With some ski resorts already reporting heavy snowfalls and some resorts in North America preparing to open 10-12 days earlier than planned, this ski season looks to be busier than ever. To ensure ski enthusiasts plan ahead and avoid any unplanned expense, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has compared the cost of travelling with ski equipment across all major airlines this winter. The guide is available in the Know Before You Gosection of the website, at www.aph.com/ski-equipment.

The research compares the baggage allowances across both short and long haul flights on 26 major airlines, including American Airlines, British Airways and Ryanair, highlighting the cost of travelling with ski equipment.

When flying short-haul, most airlines allow passengers to check-in a standard baggage allowance of up to 23kg free of charge, increasing to 32kg for First-Class and Business-Class passengers. Some airlines were found to be even more generous, with Swiss Air allowing Business-Class passengers to check-in two bags of 32kg each and First-Class passengers three bags of up to 32kg each. Skiers should be careful when flying with low-cost carriers however as many charge passengers to check-in luggage, with Flybe charging £15 for a Standard Bag of 20kg and Ryanair charging £40 for one bag of only 15kg when booked at the airport or through a call centre.

The baggage allowance on long–haul flights was found to differ slightly with certain airlines allowing passengers to check-in more bags than on short-haul flights. Passengers flying with British Airways, for example, are able to check-in up to two bags of 23kg in Economy free of charge compared to one bag in short-haul and passengers flying with Aer Lingus can check-in up to 23kg, compared to 20kg on a short-haul flight.

When checking-in ski equipment, the standard baggage allowance across most of the airlines was found to include one pair of skis, one pair of ski poles and one pair of ski boots with Lufthansa also including one ski helmet as part of checked-in baggage. Skiers should be careful however with regards to excess fees with some airlines charging more dependent on the destination. For example, Alitalia charges passengers £17 when flying to Europe and £64 to America, whereas Aer Lingus includes skis as part of a passenger’s normal baggage allowance when travelling to North America but charges up to £34 per bag when flying to Europe.

Excess fees were also found to vary greatly, with Swiss Air charging £31 per one way journey on short-haul flights and £62 per one way journey on long-haul flights. It is also advisable for skiers to plan ahead and pre-book excess baggage as most low-cost airlines charge passengers more if booked  at the airport, with easyJet for example charging £25 per item online and £30 per item at the airport.

For further information on Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) visit,

www.aph.com or call 01342 859515.

-ENDS-

Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) is the UK’s award winning long stay airport parking operator and booking agency, after winning the Best Airport Parking Company for a fourth year running at British Travel Awards 2013. This year APH also celebrates its 32nd year as a retailer and operator of pre-booked airport parking and travel extras. APH offers parking at all major UK airports as well as airport hotels packaged with parking and airport lounges. APH is also a carbon balanced company and has, through support of the World Land Trust, helped purchase more than 1,000 acres of endangered rainforest.

Media Enquiries

Sarah Salord / Jessica Meins / McCluskey International / 020 8747 2170 / aph@mccluskey.co.uk