You would be well advised to click on the relevant baggage rules link below for the airline that you will be traveling on and print out the actual policy to take with you on your trip since the airline baggage rules vary on what snowsports equipment (skis, poles, boots, bindings, snowboard, snowboard boots, helmet, ski bag, ski boot bag) counts as one item and/or is allowed.  Snowboard boots are not specifically addressed by most baggage rules.

Be aware that you may be charged for an extra bag if you decide to risk packing other items in your boot or ski bag since airline baggage rules do not specifically address in most cases the allowability of anything else beyond skis, boots or poles.  You will be totally dependent upon the goodwill of the person checking you in. 

The chart below summarizes the luggage policies but you should click on the relevant baggage rules link at the bottom of this page to get the latest information.  Size limitation (inches) is length + width + height.  Extra bag fees vary depending upon the number bags, overweight fees depend upon the weight range, and oversize fees may have individual dimension limitations in addition to the total size limitation.  All of these fees may be additive so it would be possible to be charged an extra bag fee, an overweight fee and an oversize fee just for one bag. 

If you are flying in a higher class than economy, allowable weight and/or number of checked bags may be greater than the information in the table below.  International baggage weight limits usually increase to 70 lbs/bag but may vary depending upon the airline.

* Northwest - Note: When travel is wholly within/between the US/Canada, Northwest will allow the ski/boot bag to contain more than one pair of skis/boots – but if the bag exceeds published weight restrictions normal excess charges will apply.

** Southwest - Sporting equipment: One sporting equipment item in addition to 3 piece free baggage allowance

Baggage Rules Links (If there is more than one link for a given airline, the first link defines ski equipment/snowboard equipment and the second link defines excess baggage.)

American  

  http://www.aa.com/content/customerService/baggage/baggageAllowance.jhtml

Continental

  http://www.continental.com/travel/policies/baggage/sports.asp?SID=8EE57FB1106D4776AEAB1232672FB5CA

  http://www.continental.com/travel/policies/baggage/check.asp?SID=8EE57FB1106D4776AEAB1232672FB5CA

Delta  

  http://www.delta.com/travel/trav_serv/bag_info/sp_handling/sporting/index.jsp

  http://www.delta.com/travel/trav_serv/bag_info/excess_bag/index.jsp

Northwest  

  http://www.nwa.com/travel/luggage/specialitems.html#ski

  http://www.nwa.com/travel/tips/baggage.html#excess

Southwest  

  http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/sports_equipment.html

  http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/baggage.html

United  

  http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,1032,00.html

US Airways 

  http://usairways.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/usairways.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=gMzizY4h&p_lva=6&p_li=&p_page=1&p_search_text=ski&p_new_search=1

  http://usairways.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/usairways.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php?p_sid=gMzizY4h&p_lva=6&p_li=&p_page=1&p_search_text=excess&p_new_search=1

Snowsports Baggage Problems

If you have had any snowsports baggage problems, please advise us via email with a description of the problem, date, airline, flight number and if possible, copies/summaries of any correspondence/phone calls with the airline and the airline's response.  Please email Diane Stearley (FWSA Airline Committee Chair) dmstear@worldnet.att.net and copy Scott Bowker (FWSA VP Public Affairs) PublicAffairs@fwsa.org at your convenience.  Also, if any baggage information on this page needs to be updated, please advise Diane Stearley and copy Scott Bowker.