Hi, I am just planning to go on my first flight with skates to skate asia and we are wondering if the weight limit on luggage has ever caused a problem for any flights you have taken for a normal skating competition with all your skating needs stuffed into the luggage. I am planning to do a test pack and weight my luggage, but I wonder if I may miss out anything heavy that I might realize I need in the last minute.
So any ideas/thoughts on this?

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Tidesong

Since my pairs partner lives in another state, and I've done several international competitions, I have had lots of practice flying with my skates.

While you MAY be able to carry on skates on some airlines, sometimes you may not. And, if you aren't allowed to carry them on, you are usually stopped at security. At that point, if you have to check them, you have to make sure that you have everything with you that would allow you to safely check them. So, I always just check my skates.

I use a rolling bag that is the size that can be carried on (22"x14"x9"). I line the bottom with at least one sweatshirt, and then lay my skates in the middle of the bag with the laces against each other, and the blades to the outside. I place my drying towels between them so that they don't rub against each other. I then stuff socks, underwear, shirts, tights, etc around the blades and boots. Then, on top is more clothing, sweatshirts, etc. If you have straps in the bag, tighten them down over all this. I also place my tools in the bag (screwdrivers, awl, corkscrew), in this bag. When zipped you want to make sure that nothing move around in the bag.

While it may feel heavy, it shouldn't be anywhere near the weight limit for checked baggage on any carrier.

Rob

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2010 Adult Nationals - earning a gold - "Priceless"
2009 Adult Nationals - competing with a cold is not much fun.
2008 Adult Nationals - Too little sleep, too much vodka!

I don't have anything skating specific to offer, but be very, very careful about the weight. Younger DD was over coming home from Japan and her options were $600 to go ahead and check the bags, or pay $10 for a box and another $200 to ship it on the same flight.

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Thanks rlichtefeld for the great tip, I will keep that in mind.
Dbny... the extra weight was it anything skating related? I am just hoping not to go over the limit... I am planning to book a budget airline so the limit is lower at 15kg. I hope skates plus video camera plus clothing wont reach 15kg. I dont intend to buy any heavy things during competition apart from maybe a video of my performances.

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Tidesong

No, it was teenager related! The kid brought home so many presents for family & friends at winter recess, that she didn't bring back stuff she no longer needed. Then, of course, she got more stuff before returning home for the summer.

Re skating issues - how heavy is your camera? Have you considered a new digicam? There are some great hybrids on the market now, and not expensive. If you are bringing your lappy with you, you could probably get away with just a couple of 2GB cards. Take a look at Steve's Digicams for help in that department.

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I have a separate skate bag, and they tend not to weigh it (same as other sporting goods like skis). This has been OK on both scheduled and charter flights - of course, it means an extra bag to pick up.

Recommend you ring or email the operator and get an email confirmation.

Youch! $600 for overweight luggage from Japan seems like a lot! I've had overweight luggage on 2 or 3 flights from Japan and typically paid around $100 per flight.

That being said, $100 is still a hefty fee. My advice is just to do what you've done, Tidesong: check with the airline for baggage requirements, and make sure to weigh your bag(s) before leaving. Are you allowed two bags? It can definitely help to avoid weight limits, if you can split your goods into two bags.

My other suggestion is to pack your heavy items in your carry-on. You wouldn't believe the weight of some of my international carry-on bags that I've had in order to avoid weight limits. On one flight, I had two large backpacks, each weighing close to 30 lbs. While it's not my favorite way to travel, overloaded carry-ons can be a good way to avoid paying overweight baggage fines.

I've heard that the airlines (or at least some of the US Majors) have jacked up the overweight/oversize/over quantity fees lately as part of their current pricing strategies.

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Story:

Last year when I was flying to Chicago for the Pairs Clinic, I arrived at O'Hare and my skating bag didn't come off onto the bagage ramp. I got really panicky and started to cry It was an awful feeling. I finally found my skating bag, sequestered in jail...they put my skates in this locked-up room. I almost flipped out! It's like your feet are gone!

Careful - down here at least, they're now weighing carry-ons to ensure they're below our 4kg limit...they *really* want that excess luggage fee!!

Some airlines are doing that here too. I got DD a smaller, lighter laptop for her semester in London, and it was a good thing, because she would have had a problem with the weight limit on carry-ons otherwise.

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