Flying With Skis

Skis line a woodpile outside a trailside hut in the Italian Dolomites

With ski season around the corner, are you dreaming of snow and where you’ll ski this winter? Does that dream ski trip include a flight? Whether you’re flying domestic or international, if you’ll be traveling with your skis, here are a few tips. 

Most guests on Lumi trips bring skis with them. Here are a few insider tips we share with our guests:

Add Baggage - When booking flights, you’ll want to include a ski bag with your ticket. Gone are the days when two checked bags are included for free on international flights. These days, be sure to check the fine print of your airline ticket to see how much and what type of luggage are included. If you’re certain you’ll be bringing a suitcase and ski bag, simply make sure it’s included with your ticket when you book. If you’re not sure you’ll bring your ski bag when you book your flight, you can usually add baggage up until the day before you depart. At a minimum, it’s best to do this before arriving at the airport since baggage fees are typically higher the day of your flight.

Number of Bags - If you’re traveling with someone, you may be able to put both of your skis in one bag. Sometimes, airlines also allow you to check a boot bag for free with your ski bag. If this is the case, you may not need to pay for a second checked-bag if you can fit enough gear in your carry-on. Remember to double-check the size limits for the boot bag. 

Rolling hard shell ski bags along the cobbles in Cavalese, Italy

Baggage Fees - Since you’ll be checking at least one bag, in addition to your flight cost you’ll be paying baggage fees, which differ from airline to airline. Kayak’s flight search tool now asks how many bags you plan to check so you can compare total flight costs, baggage fees included.

Bag Type - Similar to suitcases, there are two main types of ski bags: soft and hard shell. If you will be purchasing a new ski bag, we recommend getting a ski bag with wheels. Wheels are a big help rolling through the airport or train station when you’re traveling with multiple bags. These days, you can find wheels on both soft and hardshell ski bags. New Moon Ski Shop carries Sportube, who makes the most popular hard-shell ski case. For soft bags, pack clothes around your skis to add extra padding and prevent them from being damaged in transit.

Pole Tube - To protect your skis inside the bag, you’ll want to put your poles in a pole tube. Ski shops sell plastic ones, but you can also make one yourself using a recycled PVC pipe or cardboard carpet roll.

Luggage Tag - Most airlines are good at keeping track of bags, but just in case, we recommend adding a luggage tag with your contact information to your ski bag. 

Travel Wax - Most guests on Lumi trips bring both classic and skate skis. Before packing your skis for travel, it’s always a good idea to iron on some travel wax. It will both act as a protective layer on the base of your skis and help you hit the trails as quickly as possible when you arrive at your destination. We recommend using glide wax that lines up with the approximate temperature range where you’ll be skiing. Then just scrape, and go! If you’re on a guided Lumi trip, your trip leaders will take care of that when you arrive.

Flex testing skis during a visit to the Salomon ski factory

Kick Zones - For classic skiing on Lumi trips, we always recommend bringing skin skis. Given the temperature fluctuations throughout the day, it’s much easier to “grab and go” with your skin skis than to have to pack waxes, a cork, and re-apply wax throughout the day. If you prefer waxable classic skis, remember to clean and mark your kick zones before adding them to your ski bag so you don’t get your bag or its contents sticky with wax.

Travel Insurance - In the midst of the Covid pandemic, there is a lot more uncertainty around air travel than there used to be. We now recommend that all of our guests purchase travel insurance. Many past Lumi guests recommend Travelex Insurance. Their Travel Select plan has the added benefit of including coverage for sporting equipment like your skis. Allianz Travel also offers travel insurance with various inclusions. We recommend contacting your travel insurance company directly to confirm what’s included.

If you decide you want to ski in Europe this winter, but don’t yet have plans for where you’ll fly with your skis, we still have limited space available on the Lumi trips to France, Austria & Switzerland, and Slovenia for the Nordic World Champs. Join us

Happy travels and smooth flying with your skis!