Best UK Airlines for Flying with Snowboards in 2023/2024
Packing your snowboard to hit the slopes this winter? Whether flying with your snowboard to France, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, or beyond, you'll want to check the snowboard fees and policies for your airline before you go.
We've prepared a list of UK-based airlines comparing their snowboard equipment fees and policies, so you can know the cost and weight limits before your next snowboard trip. [AMZ asins='B07F8BZXFB,B085129W7P,B074FV9XFX,B083178YD3,B09HP9W8G8,B01MZYYICB']
Your best option is to fly with either British Airways or Jet2.com. Ryanair and EasyJet are both reasonable options as well, just be aware of the lower weight limit for snowboard bags of 20 kg / 44 lbs for each of these airlines, as their overweight baggage fees add up quickly.
1. British Airways - Free - Standard Luggage Fee
British Airways will accept your snowboard free of charge as part of your regular checked baggage allowance, counting as a regular suitcase.There is no special Sports Equipment or Oversize Luggage fee to pay, as long as your snowboard bag weighs less than 23 kg / 50 lbs.
If you are bringing your snowboard bag in excess of your free baggage allowance (or you have purchased a no-checked-bag fare), you will still have to pay the regular Checked Bag fee, as if you were bringing a standard regular suitcase.
When flying with a snowboard on British Airways, be sure to pack your boots together with your snowboard in the same bag - packing them into a separate boot bag will count as an extra piece of luggage, for which you will be charged extra.
Flying with Snowboards on British Airways
British Airways will accept your snowboard equipment free of charge as long as it is within your free checked baggage allowance. If your snowboard equipment is in addition to your free checked luggage, or you have purchased a no-baggage fare, the standard checked luggage fee (same as for a normal suitcase) will apply.Your snowboard bag is limited in length of up to 190cm (75in).
If your snowboard bag weighs more than 23 kg / 50 lbs, a heavy bag fee of 65 GBP / 75 EUR / 100 USD / 100 CAD will be charged.
Please ensure that you:
Pack your snowboards in a recognised snowboard bag
Pack your boots together your snowboard
View Regular British Airways Baggage Policies 2023
View British Airways Snowboards Policy
2. Jet2 - £30 GBP
Jet2 accepts your snowboard for a fee of £30 GBP, as long as your pre-book it online. This will allow you to bring a snowboard bag weighing up to a maximum of 22 kg / 48.5 lbs.
Jet2's snowboard equipment fee is less than EasyJet's and Ryanair's, but most importantly allows an extra 2 kg in weight allowance (22 kg vs 20 kg), which means you may be able to pack 2 boards in one bag without going over the weight limit. When flying with snowboards with a partner or as a family, this may lead to some significant savings.
Flying with Snowboards on jet2.com
Be aware that Jet2.com's "Ski Flights" to Europe do not actually include any ski/snowboard allowance.Jet2.com will accept your snowboard on board the flight, but you will be charged a fee of 30 GBP each way. This snowboard fee may vary slightly depending on the origin/destination of your flight.
You can add a snowboard to your Jet.com flight reservation at the time of booking, which is cheaper than paying for your snowboard at the airport.
Your snowboard bag is limited in weight to 22 kg / 48.5 lbs. Excess weight is charged at a rate of 12 GBP per KG, up to maximum of 32 kg / 70 lbs. No bag weighing more than 32 kg / 70 lbs will be accepted on Jet2.com flights.
View Regular jet2.com Baggage Policies 2023
View jet2.com Snowboards Policy
3. EasyJet - £37-47 GBP
EasyJet will accept your snowboard as a piece of "Small Sports Equipment". This means that it will cost you £37 GBP when pre-booking online (£47 if paying at the airport) to bring your snowboard.EasyJet's Small Sports Equipment allows up to a maximum of 20 kg, so you should be able to fit your snowboard and boots together into the same bag and stay within the weight limit. If you exceed the weight limit, you will be charged an Excess Weight fee of £12 GBP per KG at the airport.
If you know that you'll be exceeding EasyJet's 20 kg weight limit with your snowboard bag, you do have a couple of options:
1. Pack less into your regular standard suitcase. Baggage weights on EasyJet are pooled together, so if you have bought a 23 kg suitcase allowance and a 20 kg Small Sports Equipment, you have a total of 43 kg - for example, if you pack only 18 kg into your suitcase, your snowboard bag may weigh 25 kg. No single item may weigh more than 32 kg / 70 lbs.
2. Purchase a "Large Sports Equipment" for £45 (£55 at the airport), which has a weight allowance of 32 kg.
3. Pre-purchase extra weight online ahead of time at a cheaper rate - £12 per 3 kg. We don't recommend this, as it is cheaper to purchase a "Large Sports Equipment" to get the 32 kg allowance than it is to purchase the extra weight allowance, but this option will still cost you less than paying for the extra weight at the airport.
When travelling as a family on the same reservation, you can also pool your weight allowances together, so by packing a little bit less into each person's suitcase, you can pack multiple snowboards into 1 bag and "borrow" the extra weight from your lighter suitcases. Just make sure your snowboard bag does exceed 32 kg / 70 lbs.
Flying with Snowboards on EasyJet
EasyJet accepts Snowboards as Small Sporting Equipment.EASYJET SMALL SPORTS EQUIPMENT FEE - limit of 20kg weight allowance
Paid Online - £37 GBP
At Airport - £47 GBPIf necessary, you can add extra weight to your snowboard allowance in increments of 3 KG (12 GBP per 3 KG), or simply buy a LARGE Sports Equipment allowance of 32 kg, for a fee of 45 GBP (or 55 GBP at the airport).
If purchasing standard baggage and sports equipment, the exact distribution of weight between baggage items doesn't matter, subject to the maximum weights (32 kg per item) for health and safety reasons.
View Regular EasyJet Baggage Policies 2023
View EasyJet Snowboards Policy
4. Ryanair - £45 / 45 EUR
Ryanair will accept your snowboard for a fee of £45 GBP / 45 EUR. Your snowboard bag will be limited to 20 kg / 44 lbs, and excess weight will be charged at a rate of 11 GBP / EUR per KG.
Be sure to pack your boots together with your snowboard into the same bag - bringing your boots in a separate boot bag will count as an extra piece of checked luggage, and incur additional fees. If you are bringing multiple snowboards and your bag is getting close to the 20 kg weight limit, it may make sense to pack your boots in a separate boot bag and to purchase a 10 KG Checked Bag for your boots.
Flying with Snowboards on Ryanair
Ryanair will accept your snowboard in the hold as an extra piece of luggage. It cannot be included in your purchased 20kg, it must be paid separately.Ryanair Snowboard Fee 2022
Snowboard equipment is limited to 20 kilos per item upon payment of a discounted online fee of €45 / £45 (online), or €50 / £50 (at airport).Any sporting and musical item weighing over the 20 kilos allowance will be charged for the excess at the applicable excess baggage rate per kilo (currently set at 11 GBP / EUR per Kilo).
View Regular Ryanair Baggage Policies 2023
View Ryanair Snowboards Policy
5. Aer Lingus - 40 EUR
Aer Lingus accepts snowboards to fly for a fee of about 40 EUR (if purchased online) or 50 EUR (if purchased at the airport) on regional flights.Your snowboard bag is limited in weight to the standard 23 kg / 50 lbs weight limit, and overweight baggage fees will apply if you exceed it.
On trans-Atlantic flights to/from North America, Aer Lingus allows you to take a snowboard bag free of charge in exchange for a standard checked suitcase - this does not apply for flights within Europe, for which the specified snowboard bag fee will always apply.
Flying with Snowboards on Aer Lingus
For flights between Ireland and North America snowboards are part of the free allowance, normal excess baggage rates apply if the passenger carries excess to the free allowance.There is no charge for snowboards for passengers travelling in Business Class.
For all other flights a maximum of 1 snowboard and 1 set of boots per person is allowed, and a fee of €40 or equivalent payable online prior to departure or a fee of €50 or equivalent, payable at the airport on the day of departure applies. This fee is charged each-way on outbound and return journeys.
The maximum weight for a snowboard bag is 23kg/50lbs, and excess baggage fees will be charged if it is exceeded.
View Regular Aer Lingus Baggage Policies 2023
View Aer Lingus Snowboards Policy
Comments / Discussion / Questions
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