This is what you need to consider for your active holiday!
Powdery snow is your icing on the cake? Prefer Montblanc or Arlberg?
Or would you rather get away from the cold wet shades of Europe and go windsurfing on the Canary Islands?
Or are you throwing the coin where you are going to hit the golf ball: in Scotland or on the Algarve?
No matter what your passion is – you want to take your own equipment along. And here’s the pitfall: If you are lucky enough to find a cheap flight, it literally pays off to read the small print carefully. Checking in Sports equipment can be really expensive – but that’s not necessarily the case if you follow our recommendations:
How much hold luggage is included in your ticket category?
By now, airlines offer an ever more complicated network of booking categories, the offer ranges from economy class to super, premium, flex and business class with platinum frequent flyer bonus.
Some airlines take your sports equipment for free “within the range of the hold luggage”. Most of the time this means that in addition to your golf bag, you can only take a carry-on bag.
If you travel with Lufthansa, British Airways or Air France, an economy class ticket includes checked baggage of up to 23 kilograms. So better check your golfbag for overweight.
Very often, your sports equipment needs to be registered in addition to your hold luggage. The best way to do this is when you book your ticket online. Very often you can add additional hold luggage until shortly before departure without a horrenduous surcharge. Travelling with Easyjet, this will cost you between 42 and 49 Euro, with Ryanair between 30 and 70 Euro, SAS might charge up to 170 Euro.
What are the limits for size and weight of your sports gear?
If the weight limits for hold luggage are normally within the 20 or 23 kilo range, you’d better be accurate with some airlines. The size (length + breadth + width) must not exceed 150 centimetres for Lufthansa. Skis and surfing board will be hard to shrink to this size. So, once again: If you register your sports gear in advance, it will be allowed to fly aboard Air France for to Euro.
…And for hand luggage?
For a weekend you might be abel to back your golf socks and gols shoes in your hand luggage. But beware: Normally, the size of your hand luggage must not exceed 55x40x20. This will be difficult for skiboots and helmet. Low cost carriers tend to be particularly strict when it comes to hand luggage sizes.
Overweight is expensive!
Nasty surprises at the airport are particularly expensive. It pays off to measures bags and cases, weigh and count them. Whatever has been registered beforehand is usually less pricey. Too much weight at the airport is particularly expensive. Some kilos may end up more expensive than your own ticket.
Now, are you all packed up and every bag is registered?
Ready, steady, go – refund.me wishes you a pleasant flight!