[Owen]

I'm off on a bouldering trip soon flying with ryan air and (having never flown for a bouldering trip before) was wondering how they react to you taking bouldering pads on thier flights. Do they try charge you extra or can you pass them off as luggage? Anyone had problems with this airline recently?

Thanks

Owen

[Bubba]

Shouldn't be a problem - I've taken a pad on Ryanair before.

I think they're more worried about weight than size.

[Nibile]

yeh,
no problem for the pads. they only check the wheight.

[tommytwotone]

no probs - took mine on bmi to font load of times. They tend to let you have 2 items of hold luggage totalling 20kgs so bear that in mind.

Also, you might find that it has to be brought up from the plane separately, depending on size. My dropzone had to be wheeled up on a trolley from the plane at Charles De Gaulle, about 15mins after everyone else had cleared off.

[Nibile]

no probs - took mine on bmi to font load of times. They tend to let you have 2 items of hold luggage totalling 20kgs so bear that in mind.

 :!: maximum wheight is now down to 15 kilos :!:

[tommytwotone]

jeez, that's gonna hit the beardown posse hard - the hawaiian shirt, the trucker cap or the sweatbands?  :wink:

[lorentz]

Took my Pad to Goa recently. Fine on the way out, but coming back the Goa baggage handlers did their level best to knock 9 shades of shit out of it. It's ok but the foam inside took a week or two to regain it's original shape. Be warned. I hear the Ryanair baggage kru are worse!

[dave]

jeez, that's gonna hit the beardown posse hard - the hawaiian shirt, the trucker cap or the sweatbands?  :wink:

like i wouldn't be wearing all of the above on the flight.

i've taken mat to canada, sardina, austria, ireland and font on planes and never had any trouble. It just generally gets checked in as oversized (like skis or a golf bag) and as long as its inside your weight limit they ain't gonna charge you any do-re-mi unless its some kinda cowboy outfit. And i don't mean a stetson and a pair of chaps.

[a dense loner]

the weight limit thing is nonsense. the airline can charge you for oversize gear if it wants to. they never do but it is at the staffs discretion whether you think so or not. for example american airlines tried to charge me for my pad on the way back from the states. i refused to pay. when asked if i wanted to see the duty manager i replied that i would. a farce ensued with said manager and tape measure. i still refused to pay on the grounds that i had not paid on any of my 3 previous flights with them. i did not pay but he could have been much more arsey

[SA Chris]

Excess baggage does seem a bit hit and miss, depending on the Airport / Country more than any thing. Aberdeen is always totally laid back, but Geneva is really anal about excesses. Flying out of heathrow seems OK, but always get assles flying back from States, especially Denver.

I wonder if some Airports pay people who work there bonuses if they get money in from excess baggage charges.

[Houdini]

The times I've flown with two pads (one stuffed in the other making it pretty bulky but easier to handle) it came down to weight, though they still had to go through oversize.  I've never had to pay extra.  

It wouldn't do any harm to read the smallprint about oversize luggage when booking your ticket.

(Airlines: rapacious arbitrary swine, and they're weird with it too -- they don't always charge everyone that is over the weight limit.  

You'll see cute, utterly inoffensive stick-insect girls with backpacks that get stung for one kilo, only to see Mr. Fatcunt checking-in his overweight luggage and personally weighing in a clear 50kg heavier than any of the girls.  The kind of guy for whom - one seat is not enough - and therefore must occupy some of yours, too.  The one that you paid for.  And he'll always smell.  And over 10 hours, you don't want that.

It's about time airlines started incorporating personal weight as a factor to determine how much luggage one can take.)

Has anyone out there ever flown with a 'mondo' pad?  I'd like to see somebody check one of these in.

[Nibile]

Has anyone out there ever flown with a 'mondo' pad?  I'd like to see somebody check one of these in.

the "mondo pad boulderer" never flies, he just punches his way to hueco dividing the atlantic.

[dave]

the most annoying factor about oversize baggage etc is that most airlines are typically vague about their allowances for this type of stuff, so you can never find out in advance. ALso some are willing to extend you a "sports equipment allowance" but they are generally cagey about what this actually. when going to canada i phoned up the airline about the upshot is they would be fine if you turn up with 50kg of golf clubs or a set of skis or skuba gear, but a big fuck-you if you want it to cover a 3kg mat or rope. my advice to the enterprising international climber is pack your rack and shit into a golf bag, wear an argyle sweater and some plus fours for the flight.

[a dense loner]

and don't say your pad is for sport, then they have got you. i have, intentionally, pulled the old it's for sleeping on excuse

[SA Chris]

I saw some old bird walking through Denver airport with a ski bag on her luggage, which drooped at both ends to touch the floor. Looked like it had never held a pair of skis in it's life. That's exploiting the system. Me cool to make a james Bond style golf bag with fake clubs sticking out the top and be able to stuff it with a trad rack.

[dobbin]

Never yet had a problem flying with a pad - and its one of those 'dont pack down well at all' franklin dropzone jobbies. Its been to switzerland three times and font, all with no issues.

On the news this morning, ryan air are going to start charging £5 per piece of hold baggage.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4811410.stm

[saltbeef]

think i'll struggle to get my pad in th overhead locker...

[Houdini]

How long before we see the Moon Inflatable?

[dobbin]

I'd buy an inflatable dummy of Ben for sure....

(oh. )

[saltbeef]

is it true you have gay bowel syndrome?