[Weasel2009]

Hiya, I was wondering if I could pack my stuff into the crash pad and check it in as baggage - has anyone done it on Ryanair? They have become a bit stricter about your hand baggage so i'm afraid they might make problems and ask me to pay extra 20 quid for sports equipment although I want to use it as an extra thick suitcase....
I've heard it is generally possible but want to make sure it would be feasible on Ryanair.
How did you prepare/protect the pad?
Ta!

[slackline]

Don't tell them its a "crash pad" or bouldering mat (not that they'll know what bouldering is), some bullshit along the lines that its for sleeping on should avoid it being clocked as "sporting equipment".

Alternatively just don't fly with the cnuts.

[Weasel2009]

Cheers, unfortunately I've already bought the tickets and am wondering whether to risk it or to leave the pad behind...it would come in handy, tho.

[slackline]

The thing to remember with Ryan Air is that they break down the cost of a flight into all the tiny little bits that you'd be paying for anyway (and are generally a thieving bunch of cunts).

If you really don't want to pay any more, don't 'risk' it and leave the mat at home.  Otherwise accept the price and pay up.

I'd book it as normal checked luggage though, place the onus on them to prove that it qualifies as sports equipment.

I've only flown with a pad once, to Australia, can't remember who I flew with, but checked it in as normal baggage.  Stuffed a couple of towels inside (note nothing of value!) and taped around the seams so that nothing fell out.  All got there fine.

[Paul B]

I dismantled my Metolius XL pad and rolled the foam up into one of those large 'North Face' style hold-alls to avoid paying something stupid in baggage costs. It worked a treat although there was a bit of a fight at either end to get the foam in and out. It was also quite funny watching it get picked up at one point as this huge bag only weighed ~7kg 

I'm pretty sure I saw the idea somewhere which suggested wetting the outer to get everything in easier then letting it dry in the sun. Can't find wherever that was, sorry.

[rodma]

I've said this before on other threads.

A mondo can go through with ryanair as regular hold luggage. All you have to do is take it to outsize baggage after checking it in. You obviously have to pay the extra for hold-luggage, but that's it. We took ours with ryanair from prestwick to milan and back no bother.

Having said that, we flew out to CDG and back this year with air-france and were informed when checking in for the return leg, that Airfrance are meant to charge approx 200euros for items of outsize baggage (don't know if this is down to the baggage handlers or what, but at CDG they didn't have an outsize baggage bit and someone would have to come and manually collect the bag from the check-in desk). Thankfully they didn't charge us anything. We checked their website when we got home and found no reference made of this charge anywhere 

Most bouldering mats look like weird big rucksacks, so treat it like that. It is after all, just a bag filled with foam.

[GraemeA]

I've said this before on other threads.

A mondo can go through with ryanair as regular hold luggage. All you have to do is take it to outsize baggage after checking it in. You obviously have to pay the extra for hold-luggage, but that's it. We took ours with ryanair from prestwick to milan and back no bother.

Having said that, we flew out to CDG and back this year with air-france and were informed when checking in for the return leg, that Airfrance are meant to charge approx 200euros for items of outsize baggage (don't know if this is down to the baggage handlers or what, but at CDG they didn't have an outsize baggage bit and someone would have to come and manually collect the bag from the check-in desk). Thankfully they didn't charge us anything. We checked their website when we got home and found no reference made of this charge anywhere  .

There is an oversize baggage check-in at CDG Terminal 3 which is where the budget airlines operate from, or at least there was one last September.

I have flown with various airlines including Ryanair with an inflated Ronin and never had any hassle. Just be careful on the weight.

Seal the ends with Gaffa tape.

[rodma]

There is an oversize baggage check-in at CDG Terminal 3 which is where the budget airlines operate from, or at least there was one last September.

Air france are in a swanky new bit at CDG. they put the mondo on one of those "cage-trolleys" next to check in. Someone then presumably had to come and wheel it away later. I'm assuming that it's this "system" that they are being charged to use by the airport operator.