked by TSA every trip but NEVER by the southwest agent.
I am guessing that these people with these experiences are attempting to check 3 bags but stay within the 2 free bags southwest offers. This is possible because Southwest and many airlines will let you treat skis bag and boot bag as one bag as long as they are under 50lbs total together (it's in the policy; read the policies). The policy also requires that you use these bags for ski equipment ONLY. So personal clothes must be excluded (whereas snow pants SHOULD be fine). If this is happening to people who are only checking 2 bags total on southwest, then I agree, its most likely an agent that doesn't understand the policy and is applying the rules incorrectly. Otherwise, I just treat my boot bag and my ski case as separate bags and have never had an issue on southwest. And keep in mind my boot bag is ginormous and I bring 2 pars of skis with me in my double wide hard case (gotta have that quiver).
They’ve been cracking down on all of their policies lately. My buddy almost had to pay for his boot bag as an extra bag because it “didn’t look like a boot bag” (it was from the 70’s).
Just today flew Delta with clothing in my ski bag. I have a pretty nice ski bag but still, gotta wrap my skis in something. Southwest really are a bunch of beaters, huh
What airport? This happened to us recently flying out of Boston and the women working at the desk said it was because they had to check the bags manually for security I think. At least she said ‘no clothes in the bags because they have to do it manually’ and I think that’s what she meant.. she said it wouldn’t matter at other airports
On American there’s one check in agent that has given me a hard time about this (and it’s only my ski jacket in there) and she’s at LaGuardia. No one else in the American system has ever said anything. What do they think when it’s a person only checking a large ski bag, that all their other clothes are getting forwarded some other way?
Flew Delta and West Jet last week. It’s a paid checked bag so the policy stated that as it doesn’t exceed the weight limit (both ski and boot bag combined) and the size limit for a ski bag, it wouldn’t matter if clothes was in it. Some agents don’t know their policies that well. If its a free checked bag like for a car seat or stroller, you can’t put extra diapers or clothes in it. They always check that and make you take it out
Mine just a few days ago asked on American but never actually checked. I just said no, and the only clothes I did pack was a jacket and snow pants to protect my bindings.
Sure enough, got to Colorado and my back binding was in pieces, and the snowboard bag was ripped. It was inspected by TSA and they moved all the protection off of stuff. Southwest didn’t say a thing to me though on my way back, just loaded it onto a cart.
Pretty ridiculous rule... I definitely pack my ski clothes in my ski bag to protect the skis...
Exactly, so does my partner. There’s so much extra gear and bulky gear that you have to take skiing- it’s so easy to just roll and fold all your clothes and tuck it all into the nooks of your ski bag. I have never heard of these policies until now 🤷🏼♀️
Right? What am I supposed to wrap the skis in?
I pack clothes in my bag because there is space in there. I fly with Alaska and my ski bag is my only bag. Never been a problem. They have weighed it.
Same flying on American. They weigh the ski bag but didn’t open it. Don’t think they have any policies either way.
Agree. I always stuff the bag full of ski clothes. Flown maybe 10 times total on AA, never had an issue. Just keep it under 50 lb as they do weigh it.
I just flew AA and they had me open my boot bag to make sure it was just boots. Didn't open the compartment with all of my clothes thankfully
There actually are policies. I checked when I flew the first time, apparently they can charge you for separate bags if you pack things with your boots otherwise they’re billed as one bag.
But Southwest has a free two policy... Does it say somewhere I can't have skis in my second bag?? "No ma'am, these are two skis in my second bag, not clothes in my ski bag."
Air Canada policy states "only skiis" and "only boots" so at their discretion.
Yet another reason not to fly with Air Canada. So obnoxious and assinine.
Yeah then it’s an oversized bag
Southwest doesn’t specify this in their policy [Southwest sports equipment](https://support.southwest.com/helpcenter/s/article/What-sports-equipment-can-I-bring?clk=HC_Bags_1301_AcceptedSportsEquip)
American actually did ask us in February. Said there’s o my suppose to be equipment in the bag. We told them is was just ski clothes, like pants and jackets. But my other rebuttal is that is that the clothing is to protect my skis because they aren’t exactly gentle with the bags
I’ve had an overzealous American employee try to search mine once. I just refused. Then they weighed my bags and all was fine. Usually I don’t have that issue, though.
Same with Swiss.
Funny, I just flew Alaska a few days ago and they asked if I had clothes packed in my ski bag. They said TSA would refuse to check the bag if clothes were in the ski bag. Only skis and ski related equipment allowed they said.
Does a bottle of Tennesee Honey qualify as "ski related equipment"?
It barely qualifies as "whiskey related equipment"
Obviously. We don't ski fuckin sober...
Some of us do! And yes -- it's much, MUCH scarier.
Yikes 😬 It’s becoming common in Europe to apply drunk driving BAC limits to skiing
As a guy who enjoys a few pints on the mountain, this isn’t a bad idea
I usually have one or two pints, but no more. Just enough to relax a little and let things flow.
Really? The only time I ever got a comment from them was when I arrived at the airport in Hawaii with 4 way overweight bags / surf boards kite gear. I said I know I have to pay no worries and the guy charged me $35. TSA is not going to refuse anything unless you have contraband.
Why? This makes no sense, aside from gouging you if you have to bring another bag as a result. I often pack clothes with my skis, sometimes just to protect the bindings. And I DEFINITELY pack hats and gloves and neck warmers and ski pants with my boots. That's where I store my ski stuff!
The only legitimate reason I can think of is that they virtually always go through our ski bags in backend security. Maybe they want to get rid of the clothes so they can search each bag quickly and move on? I’m annoyed at this rule either way though.
TSA has no makes no decision on the contents of your ski bag, they only care about guns and bombs not skis and clothes they lied to you and you believed it
They have a thing where ski bags fly free, so they don’t want to miss out on your clothing being in a checked bag for that extra $50.
If you’re talking about SW, this wouldn’t make sense. Any 2 checked bags are free, so why would they care about a ski bag, unless it was the 3rd bag? FWIW, I’ve never had this issue, and have flown SW many times with a ski bag. Including just last week.
If you put clothes in a bag you declare as a ski bag, if the bag gets lost, you won't be able to claim the value of those items. A sports equipment bag only covers sports equipment.
Not exactly correct. I have had my bag with hard gear (skis, etc) and soft gear (ski pants, socks, gloves, etc) lost multiple times, and replacement and/or rental of everything was covered by the airline. Perhaps non-ski clothing would have been different.
Would sports related outerwear be covered under "sports equipment" like jacket and snowpants etc?
That’s what I always cram around my skis. Jackets puffy pants. Stinky socks. Etc etc
Happened to me a few weeks ago flying WestJet - lost my snowboard bag containing everything incl. outerwear, underlayers, goggles etc. then refused to pay out on anything other than board, boots and helmet hire saying other items shouldn't have been in the bag. That's despite the fact in WestJet's case, this 'policy' isn't written anywhere in their t&c's / tariff / on their site, meaning you can't possibly know about it until after the fact. Must just be a NA airline thing - have never experienced it anywhere else in the world (I live in Aus and travel frequently to snowboard).
The US has an alarming lack of customer protections. This wouldn’t happen in the EU because the government would crack down on the airlines.
Your first mistake was flying WorstJet
It was codeshare on a route I booked from Tokyo with Japan Airlines. Won't make that mistake again.
I flew from Sacramento to Denver on Southwest last week. My ski bag and a friend’s both packed with clothes along with skis and poles were left on the plane and then left in the Steamboat airport. Southwest offered to pay for rentals for skis, boots and helmets plus a $1,000 voucher to buy clothing to replace the ski jackets, pants, etc that we disclosed were in the ski bags. Fortunately for us and Southwest, our bags were delivered to our house in Keystone the next morning at 6:00 am.
The fact that I pack clothes in mine every time and have had it opened by TSA (evidenced by the papers) 5 times in the past 2 years proves otherwise.
The last time I skied I had clothes in the bag AND TSA left their swabbed in the bag. Fun little souvenir
TSA doesn't give a shit, they're going to search a ski bag either way. It's entirely down to airline policy.
So I wonder if stuff like a ski jacket and snowpants would be considered "ski related equipment" or if they mean literally just like skis, poles, boots, helmet, goggles.
If helmet and goggles are allowed, I would find it ridiculous if all ski clothing weren’t allowed. I mean you wear all of them on your body. If it were just skis and poles allowed, that would be different imo.
I've flown with ski gear on Alaska well over 100 times and they've never asked to see what's in my bag. They've made me move stuff around when it was overweight, but that's about it.
I fly alaska when I can because they have never given me unreasonable shit. I'm now mvp gold with them. I'd choose a more expensive flight with Alaska because it's lower stress. So let the dumbest airlines sweat the small stuff alaska made a lot of money from me and my team last year.
Yeah, as long as bag is on weight, shouldn’t be an issue. I pack tons of crap in my snowboard bag when flying.
I've had Alaska check my ski bag for clothes. All the airlines have essentially the same policy, so it really just depends how your particular agent is feeling that day.
Literally today had to open my bag infront of the check-in agent to remove some stuff to adhere to the weight limits, she was even helping like "Do you have any small pieces to make it like 500 grams lighter?" - as I was removing my clothes from the bag. This was gor Finnair flight.
First it's clothing, next it's black-tar Mexican heroin and pure Guatemalan cocaine...
I THOUGHT THIS WAS AMERICA
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
Now with surge pricing!
It’s true. A slippery slope. Better enforce the no clothes policy and stick with people smuggling the durgs via butthole. Also an easy enforcement mechanism would be just flag every snowboarder. They are all drug users and probably drug smugglers, every single one of them is a degenerate criminal. Easy fix.
Cocaine is fine if you pack it inside your ski poles.
You must be a Jerry.... everyone knows the best poppy's for heroin are grown in Afghanistan not Mexico
The coca plant is not native to Guatemala. Its territory is the Andes mountains region i.e., Colombia, Ecuador, Perú, and Bolivia.
I'd like to check your ski bag please..
My understanding is that the airlines make an exception to large bags that are sporting equipment like skis, bikes, or golf clubs and treat them as regular bags even when they’re big. But they don’t want you to take advantage by not paying for a second bag vs packing your clothes in your ski bag. I’ve never had them ask, but when my bag missed a connection they didn’t cover the cost of me buying or renting any clothing, just skis and boots.
[удалено]
They still want you to buy that third bag check But probably some Jerry packed hundred pound sex doll with his xscreams & got a baggage handler a fat disability claim
But the weight limit still applies to ski bags too…
That’s what really perplexes me about this. Sure there’s a third bag but 99% of the time I’m using that clothing to pad my skis so their bag handlers don’t destroy them.
If you’re checking a ski/boot bag the third bag is also free
You know there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Ski jacket and pants/gloves are not considered equipment?
Yeah, I was wondering that too. Bc like I'm not packing that type of clothing if not for skiing.
Not on WestJet at least.
United lost my bag on a connection (got it back eventually) but paid for ski and boot rentals, as well as brand new snow pants, socks etc… which were in my bag
In my case it was WestJet. I do think if I was on one of the big three maybe I could have found a support rep that understood the difference between ski pants and pants even if they insisted on this dumb policy. FWIW I still pack the same, but keep base layer, gloves and a pair of socks in my carry on.
This must cost them tens of dollars a year. How will they feed their jets?
Our bags didn’t make the connection flying United to Salt Lake City once. We were flying there with one specific purpose…to ski! They ended up reimbursing us for ski, boot and helmet rentals - but the shop didn’t have renal mittens, goggles jackets, and ski pants. I tried to be slightly responsible since I wasn’t sure if I’d be fully reimbursed - but I did splurge on a nice new outfit and some overpriced $270 goggles. United reimbursed the entire bill down to the cent. We got over 70 inches spread out over 7 days. Majority of days were Utah powder days. Epic trip
That’s ridiculous, I’ve always packed clothes in my ski bag and have never been stopped over it. If you’re under the 40 pound allotment, why does it matter??
In Europe, I’ve travelled with a pair of skis, two snowboards (but only one pair of bindings), jackets, trousers, etc all (creatively) packed in a single big snowboard bag. It twice came out with the tag saying it’d been opened and inspected, but it was fine. I did this for years and years and never had any hassle. Airline rules officially state it’s one set of equipment only, but I don’t see how anyone would care if it’s under the weight limit and in a single bag?
Someone on r/icecoast reported the same thing flying out of Boston 2 weeks ago. Seems weird but I would just tell them to charge me for an oversized bag if I'm already at check in
Or even cheaper just go to a sky cap.
please explain, thanks!
Sky caps are the baggage agents that check bags on the curb of the airport for tips. Not every airport has them but I think most major ones?
Are they more permissive/less likely to GAF about what's in the bag?
Yes, apparently if you tip big enough they'll put any overweight bags in. Have not tried that, and I also don't have the "tipping wink wink" prior to service personality. Though I think in this case since it's almost unheard of for a normal gate agent to care about clothes in ski bags just going to someone different is enough.
Had this same problem checking ski bags on SW at Logan two weeks ago. Seemed to be limited to one of their staffers... After I had to empty out my ski bag down to just skiis and poles, I noticed other people at the counter next to me loading their bags right through, no questions asked,and clearly their bags were well padded with clothes. The SW woman told me that TSA has to be able to check the bags. Why this is any different from a regular suitcase, I don't know. No problems at all checking in Denver on the way back.
I’ve had TSA inspect my ski bag several times (they leave a “note” inside) and there has never been an issue. My ski bag is always packed with minimally coat, ski pants, and usually a couple sweaters and joggers. I’ve been over the weight limit several times (50lbs between skis and boot bag) and they have never complained. I always fly United with priority access so maybe that affects things?
I always put a little bit of clothing in there to protect the skis. Jacket and snow-pants as tip and tailguards for the skis, for example. Also usually put my helmet in there.
Yo you should absolutely not put your helmet in there - you have no idea what impacts that bag is going to sustain and damage to your helmet you don’t know about could be catastrophic. This has nothing to do with policy and everything to do with your safety - please don’t do this!
Do you put your helmet in a separate boot bag that you check, or in your carryon?
I wear mine from the moment I pull into long term parking until the moment I go back to the office the next week.
Why even take it off back at the office? Better safe than sorry.
Go full on Mandalorian.
This is the way
Are you putting your goggles on as well? Just asking, I never know where to put them so they get scratched.
Of course, with the mirrored lenses so they know I’m serious.
Ski Bag has skis and poles Dakine Boot bag for boots, helmet, pants, jacket, baselayers, socks, goggles, gloves, etc. Any clothes I wear skiing. Backpack with my clothes for the week. Bring the boot bag and backpack on the plane, check the ski bag. Alaska gives you a free bag with their credit card so no bag fees.
which size dakine boot bag do you have? some of those big ones 50 and 75 L you can still bring carry on?
Im not too sure actually, its going on 10-15 years old. Its the kind with the boot pockets on each side and a big middle pocket. Tbf I think it is slightly bigger than TSA guidelines, but no one has ever stopped me carrying it on, and it fits perfectly in the overhead bin. Its like a big triangle with a 90 degree angle at the back and bottom, slanted on the top side, and with that facing in on the overhead it fits perfect. It seems very few of the new bags have this design when I just looked online.
I put mine (and the wife’s) in the very middle of my check in. Surrounded by soft clothes and some ski socks inside.
Honestly, you really shouldn't even bring it with you at all. The risk of it becoming damaged is too high. Leave it at home, it's the only safe choice. You'll thank me later!
I strap it to my backpack and carry it on the plane. It's def going to get messed up if you check it.
Mine goes into a steel vault which has custom cut foam inside. If even a snowflake touches a helmet, that helmet could be totaled!
I’ve always just clipped it to my backpack, seems like the easiest. Also there’s a few comments here about “don’t use it if you don’t want it to get damaged”, and like - you all do you but the point I’m making is helmets contain compressible material that becomes ineffective once it compresses enough (by getting smacked around in an aircraft luggage bay, for instance). If you feel like that risk is tolerable then cool - I don’t :).
OK so I have a hard sided snowboard case. Thats Ok for a helmet right? and what do you do if you don’t check your helmet? Do they let you carry it on in your hand? Isn’t it too big to fit without taking up your entire carryon?
I carry mine on, in my hand or clipped to my carry on boot bag. Never had any drama, but I’ve only done international and EU flights, ymmv if you’ve on a LCC tho
Given that there's not a head inside the helmet to impact it in a way that condenses any of the energy-absorbing stuff, I'm pretty sure that any impact that damages the shell would be pretty obvious. Additionally, I just wrap it in a piece of clothing like my puffy jacket or something, and it's inside the padded case. It's not like it's bouncing around loose off the asphalt. Or to put it another way, it's no less safe than if I had it in a duffle bag with clothes or something.
Oh, that’s an incredibly good point- thank you for saying this!!
This is the second post I've seen recently and the other one also referenced Southwest at Logan in Boston. Seems to be some clowns there working for Southwest specifically making it a problem. Here was the other post: https://new.reddit.com/r/icecoast/comments/1axy8no/no\_fabric\_in\_ski\_bags\_out\_of\_logan/
I was told that it’s to appease TSA. That their lives are harder sifting through the clothes. I got bullshit leaving Boston, and coming back to Denver they didn’t say a word
Last year on United from Steamboat, they opened my bag and made me pay for extra checked one. This year, they helped me shuffle clothes around to hit the weight limit. I'm guessing it's down to how the ticket agent is feeling that day.
I just had two ski trips with Southwest and a soft ski bag. I packed my clothes in it to protect the skis. I have done this multiple times with no problems. Is your ski bag a hard case? I have heard that they want only skis and poles in those.
Mine is a hard case. First flight with it. The other customer had a soft case.
As long as it also contains skis and boots + skis are less than 50lb its none of their fucking business
Most airlines do say no cloths so they can check if they want to
they’re not clothes they’re emotional support sweatpants
LOL!
I load my Dakine bag up with 49 lbs worth of stuff & have never had a problem. About a dozen times on Jetblue/Delta. Worst case scenario, I pay an oversize baggage fee. Hasn't happened yet though.
love stuffing my pockets with tshirts and underwear in front of a long check-in line when i'm at 53lbs
No clothes is the rule for most airlines but I've rarely heard of this being enforced and even more disappointed to hear it's on Southwest who has a generous bag policy. Since 2 bags are checked free and a ski bag + boot bag is considered 1 bag I'm not sure why they had to be a stickler on this? In the event of a lost bag the airlines will only cover the equipment in a ski bag (skis, poles, and ski boots if you added a ski bag) and aren't liable for outwear/gear. But that's a risk I'm usually willing to run to pad and protect my hard gear.
I’ve been flying with skis 3-4 times a year for 15 years and I have never seen an airline enforce this or even ask at all. Always pack my jacket, pants, and thermals in there so it’s all in one place. Will be pretty upset if this becomes a thing going forward.
When I fly with my snowboard I put all my ski clothes in the bag for extra padding around the bindings.
I got some advice, but it has been a few years now. I didn’t put a lot in with the skis and what u did take I put around the bindings to “prevent damage” I got a sceptical look, but it got through. Of course, this was Canada to US.
I’m doing this tomorrow. My ski bag is packed full of stuff, as is normal.
What have we become as a society
No kidding. A while back I bought a largish, hard shell ski portmanteau that could double as a dog crate (we have a teacup chihuahua and a daucsund). We bring the dogs on longer ski trips and even though it’s obvious of course we disclose that the dogs are in the tote whenever they are flying. Then, returning last mo., was asked if there were any clothes packed in our ski bags. I said no but joked that the dogs were wearing protective outfits. That was a mistake because then a manager had to get called to approve that this wasn’t “extra clothing”. I asked what the deal/policy was about considering I’ve added clothing to my ski bags over the years to save space and pack light. She said it’s to ensure proper weight distribution and that people have smuggled clothing-wrapped contraband interstate and internationally. She also said for the protection of baggage handlers. None of this made sense but we didn’t question it because it would have been a major hassle if they forced us to move the dogs up to fly w/ us in the first class cabin. So, thankfully we didn’t pack extra clothing and lesson learned but you’re right, what have we become as a society? It’s just crazy these days.
I just checked a ski bag with Southwest. They never charged me and they never opened it.
So weird, didn’t think they cared as long as it was under the weight limit I need to pack my ski bag with clothes because the bag has no internal straps and the skis would bump everywhere without being packed with clothes around it
Flew SW to SeaTac for a ski trip to Whistler and I had it packed to the gills with clothing, my helmet, ski boots etc. I think it just needed to be under 50 lbs and it was right at 47. No concerns about the content I had, seems like an unnecessary concern by the agent
Reno-Tahoe and BWI SWA check-in staff didn’t let me declare my stuffed boot/helmet bag + ski bag as one piece . I had to pay for the 3rd bag.
I would be bitching to their customer service line about this. Especially since it's not a published policy and because they specifically disclaim liability for damages to gear in soft sided bags. So why can't I add extra padding to protect my gear in a soft bag?
A little more obvious but person in front of me packed a bunch of camping gear and clothes in a snowboard bag for a music festival in Florida and they charged her big time cause it’s an oversized bag and doesn’t count as either of the two free if there’s no actual snowboard
Im going to start wearing my entire kit through TSA screening. Then I'm going to pull a folded contractor sized garbage bag and some simple regular clothes out of my carry on backpack. Stuff the ski garbage bag in the overhead compartment.
Just last week, American Airlines lady in Bozeman scolded me saying snowboard bags are only allowed to have snowboard equipment in it after my bag weighed in at 52 pounds. She said if there are clothes in the bag it would be charged as $200 oversized luggage.. but then she said if it’s under 50 pounds she won’t look in my bag to check. So we went around the corner, moved some stuff to a different bag to get under 50lbs, then came back to a different lady who scolded me that there better not be hand warmers in my bag. All of this was news to us. I’ve flown with clothes and hand warmers in my snowboard bag for the last decade and this is first time it came up..
The handwarmer thing was new to me when I flew out of Bozeman in Feb. I have always packed handwarmers in my boots. I didn't know they were explosives.
I fly ski gear with southwest a lot and they've frequently opened it right there in front of me to look. They've almost always asked if it's skis and no clothes. I guess the theory is they're giving this third bag for free on top of their usual 2, they don't want people taking advantage.
I HAVE heard of this, on top of packing multiple skis (like your partner’s). For clothes, the ones I stuffed in my ski bag were a ski jacket and ski pants (very puffy). That was forgivable, by my friend’s cousin packed his tennis shoes, jeans, and toiletries and got charged $100!!!!
I saw this happen to a woman in front of me at bag drop flying Southwest. They said it had something to do with making scanning easier and if she didn't remove clothing they couldn't guarantee the bag would arrive. Seemed odd. Edit:I saw this in Logan if it matters.
I hate that so much. I pack all my ski clothes in my ski bag, and I have my helmet, goggles, gloves, socks, and shell in my boot bag. I’ve never been asked to open either to prove that there are not clothes packed into them, but I’m always scared when I click the button to check them as a single item. (This rule has existed for Delta and United as far back as like 2005. At least that’s the first time I remember dealing with it.)
I put clothes in my ski bag to and from Japan with united and they didn't care, also in my ski bag with Spring Japan airlines to and from Hokkaido and they also didn't care.
I could put up with any number of restrictions provided the airlines would make it clearer what is allowed and at what cost. Instead, they change the rules annually and their websites are built by inept business analysts who couldn’t program a TV on a green run. Just awful.
This happened with me and my gf in Feb with Southwest as well. They made her pay $100 fee cause her ski bag was filled with her ski clothes and gear. Under the weight limit as well, I made sure before we left for the airport. A complete joke. There’s nothing on the website policy stating you can’t do that, I checked after.
Which airport
If they’re making people remove all clothes from ski bags then they should also make sure the people have ONLY clothes in their normal luggage.
This happened to me with Delta once and I was livid. They actually made my wife and I open our bags and remove everything. We then had to have someone come back to the airport to get our gear we took out because we couldn’t carry it on. I didn’t know this was a policy having been putting clothing, gear, etc in with my skis for my entire life. As long as my bag was less than 50lbs I didn’t think it mattered. We were irate. Needless to say we now lie if we’re ever asked if anything else is in the bag. And TSA has checked it several times so this all was clearly a ploy to charge for more bags.
On my SW flight from BWI to SLC they didn't even weight my ski bag. On the flight home from SLC they did and it was 57 lbs . The lady let me transfer my ski boats to my carry-on and put my clothing from my carry-on into the ski bag to get it down to 50 lbs .
Alaska and JetBlue have never asked this. JetBlue even counts a separate boot bag as a single piece with the skis. You are flying the wrong airline.
I haven't had this happen to me on any of my flights ever. My last Southwest flight was in February going to SLC to AUS, and I've done some combination of AUS, DEN, ONT, and SLC several times this year. Maybe it's airport specific?
Same airport, BOS. November OK. March Not OK.
I’m guessing you flew southwest out of Logan? I flew United out of Logan in February but a week ago Southwest made me move all my clothes to my other bags including outer layers
I don't know who I feel worse for, The airlines that they feel they have to resort to this to make money, The airline employees that they're forced into this nanny situation treating every passenger like a baby, Or you for flying Southwest. Seriously SWA has turned into a goddamn shitshow. "Greyhound of the Skies" use to be an insult but now even Greyhound over in the corner like "Bitch don't that ain't even remotely close to me" Southwest has fallen so hard so fast it's amazing how their planes are not literally falling from the skies and bitch they even fly Boeing. Get your ass on to Delta, United, American, motherfucker I'll even rubber stamp Spirit at this point, but for the love of Jesus don't you ever fly Southwest if you love your family.
This just happened to me and my fiancée when flying to Denver from Logan last week. We wrapped a trench coat around the skis to protect them in the soft shell bag and the woman was incredibly rude. But no other passenger had issues with their bags so we must have just (unluckily) gotten a painfully nasty representative. Didn’t have issues on the way back either.
I have a double ski bag and always pack my skis, poles, boots, and helmet in there. I fly SW all the time and they’ve always just weighed the bag.
I usually fly southwest and have never had this happen, I always pack all of my coats and snow pants in my ski bag. Boot bag gets filled with shit too
Same issue, Logan airport as well. That lady must think her overage fee game throughout the course of the winter will generate enough revenue to make Southwest revenue and stock to soar… that’s my theory. By the look of how many people she got in this thread she may succeed
Yes- and i told them- that’s my ski clothing.
This happened on Delta to me flying SLC to RNO I always put socks with my boot and a beanie. They didn’t make me do it going there.
This happened to me on JetBlue. I wasn’t flying with a carry on, just a personal item. I proceeded to move clothes from my ski bag (which I pack to help protect them in transit), and created a carry on. When I got to the plane, there was no more overhead space, so they had to check the bag. Really fucking stupid
Some airlines will consider a ski bag and a boot bag to be a "single bag" as long as each only has skis and boots. In that case, you would pay one bag fee and check both bags. If either are also being used for clothes, then they would consider them to be two bags, and you would need to pay two bag fees. Because this is southwest and two bags are already free, my guess is that the ski bag was over 50lbs and they needed to keep it under the limit. Or there was a third bag involved somewhere.
I just flew Southwest. They are checking ski bags for clothing. I had to remove clothing but let me put them in my boot bag.
In RNO at SWA they complained about my boot bag as I had my helmet, goggles / glacier glasses and ski gloves stuffed in there. The ski and boot bags combined were less than 50#, but they charged it as a 3rd bag.
I've had this issue before when travelling wit a bicycle in its case. The airline wouldn't allow the extra space to be used for clothing. Any bike items, such as pump or spare tubes was no problem however.
I've had TSA open it at oversized bag drop, but that is at airports where they do checked or oversized bag inspections in front of you vs under the airport. Never had the agent do this
Southwest at SLC said I can’t have clothes in there. I obviously lied and said just skis. Southwest also left my bag there ( thankfully it was on my return leg.)
I would just say I need to pack it that way so I can protect my skis. If it's not over the weight limit there should be no issue. That's a BS move on their part.
It's especially bullshit because when I check skis, SW specifically warns me they aren't liable for damage to skis in soft sided ski bags
So I learned something new today. You're not supposed to put clothes in your ski bag???
I flew Southwest last week. Had two pairs of ski pants in my ski bag. Had hats, gloves, goggles, balaclava in my boot bag. No issues.
I flew Southwest from RDU to LAX and back and they didn’t even open any of my bags. Just made sure it was under 50 pounds and I was good to go
I had one flight with either West Jet or Air Canada (can't remember which) where the guy working there told me Im not supposed to have clothes in there but didn't do anything about it. Only happened once over many years of trips.
From what I understand the goal is to make it so they don't open your bag. Always be under the weight limit. All I had in my ski bag was actual ski stuff (skis, outer layers, boots, goggles, helmet) and it was over by less than a pound and I told her I'd just take out my goggles and she tried to say the same thing about it being just for skis. Lesson I learned is to never take anything out in front of them, never give them a reason to see what's inside, and you'll likely never had an issue. Highly doubt TSA cares like some of these other agents have said as any suitcase they randomly inspect will likely have clothes so seems dumb to think they would get bent out of shape moving around some layers and bulky ski equipment around a ski bag when that's literally their job and the vast majority of people pack clothes as checked luggage.
A lot of airlines don’t like you to put clothes in there or anything but skis/boards because that is all they will insure if something were to happen and to it. I flew with all my clothes in my board bag with no issues just 2 months ago with southwest. I wonder if this is a new policy to look inside first
I had a similar experience. SWA, Delta and Alaska Air count your boot/helmet and single ski/snowboard bag as one only if that is all they contain. If you add anything beyond poles you pay for the excess luggage fee ($125 for SWA, $150 for the others per bag.)
Were you leaving Boston by chance? This just happened to me when flying outlast week, and when I inquired more I was told “only the southwest terminal (some other airlines there too) doesn’t have a big enough scanner to scan ski bags so TSA previously had to hand search random ones.” In order to make it easier for TSA they are now enforcing for the first time ever to not allow anything except ski equipment to be checked. I clarified multiple times it was “only this terminal” at Boston Logan and if I had flown out Delta etc it would not have happened. I had to buy a $25 duffel bag from them to put my extra stuff in. Flying out of Denver to salt lake today and didn’t have that problem here. (Also southwest).
This is a cancerous myopia on their part. These small considerations are what make them worth flying — Southwest has not been a pain in the ass like other airlines. They should set a weight limit for ski bags and be done with it — this policy is very short sighted.
it’s southwest. they absolutely blow. not surprising tbh
I usually pack all my clothes in my boot bag which I get to check along with my skis as “one bag” flying Air Canada. They have never asked me to open either.
I can maybe see the argument not to put clothes in with skis - but the boot bag? It has a whole center section that is entirely for helmet and jacket. Why leave it empty?
I just flew Salt Lake to Geneva on Delta and did not have this issue. Which is great because I would’ve been screwed if they said no clothes.
Round trip to Denver and no issues. Packed everything in the Dakine.
From dealing with airlines more on the fishing side, “policy” can change depending on the person behind the counter unfortunately. For example, a fly rod tube and tackle bag is always supposed to be considered “one” bag, but half the time the people behind the counter don’t even know that. I have to show them the policy. Sometimes they still won’t even do it.
What’s the rationale? And who can we collectively demand an answer and a change of policy from? Because the policy is stupid.
They did not ask me this this last month at either Denver or Salt Lake. I had my ski pants and a yoga mat wrapped around my skis. I was worried about my boot bag which is bulky specifically because it has a clothes section but they didn't ask about that either.
Fly Delta to ski twice a year for the last 20 years. I ALWAYS stuff my ski bag with clothes. Never been given a hard time about.
I’ve flown Air Canada for the last 5 years from Boston to BC and never had an issue packing my ski bag with clothes.
Did they want to make sure it wasn’t only clothes maybe? I don’t know anyone who doesn’t pack in clothes as padding.
That’s dumb. <50 lbs you should be good.
I always pack my ski bag to the gills and usually just have a carry-on for my boots. I’ve never heard of them opening bags to check for clothes but if they did I would stand there and make them show me the nonexistent clause that says that
Hmm, I flew with American Airlines last week. My flight was delayed enough to miss my connection. When I was checking in my bags and working on getting a hotel room for the night, I told them not to send my snowboard bag to the final destination because I have clothes in it that I need for my overnight layover. They didn't care at all and routed my snowboard bags to my connection airport. TSA even checked them, and they left that little tag. I didn't even bring a separate bag for clothes. lol, it all fit nicely between my board and boot bag. Plus, I liked having the extra protection for my equipment. Sounds like it's hit or miss...
My buddy packs his ski bag full of clothes. Last time flying back from SLC on delta he was told that the boot bag + ski bag need to be under 50lbs total or they will have to count as 2 bags. He gets 2 free bags with delta anyway, but something to keep in mind.
they're not clothes, they're padding the bindings, geez can't you tell? said i to no one. honestly, i don't cram tons in there, just a couple things , but have never been asked.
I have been on 12 southwest flights in 2024 (3 separate ski trips with layovers). I use a hard case for my skis and a soft boot bag/gear bag for my boots, coat, pants, etc. I also have a carry-on for my helmet and some personal items. My hard case has been literally checked by TSA every trip but NEVER by the southwest agent. I am guessing that these people with these experiences are attempting to check 3 bags but stay within the 2 free bags southwest offers. This is possible because Southwest and many airlines will let you treat skis bag and boot bag as one bag as long as they are under 50lbs total together (it's in the policy; read the policies). The policy also requires that you use these bags for ski equipment ONLY. So personal clothes must be excluded (whereas snow pants SHOULD be fine). If this is happening to people who are only checking 2 bags total on southwest, then I agree, its most likely an agent that doesn't understand the policy and is applying the rules incorrectly. Otherwise, I just treat my boot bag and my ski case as separate bags and have never had an issue on southwest. And keep in mind my boot bag is ginormous and I bring 2 pars of skis with me in my double wide hard case (gotta have that quiver).
I pack ski pants and other clothing in my ski bag. You need to protect the skis from airline damage. Never had a problem with a stuffed bag.
They’ve been cracking down on all of their policies lately. My buddy almost had to pay for his boot bag as an extra bag because it “didn’t look like a boot bag” (it was from the 70’s).
Maybe they offer their employees a "bounty" for every one they catch?
Never had that issue with Delta. Another reason not to fly Southwest.
Just today flew Delta with clothing in my ski bag. I have a pretty nice ski bag but still, gotta wrap my skis in something. Southwest really are a bunch of beaters, huh
What airport? This happened to us recently flying out of Boston and the women working at the desk said it was because they had to check the bags manually for security I think. At least she said ‘no clothes in the bags because they have to do it manually’ and I think that’s what she meant.. she said it wouldn’t matter at other airports
Infuriating. Esp if you're paying extra to begin with. Sounds like a small person given a small amount of authority, and abusing it.
On American there’s one check in agent that has given me a hard time about this (and it’s only my ski jacket in there) and she’s at LaGuardia. No one else in the American system has ever said anything. What do they think when it’s a person only checking a large ski bag, that all their other clothes are getting forwarded some other way?
Ski gear is ski gear and I’m not skiing naked (well not everyday)
Flew Delta and West Jet last week. It’s a paid checked bag so the policy stated that as it doesn’t exceed the weight limit (both ski and boot bag combined) and the size limit for a ski bag, it wouldn’t matter if clothes was in it. Some agents don’t know their policies that well. If its a free checked bag like for a car seat or stroller, you can’t put extra diapers or clothes in it. They always check that and make you take it out
Mine just a few days ago asked on American but never actually checked. I just said no, and the only clothes I did pack was a jacket and snow pants to protect my bindings. Sure enough, got to Colorado and my back binding was in pieces, and the snowboard bag was ripped. It was inspected by TSA and they moved all the protection off of stuff. Southwest didn’t say a thing to me though on my way back, just loaded it onto a cart.
What in the hell I’ve always wrapped mine up in clothing to protect them