UK Airlines and Rigs

[BannanaGirl 0]

I am planning on going away to Spain late September and the airlines I may fly with are either Ryan Air (who seem to have extortionate excess baggage fees) or British Airways.

Now I've never actually flown with a rig before so can someone tell me which out of the two are the best to go with and if there are any issues travelling with these folks with a rig or if there is a better airline to use etc.


Also should I carry on or let them stick my rig in the hold? I feel a bit uncomfortable letting some jackass baggage handler bash my new baby around, but am I just being a bit paranoid?

I know this question has been asked a million times before but I am having a muppet day using the search facility on here so any help will be most appreciated and I can then get on with booking the flights.

Cheers

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[bigway 4]

Take your rig on a cart with your luggage up to the check in. Do not let them see your rig over the counter. Give them your luggage. Then walk off with your rig, put it on your back and you are good to go. From that point on nobody knows if you have paid extra for that carry on so nobody will say anything. I do it all the time.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Mark4 0]

I'm heading to Sweden on Ryanair next week so I'll let you know how it goes.

Technically Ryanair have a slightly better allowance, currently 20Kg checked, 10Kg hand. This is compared with 23Kg checked and 6Kg hand at BA.

Having said that, I have always taken my rig hand luggage with BA without any issue. My rig weighes about 9Kg.

IMO all airlines have outrageous excess baggage charges. Not sure Ryanair is any worse than BA.

My problem with Ryanair is all the hidden charges £5 to check a bag in, credit/debit card charges per person per direction, etc.

[MotherGoose 0]

I've read various horror stories about checking your rig and letting the handlers abuse it. I would definitely take it with me as carry-on and BIGWAY's idea is an excellent one to avoid excess fees. I'm sure you already thought of this, but if you are flying with your rig . . . make sure your AAD is turned off !! There's been a couple of mishaps like that as well . . .

You think you understand the situation, but what you don't understand, is that the situation just changed.

[Scoop 0]

I understand fellow brit travelled to Empuria recently and they said they have changed policy and must now be checked in.

EDIT: I'm referring to Ryanair

[dragon2 2]

I tried that last year at Xmas, Ryanair. Had to check in the rig before boarding the plane on the way back was pretty pissed about it, because others WERE allowed in with their rig on their backs on this same flight And mine was in a stashbag too. On the way over it wasn't a problem

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[bigway 4]

Quote

I tried that last year at Xmas, Ryanair. Had to check in the rig before boarding the plane on the way back was pretty pissed about it, because others WERE allowed in with their rig on their backs on this same flight And mine was in a stashbag too. On the way over it wasn't a problem

What they don't see, they don't know

I am off to the states on air India for one reason only... Boogies! There is no way in hell i am checking my rig. My rig gets lost and my trip is a big waste of money.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
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[Akey 0]

Don't know if it helps, but easy jet has does not have a weight limit on hand luggage... V. useful seeing how much the average rig weighs

[billyg23 0]

i put my rig in my checked in bag then stuff all the heavy gear in my hand luggage....but ryanair stung me as their allowance used to be only 15kg

cheesey-jet are always good as i have a monster sized hand luggage bag
have u been drinking whisky this weekend?
i would have come up but i'm too tired.....dont forget that rig!!!

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I AM THE ATMOSPHERE HOOLIGAN

[BannanaGirl 0]

I don't think I could ever drink the stuff again. I am still hanging now and it has been a week.

Unfortunately Easy peasy Jet don't fly direct into our destination so that would then mean more travelling around when we get there which would ruin the general plan and that is to land, get hire car, locate DZ and beer.

I do like Bigways's original idea as thinking back on past booking in's they only asked me if I had packed my hand luggage myself and if I had left it unattended etc...at no point did they weigh it or even look at it on any of the airlines I have flown with. So I am going to try that one I think.

One of the guys who is coming said he is going to give them the "would you charge me excess if I weighed 20 stone" routine and see if that works if it gets a bit tasty.

Unfortunately one of the guys will have to stick his rig in the hold as he is taking all his camera equipment on as hand luggage, but personally for me I am going to do my hardest to get my rig in the cabin with me, I can wash my travelling clothes and stuff but if I cannot jump straight away cause some prat has popped my reserve or lost my luggage I would be steaming.

Thanks for the advice. It seems it is just the luck of the draw with all these airlines. Besides I can do pissy, irrate "I wanna see the boss" routine really good and who knows we may get a slot on that first class TV programme "Airline" or something, kicking off at check in. Keep your eyes peeled.

[billyg23 0]

hey B. check this sh#t....yesterday....i was harping on about taking my rig onto an easyjet plane...i am not joking when the lass asked me if easyjet allowed you to jump from their planes....

thats whuffo-tastic that is!



"this is your captain speaking...there will be a short delay before landing whilst oval-zipper and his mates exit via the rear door...please remain seated with your seat belts fastened....have a safe jump boys"

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I AM THE ATMOSPHERE HOOLIGAN

[shropshire 0]

<>..... umm.... not all of it..... actually a rigger did...... whoops


.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Zeemax 0]

I've just flown ryaniar to germany and took my rig on as hand luggage. It WAS in a small carry on sized suitcase, however...

The check in desk girl couldn't give a monkeys about our carry on, but when i got to the security bit a complete jobs worth saw it and said 'that looks more than 10KG'... i was a tad confused how he worked that out, it was on wheels being lightly pulled behind me.. anyhow.. it got weighed and was 16KG (rig, wingsuit, other od's and sods), so i weighed my rig, 9KG... Took it out the bag, left eveything else in and checked it into the hold. Wore my rig on my back and had no issues either way.

Phoenix Fly - High performance wingsuits for skydiving and BASE
Performance Designs - Simply brilliant canopies

[Scoop 0]

I think on the back of what I've heard I'm gonna try and carry it on hand luggage but make sure I know theres enough room in the booked suitcse just in case it has to go in there.

[yoink 321]

Try and get hold of the CAA exemtion letter as well - it's always a useful thing to have kicking around in case the airport security get a bit snotty.

You used to be able to get a copy from the BCPA website - www.bcpa.org.uk

[krissy23 0]

The official RyanAir line is that you must check in your rig as hold luggage and under no circumstances are you allowed it as carry-on. You can possibly get around this if you manage to get through security without them questioning it but I have flown from both Luton and Stansted with RyanAir in the last few months and the security guys sent me back to check-in to put my rig in the hold. They may also charge you extra for this since you have already checked your allowance Be aware that if you ask to 'speak to the boss', this is their official policy now.

[BannanaGirl 0]

Oh thanks for the word of warning there. Ryan Air it will be not!!!

I think we are going to fly BA now anyway, mainly because Heathrow is an easier airport for us to get to rather than Stanstead.

It actually works out the same price as by the time Ryan Air sting you for taxes and other fees the difference in cost is nothing (this is not including the potential excess baggage charge either)! It could end up being a really expensive flight.

I do hope BA are'nt muppets though when it comes to carrying on rigs.

[Jimmythejock 0]

I've been travelling with my rig recently and most vigilant check in staff won't let me take it on as hand luggage - due to the lines posing a threat as a weapon, apparantly. What a load of bollocks! Soon we'll all be travelling in the nude if things continue as they are. Anyway, you're best buying a hard shell case and chuck it in the hold, I've seen people do this with tandem rigs as well so you could probably fit gear and clothes in together.

[UKFSChick 0]

I always check my rigs into the hold and have never had a problem. When I took it as hand luggage once, customs asked me to 'open it' but I blinded them with rig-science and they gave up and let me go. Advisable also not to make any mention of the Cypres as it just confuses things, mentioning small explosive devices and little knives and all that.

[Mark4 0]

Hmmm, my experience has been a bit different.

I've carried a rig through Gatwick and Heathrow security many times and have yet to have an issue. IMO they know what they are looking at and don't have an issue. In fact once they were training some new guy and I could hear the trainer explaining what they were looking at.

However on my Ryan Air flights this weekend I got challenged both ways.

At Luton the operator and supervisor said no but when they phoned Ryan Air, we were allowed through. The security people said Ryan Air would take our rigs off us at the gate but they didn't bother.

At Vasteras, the security person almost jumped out of their seat when they saw the x-ray, but after a phone call they let us through with our rigs.

Maybe it's all about how you approach it. I say nothing until asked, have the documentation ready and am polite but insistent. So far so good.