Three scheduled airlines have been labelled as the most ‘ski friendly’ by not charging for the carriage of winter sports equipment.
Austrian Airlines, Germanwings and Swiss will fly ski equipment for free, according to the research conducted by flight price comparison site Cheapflights.co.uk.
Among the low cost carriers, costs can vary anywhere between £18 to £30 depending on the airline.
Ryanair is the most expensive in the budget sector, charging £40 per item if booked online, and £50 per item at the airport with no pre-booking. Excess baggage fees also apply.
Easyjet and Bmibaby are the cheapest, charging £18.50 and £17.99 respectively per item if booked online. The fees account for items such as boots, skis, and other sporting goods.
Of the mainstream carriers, British Airways, Air Canada and Air France all incorporate the cost of carrying skis as part of free baggage allowance.
Air Canada waives the oversize charge for skis and snowboards with no extra for snow boots while BA incorporates poles into its ski equipment allowance.
In its latest tips page on the Cost of carrying skis on flights, Cheapflights.co.uk reviews 13 top airlines and the cost of carrying ski equipment on board.
The company’s travel expert Nadine Hallak said: “Most airlines will unfortunately charge for carrying ski equipment on board, so the rare perk of carrying skis at no extra cost could quite possibly dictate travellers’ choice of destinations.