Look for deals to get your gear to the slopes for ski season
01:06 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 22, 2008
It's impossible to travel light on a ski trip. Yet, since last season, most domestic carriers have begun charging for checked luggage. Fees generally are $15 for the first and $25 for the second checked bag for the entire trip (not per leg).
One bright spot is that one ski bag and one boot bag still count as a single piece of luggage. Another bright spot is that Southwest Airlines ( www.southwest.com) doesn't charge for checked bags. Flying out of Love Field, Southwest goes nonstop to Albuquerque and connects with flights to Denver, Salt Lake City and Reno-Tahoe.
The best deal is Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.'s new Bags Fly Free package. Buy your vacation to Steamboat Springs, Colo., (1-800-922-2722; www.steamboat.com) before Nov. 3 and receive a $25 American Express gift card from the resort plus 20 percent off on lift tickets and lodging.
Otherwise, you can ship your bags via FedEx, DHL or a dedicated door-to-door service such as Sports Express ( www.sportsexpress.com), Luggage Forward ( www.luggageforward.com) and others. This method is convenient but expensive.
Another option is to rent gear. Ski Butlers ( www.skibutlers.com) delivers well-maintained ski and snowboard gear to your accommodations in 25 North American resorts, adjusts it and picks it up at the end of your trip.
If you're visiting Vail, Beaver Creek, Keystone, Breckenridge or Heavenly several times this winter, consider a season pass (from www.rentskis.com) for unlimited ski and snowboard rental. Cost is $359 per adult ($459 for performance gear) and $199 for kids 13 and younger.
Claire Walter is a freelance writer in Colorado.