First time flying United

[auvgeek]

How different is this than paying for an extra
bag or overweight fee?

Ski flyer JONGs wanna know

I think his point was $10-$20 in tips can save you a lot more in baggage fees. Never used curbside check in with a ski bag personally.

Another approach is to get there with enough time that you can say, "Oh, I'm happy to wait while we speak to a manager and get this sorted out. I have tons of time before my flight with really nothing else to do." (You don't have to have *tons* of time to say this, just enough time to wait for a manager.)

[simple]

Curbside check in? Tips? Where do you people live? At airports with routine ski traffic neither of those happen.

[drstuess]

Flying with skis is easy, and I have had good luck with united. Off-topic, it is crazy how differently skis and surfboards are treated. They charge like 200 bucks per surfboard each way. Most airlines don't even do it by the bag, they do it by the board; it doenst matter if you have 3 boards in a single bag < 50 lbs... 600 bucks each way.

I love to mess with some of them. I pack 2 pairs of skis in my surf travel bag and watch their faces change to disappointment as they open my bag to see what multiple of $200 they can charge me, but instead can only charge me 25 bucks for heavier equipment in the same bag.

I know they don't all suck, but it seems like some airlines have a real hatred for surfboards...


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[old goat]

Flying with skis is easy, and I have had good luck with united.

The flying part is easy, it's the carrying part that sucks. Loaded to the max double ski bag plus maxed out carryon back pack maneuvering through a mobbed Geneva airport--on a Saturday-- from one end of the terminal to the other, trying to get around everyone else carrying skis, up a flight of stairs (wheels wouldn't have helped) , through more terminal, across a very large parking lot to the van.

[teledave]

Airlines are all over the place on baggage policies. United is f'ing strict with the 50 lbs though, 50.3 is overweight. American will let you slide up to 52.5. I think you could load a bag with lead weights and Southwest wouldn't care.

The best advice though is just try to stay within the 50 lb limit so if you get called on it you can take little out and get the weight under. Also, it's been said many times but if you can do curbside check-in you're golden as long as you aren't way over, and it makes life so much easier to drop your shit and be done with it. I've been told the expected tip is $2/bag but since ski bags are a pain in the ass I never go less than $10 for 2 bags if it's ski gear, if I'm over or right on the weight limits I bump it to $20.

I took the family to Whistler for a week a few years ago so of course we had enough luggage to go on a 6 month Antarctic expedition. Gave the curbside guy a $50 tip, when we landed in Vancouver they brought us our luggage on a separate cart before anyone else's got out and it had all kinds of VIP/Handle With Care stickers all over it. Take care of the people that can make the system work for you, and they will usually take good care of you.

[Castro's]

Flying to Denver direct (United) on Thursday. I always carry my boots on, but since I'm checking skis, and it's a direct flight I'm not worried about ending up with a lost boot bag. General consensus is I can pack pants, gloves, helmet etc in ski/boot bags without paying extra as long as I'm under 50lbs combined weight? Yay or nay?

[jerlane]

Flying to Denver direct (United) on Thursday. I always carry my boots on, but since I'm checking skis, and it's a direct flight I'm not worried about ending up with a lost boot bag. General consensus is I can pack pants, gloves, helmet etc in ski/boot bags without paying extra as long as I'm under 50lbs combined weight? Yay or nay?

I’ve never had a problem doing that. I try not to overstuff or be too obvious though. I just flew United to Jackson last month and had no issues.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Iowagriz]

If you get a strict United agent, boot bag and ski bag count as one item only if they don't have other items in them (clothing).

They essentially try to push you into skis only bag, boot bag, and a bag for clothing. That is why I just pack everything in my ski bag and carry the boots on with me. $25, 1 bag, under 50#

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[BC.]

At bigger airports I use skycap tips to make things easier than dealing with bitchy agents.

At smaller airports it’s a crapshoot.....latest trip to JAC, on the way home I was at 51 pounds and had to “lighten” my load....no big deal, but seemed a little ridiculous.

FWIW, I pack all my gear in my checked ski bag (50lbs)....and just carry on a back pack. I’ll be flying to DEN with family of 4 over Easter....I make the family pack the same way. (Trained them to pack light...lol)

[Marshall Tucker]

surfboards k

Try pole vault poles

[Shredhead]

The newest economy fares don’t include a carry on or seat selection. Fuckers.

[Kinnikinnick]

We check in 2 hours before flight.

Priority/premier luggage tagged

Skis somehow miss our flight, only being checked in two hours before the flight.

They dont put our skis on the next two flights, they are going to put them on the last flight that gets in at midnight and hence too late to catch the luggage service, so another 24 hours best case before they’ll get them to us

Fucking United


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[BC.]

I haven’t traveled in 2 years….but my tip used to be “always use Skycap”…leave a nice tip always insured my bags at least got on the plane. (And that’s flying out of EWR)

I was hoping to make some trips this winter….but looks like it’s gonna be a 3 year drought for me and my family. Totally sucks.

*Shit…didn’t notice I had a post up thread….(I think that was the last trip we made/ pre pandemic)

[phatty]

Best tip is to never fly United. By far the worst of the major airlines. I've spent hundreds more just to avoid flying them.

[Kinnikinnick]

I haven’t traveled in 2 years….but my tip used to be “always use Skycap”…leave a nice tip always insured my bags at least got on the plane. (And that’s flying out of EWR)

I was hoping to make some trips this winter….but looks like it’s gonna be a 3 year drought for me and my family. Totally sucks.

Yeah, thats what I thought. Sky capped checked them.

They have been sitting on the skis for 8 hours as three flights have departed.

Cause “priority” means…put it on the last flight.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Benny Profane]

How much did they charge you for the skis?

[Benny Profane]

Oh shit. Be glad you made it and your skis, eventually.

United, Delta cancel hundreds of Christmas Eve flights as omicron depletes staff

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trave...omicron-staff/

Major commercial airlines United and Delta said they would cancel dozens of flights on Christmas Eve, citing staff shortages stemming from the omicron-fueled surge in coronavirus cases sweeping the country.
On Thursday, United Airlines said in a statement it was canceling 120 flights the following day because the fast-spreading variant has had “a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation.”
Delta said in a statement that its teams had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover schedules flying ” before canceling over 90 flights on Christmas Eve due to weather events and staffing issues.
The airlines said they were working hard to accommodate as many passengers as possible, but the disruption comes during one of the busiest travel periods in years. Many people who spent the holidays at home last year had planned a return to airports for the first time since the advent of the pandemic.
[Omicron is upending the holidays for international travelers]
According to data from the Transportation Security Administration, since Dec. 16 more than 2 million people have passed through its security checkpoints almost every day — approximately double the number recorded on the same days last year. With 2,081,297 passengers recorded on Wednesday, the statistics surpassed the number of travelers reported the same day in 2019, before the pandemic.
United — which had struggled with profitability under last year’s restrictions on nonessential travel and slump in traveling — was on the road to recovery. The Chicago-based carrier predicted it would reach about 87 percent of the number of people it flew in 2019 — forecasting an average of 420,000 passengers a day from Dec. 16 through Jan. 3, the company said.

[BC.]

Yeah, thats what I thought. Sky capped checked them.

They have been sitting on the skis for 8 hours as three flights have departed.

Cause “priority” means…put it on the last flight.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Well then that’s a kick in the balls……u tipped and then they still didn’t get on. That definitely sucks…

I love to take trips (esp. to ski)…..but man, I’m kinda not looking forward to it when we actually start up again. The hassle seems totally worse than ever.

Another year of just driving up to VT to get my fix….(and see my kids..lol)

[Kinnikinnick]

Oh shit. Be glad you made it and your skis, eventually.

United, Delta cancel hundreds of Christmas Eve flights as omicron depletes staff

https://www.washingtonpost.com/trave...omicron-staff/

Major commercial airlines United and Delta said they would cancel dozens of flights on Christmas Eve, citing staff shortages stemming from the omicron-fueled surge in coronavirus cases sweeping the country.
On Thursday, United Airlines said in a statement it was canceling 120 flights the following day because the fast-spreading variant has had “a direct impact on our flight crews and the people who run our operation.”
Delta said in a statement that its teams had “exhausted all options and resources — including rerouting and substitutions of aircraft and crews to cover schedules flying ” before canceling over 90 flights on Christmas Eve due to weather events and staffing issues.
The airlines said they were working hard to accommodate as many passengers as possible, but the disruption comes during one of the busiest travel periods in years. Many people who spent the holidays at home last year had planned a return to airports for the first time since the advent of the pandemic.
[Omicron is upending the holidays for international travelers]
According to data from the Transportation Security Administration, since Dec. 16 more than 2 million people have passed through its security checkpoints almost every day — approximately double the number recorded on the same days last year. With 2,081,297 passengers recorded on Wednesday, the statistics surpassed the number of travelers reported the same day in 2019, before the pandemic.
United — which had struggled with profitability under last year’s restrictions on nonessential travel and slump in traveling — was on the road to recovery. The Chicago-based carrier predicted it would reach about 87 percent of the number of people it flew in 2019 — forecasting an average of 420,000 passengers a day from Dec. 16 through Jan. 3, the company said.

Yeah lucky flight wasn’t canceled.

For Premier level baggage service they really fucked up. You get the priority tag so… they can leave the bag for 8 hours and put it on the last flight rather than the two earlier flights.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[tetzen]

Had my Delta flight canceled. Luckily I was able to rebook. Now my 5 hour direct has turned into a 12 hour connect through a podunk SE city.

[Kinnikinnick]

The skis arrived on the late flight, and they just left them laying on the oversize baggage ramp all night. Luckily still there when I came back to the airport at 9am. Missed all morning of a powder day.

Thanks United


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[St. Jerry]

Had my Delta flight (1st/business) suddenly cancelled this morning. By a miracle found a JetBlue flight (coach) around the same time. Was like going from 1st world to 3rd world. Wow, it was bad.

[Kinnikinnick]

Had my Delta flight (1st/business) suddenly cancelled this morning. By a miracle found a JetBlue flight (coach) around the same time. Was like going from 1st world to 3rd world. Wow, it was bad.

From the penthouse to the trailer park!


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Talisman]

While flying in the third world I was never served blue potato chips (unless the San Juan flights count), so there's that luxurious amenity to savor on Jet Blue.

Had my Delta flight (1st/business) suddenly cancelled this morning. By a miracle found a JetBlue flight (coach) around the same time. Was like going from 1st world to 3rd world. Wow, it was bad.

[Shredhead]

If you think Jet Blue is 3rd world, don’t even think about the flying cage match that calls itself Spirit Airlines.